Soaring temperatures and summer holidays notwithstanding, Dubai Summer Surprises continues to endure. Now in its 27th year, the shopping and entertainment festival begins on Friday.
On the cards is a jam-packed calendar of concerts and family-friendly events, big-ticket raffle draws, shopping bargains, restaurant deals and hotel offers that will run until September 1.
It's a challenge to keep track of everything that's part of the 65-day emirate-wide affair. Here are some highlights.
12-hour flash sale on Friday
Big savings are among the headline promise of DSS at large – and this will be demonstrated early on with a 12-hour flash sale at City Center Al Shindagha, City Centre Deira, City Centre Me’aisem, City Centre Mirdif and Mall of the Emirates.
From 10am to 10pm on the festival's first Friday, more than 100 brands, from fashion and beauty to homeware and electronics, are offering up to 90 per cent off on selected items. Participating brands include Carters, Aldo, Steve Madden, Okaidi, The Watch House, E City, Better Life, Cole Haan, Damas, Crate & Barrel, Al Jaber Optical, Ecco, Balmain, Lego, Vinci and US Polo Association.
Opening weekend concerts and performances
While DSS lasts for more than two months, it is making a splash this weekend for opening celebrations.
Norwegian dance group Quick Style, Jordanian indie band Autostrad, Jordanian-Palestinian singer Dana Salah and Iraqi–Canadian singer Ali Gatie are performing at City Centre Mirdif. At Mall of the Emirates, several DJ zones will be set up featuring DJs Keza, Tala Samman and Sonya, alongside dance performances by Hallway Boyz, Moto Dancers, and a bharatnatyam and hip-hop Fusion. Roaming dancers and entertainers are also taking over Dubai Festival City Mall.
On Friday, Georges Wassouf and Al Shami are taking to the stage at Coca-Cola Arena, followed by rap sensations Xzibit, D12 and Obie Trice on Saturday. A performance by one of Ethiopia's biggest pop stars, Teddy Afro, is taking place on Sunday.
Attractions, hotels and restaurant offers
For the first time, DSS has partnered with discount publisher the Entertainer with a summer-specific package. The mobile application is known for its buy-one, get-one vouchers on a selection of dining venues, attractions, fitness locations and other destination experiences.
Buying a regular subscription costs Dh595 for a year, but with the DSS collaboration, tourists and residents can get the Entertainer package for Dh195 for three months and access more than 7,000 offers.
Even without the Entertainer package, visitors can enjoy individual deals from establishments. Attractions such as Madame Tussauds, The View at The Palm, Burj Khalifa At the Top and Aya Universe are offering kids-go-free deals, as are select hotels across the city, including the St Regis The Palm, the H Dubai, Kempinski Mall of the Emirates, Marriott Hotel Al Jaddaf.
Foodies can also look forward to the return of Summer Restaurant Week from August 23 to September 1, where 50 restaurants will dish out pocket-friendly set menus for lunch and dinner. The list will be revealed nearer to the time, but it includes renowned hotspots as well as hidden gems.
A new gastronomy-focused event is also launching this year, called Sizzling Summer Eats, where 100 restaurants will offer up to 30 per cent dining discounts for 30 days from July 15.
Big-ticket raffle draws
Shoppers can also watch out for raffle campaigns scattered across various malls. For example, a new GAC GS8 2024 will be given to six winners upon spending Dh200 from June 28 to September 1 at 18 participating malls under the Dubai Shopping Malls Group, which includes Al Ghurair Centre, Al Barsha Mall and Al Bustan Centre.
Shoppers who spend Dh300 or more at Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Deira, and City Centre Mirdif from June 28 to September 1 can enter a draw for a Maserati Grecale GT. Meanwhile Mini Coopers are on the cards for the eight winners of raffle coupons being distributed at Enoc stations and select malls, with every 10,000 tickets sold resulting in a draw.
Modesh World
The indoor amusement park is extra-celebratory this year as it marks its 25th anniversary. Visitors, particularly children, can access 170 rides and attractions at the Dubai World Trade Centre venue, which also features more than 100 arcade games, virtual reality experiences and soft-play areas for little ones.
The venue is launching an inflatable park and animal world play area, while Modesh Cafe will serve bites and beverages.
Six large-scale objects on show
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- The 17th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
- A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
- Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
- A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
- Torrijos Palace dome
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