With Diwali, the Indian "Festival of Lights" very soon upon us, details have been confirmed of the wide variety of activities, events and celebrations residents and tourists can enjoy across the city. There is a lot on offer for everyone to enjoy, and as well as gold and jewellery shopping promotions throughout the festivities, expect to see a host of star-studded concerts and spectacular shows, along with fireworks displays, lighting shows and food festivals.
Some of the things you can expect to see over the Diwali celebrations include the launch of the fourth record-breaking IMAGINE show, ‘Hathi’s Garden’ on Thursday 24 October at Dubai Festival City Mall. The show will include a huge fireworks display and Bollywood dance shows at 8pm, free for all. Also on this day, the first 5,000 guests to Festival Bay will receive free LED wristbands, and for the first time in the Middle East, visitors to Dubai Festival City Mall can see the world famous Elephant Parade exhibition, with 50 life-size baby elephant sculptures created to raise awareness of elephant conversation.
From 18 October to 27 October, The Pointe on Palm Jumeirah will show the Surprise Box Dance show with dancers and a flash mob performance, a fireworks display on 26 October as well as Indian-inspired dishes across some of its restaurants. Al Seef will be feature a unique Diwali fair, “Diwali Mela”, offering a host of activities from 24 to 28 October. The fair will include a festive market, stage performances as well as workshops for the children, and not forgetting a fireworks display on 27 October. Ibn Battuta Mall will welcome shoppers to enjoy live entertainment, exclusive retailer offers, a bespoke photo set-up and giveaways across the mall.
Entertainment throughout the festivities will see for the first time ever, three of Bollywood’s biggest stars, Kumar Sanu, Alka Yagnik and Udit Narayan perform live as part of the “Legends Forever” concert in Dubai. The icons will perform at Sheikh Rashid Hall in Dubai World Trade Centre on 18 October.
Global Village, which opens season 24 on 29 October will also feature special events for Diwali, and the Indian Pavilion will feature over 240 stalls offering some of India’s best handicrafts, along with cuisines spanning all regions of India, and amazing Indian cultural shows on the pavilion’s stage.
For more information on Diwali events across Dubai, visit https://www.visitdubai.com/en/.