fun things to do in Dubai this weekend

dubai runs on a seasonal clock, so outdoor plans own the calendar from october to april and the rest of the year moves inside.

dubai marina and jbr keep the walk, eat and watch-the-water energy going late. downtown and difc handle the gallery evenings, rooftop bars and the big-ticket concerts, while alserkal avenue out in al quoz is where the art, independent film and warehouse-show crowd ends up. point yourself at al qudra or hatta and the weekend turns into desert cycling, kayaking and camping instead.

the heat swings the whole calendar. from november the beach clubs, night markets and outdoor festivals stack up on top of each other; through the summer the good plans are indoor venues, late malls and anything with serious air conditioning. the ranked list below reflects what is actually on right now, not what a brochure says happens here.