Dubai Calendar’s highlights for the first quarter of 2019
Dubai’s ever evolving calendar saw a range of exciting new additions become must-attend events during 2018, continuing to surprise both visitors and residents with a stellar line-up of world-class entertainment throughout the year. With a variety of leisure and sporting events promising to keep the whole family busy, there is plenty more to come during 2019.
Here are Dubai Calendar’s top picks of upcoming events:
ENTERTAINMENT & LEISURE
Othello marks the first Shakespeare play to be staged at Dubai Opera in 2019. Following a critically-acclaimed tour and London run, Richard Twyman’s energetic production of Othello will be performed over three consecutive days to add world-class theatre to Dubai Opera’s wide range of entertainment offerings.
- Date / Venue: 30 January – 02 February 2019 at Dubai Opera
- Ticket price: From AED 150
Mark your calendars as global music icons descend on Dubai for the sixth edition of the much anticipated RedFestDXB. The annual event is one of the biggest musical festivals in the city, welcoming a line-up of international pop, rock and EDM celebrities for an electrifying evening under one open-air stadium. This year’s performers will include Macklemore, Camila Cabello, Jax Jones, DJ Snake, Jess Glynne, Lea Makhoul and G-Eazy. RedFestDXB also hosts a range of popular food stops and interactive activities to keep the excitement buzzing across both nights.
- Date/ Venue: 14 February – 15 February 2019 at Dubai Media City Amphitheatre
- Ticket price: AED 395-995
Emirates Airline Dubai Jazz Festival 2019:
The 17th edition will feature performances by local and international jazz and blues artists adding to the line-up of performers including Duran Duran, John Legend and Ricky Martin. This year’s headliners include alt-rock icons Snow Patrol, R&B queen Alicia Keys, and British jazz-funk band Jamiroquai.
- Date / Venue: 20 February – 22 February 2019 at Dubai Media City Amphitheatre
- Ticket price: AED 350-750
Celebrating the diverse culinary offerings of the city, Dubai Food Festival (DFF) presents a jam-packed schedule of mouth-watering events and offers to take visitors on a gastronomic journey around the emirate. From dining on special set menus at Dubai’s finest eateries during Dubai Restaurant Week to discovering wallet-friendly hidden gems, this year’s edition of the festival is set to satisfy all tastes and budgets. Other highlight events of DFF include Beach Canteen, which brings together the city’s best home-grown food concepts at a fun-packed family event, and Taste of Dubai, where foodies get the opportunity to sample delicious dishes from top restaurants and meet celebrity chefs from around the world.
- Date / Venue: 21 February – 09 March 2019, Citywide
- Ticket price: Applicable for selected events only
Dubai International Boat Show:
Anchoring the region’s biggest marine and lifestyle experiences, Dubai International Boat Show is the largest and most established boat show in the UAE, GCC and Middle East. Whether you want to buy a boat, discover luxury superyachts or test drive the latest jet skis, guests will be able to ride the sparkling waves with their family and explore the latest diving and aquatic innovations. Co-located with Dive MENA, it is the only dedicated show for the UAE and GCC diving community.
- Date / Venue: 26 February – 02 March 2019 at Dubai Canal, Jumeirah
- Ticket price: AED 65 valid for one day
West End’s THRILLER LIVE at Dubai Opera:
Relive 45 years of Michael Jackson’s legendary music biography with THRILLER LIVE, direct from London’s West End. Now in its 10th year with over 4,000 performances under its belt, the show will arrive at Dubai Opera to celebrate the spectacular career of one of the world’s most renowned entertainers. Paying tribute to Michael Jackson’s sensational hits from 1982 to 1995, the multi-sensory performances will feature his iconic moonwalk, boogying and innovative dance moves to the beat of iconic tracks with an extraordinarily talented cast and live band.
- Date / Venue: 26 March – 30 March 2019 at Dubai Opera
- Ticket price: AED 275-650
SPORTING EVENTS
Omega Dubai Desert Classic 2019:
The 2019 Omega Dubai Desert Classic promises to be another nail-biting tournament as the world’s top golfers converge in Dubai to compete for the 30th edition. World No. 5 Bryson DeChambeau will be joined by Europe’s Ryder Cup heroes Tommy Fleetwood, Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter to compete for the famous Dallah trophy, while 2018 champion Haotong Li will return to defend his title.
- Date / Venue: 24 January – 27 January 2019 at Emirates Golf Club
- Ticket price: AED 75 per day OR AED 250 for a Season Ticket
A two-day festival of unique and holistic yoga experiences, XYoga will return to Dubai with a new temporary residence at Kite Beach. With a soulful selection of classes, workshops and activities, the festival will invite visitors of all levels and ages to dive into expert-led, quality meditation from sunrise to sundown while perusing health-focused food, equipment and sportswear brands. Yoga enthusiasts can also get involved in complimentary classes like Animal Flow, Tai Chi and Hula Hoop yoga. This year comes with a special treat as Bollywood actress and model Nargis Fakhri will join yogi-to-the-stars Deepika Mehta’s opening session on 1 February.
Last year’s edition saw over 10,000 people attend 60 sessions led by local and international yogis, including the world’s oldest yoga instructor, 99-year-old Tao Porchon-Lynch.
- Date / Venue: 01 – 02 February 2019 at Kite Beach
- Ticket price: Free
Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships 2019:
Held under the patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the annual Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships is set to wow crowds with a two-week long spectacle of fierce competition between top tennis players and energising entertainment for spectators. One of the most popular tournaments on the ATP and Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) World Tours, it has seen victories by the likes of tennis pros Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic and Venus Williams. The 2019 edition will see seven-time Dubai champion Roger Federer and Scot, Andy Murray return to the court, while Simona Halep headlines a WTA rollcall featuring nine of the world’s top 10 players.
- Date / Venue: 17 February – 02 March 2019 at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium
- Ticket price: from AED 55
Created through the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the world’s richest horse race provides a truly global stage for the best horses in the world to come and compete every year. Its namesake race, the Group 1 Dubai World Cup sponsored by Emirates Airline is the highest first-place prize in global thoroughbred racing.
- Date / Venue: 30 March 2019 at Meydan Racecourse
- Ticket price: Free admission in General Admission area; tickets starting from AED 40
Full details of all the events can be found on Dubai Calendar’s website and app, where users can unlock the very best of Dubai’s un-rivalled entertainment, with tickets available for purchase quickly and securely through the app’s platform.
