It’s the weekend again?! Yay!

Here are 15 things to do in the last weekend before Christmas (so yes, you need to get your Christmas shopping done too).

Thursday 15

1. Watch the world’s best shuttle masters

badminton

The badminton World Series Finals are happening in Dubai right now – today is day two of the five-day event, and the players all have their eye on the Dhs3,673,150 in prize money.

Hamdan Sports Complex, Emirates Road, Dubai, from 11am until December 18, Dhs25. Tel: (04) 441 9432. More info on website.

2. Feast on turkey

manhattan-grill

Craving a turkey dinner already? Us too. Well, it’s still 10 days away, but the steakhouse at the Grand Hyatt, Manhattan Grill, has just added a turkey feast to its a la carte menu for the festive occasion.

Grand Hyatt, Oud Metha. 12.30pm to 3pm and 7pm to 11.30pm. Tel: (04) 317 2221. More info on website.

3. Party, Brazilian style

pure-sky-lounge

Pure Sky Lounge has enviable views of the Arabian Gulf from its 35th floor JBR location. Tonight there’s a Brazilian Spirit party there, featuring uplifting music from Brazilian DJ Andreson Lima and plenty of other South American treats.

Hilton Dubai, The Walk. 6pm until 2am. Tel: (04) 374 7888. More info on Facebook.

4. Revisit this lounge

siddhart

Siddharta Lounge by Buddha Bar has just reopened after a major refurb’ – with 360 views of the Marina and Palm etc, the lounge serves up shisha, ‘Mediterrasian’ food and Balaeric beats.

Siddharta Lounge by Buddha Bar, Grosvenor House, Dubai Marina, 6pm to 1am (2am on Thursday and Friday) daily. Tel: (04) 317 6000. More info on website. 

Friday 16

5. Go to a new beachy brunch

beach-lounge

Beach Lounge at Jumeirah Beach Hotel has a new brunch that features bubbles, live sax and a very St Tropez vibe. This could be a great one to take visitors to: it’ll cost you Dhs395 with mocktails, Dhs495 with hops, grape, prosecco and some cocktails and Dhs695 with Lanson Ice and premium spirits.

The Beach Lounge, Jumeirah Beach Hotel, 12pm to 4.30pm, Friday. More info on website.

6. Watch brave cyclists in action

spinneys-92

Today is the Spinneys Dubai 92 Cycle Challenge – in which 2,500 cyclists will take on a 92 kilometre cycle. If you want to spectate and cheer the quad-strong athletes on, a great place to stand is near the four-way crossing in Sports City, as the cyclists will pass by that spot four times.

From Dubai Autodrome, Dubai Motor City, Friday 6am to 11am, Dhs300. Tel: (04) 3210008. More info on website. 

7. Go to a sausage sizzle

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Kiwi and Aussie readers will recognise the sausage sizzle as a true cultural institution, and the good news is that Ace in Festival City is putting on a BBQ this Friday from 11am to 2pm, and the even better news is that the meat and bread is free (no ‘dollar coin donation’ needed).

Al Futtaim Ace, Dubai Festival City, Friday 11am to 2pm, free. Tel: (04) 232 5232. More info on Facebook. 

8. Listen to the music of the world, in Dubai Marina

Dubai-Marina-Music-Festival-[2]

From December 15 (as in this Thursday) to the 24th you’ll find live music out the front of Dubai Marina Mall every night from 5.30pm to 9pm. Artists on stage will include Sherif the handpan artist, The Boxtones, Harget Kart from Jordan and Aussie YouTube sensations Pipe Guy and Gordo. Tonight you’ll find Bullfunk Zoo on the main stage from 8pm. Find the full schedule here.

Dubai Marina Mall, Dubai Marina, 5.30pm to 9pm until December 24. More info on Facebook. 

9. Take it easy in the desert

food-truckers

Truckers DXB, the food truck event, is in the desert tonight at Al Sahra Desert Resort & Equestrian Centre – from 4pm you’ll find food trucks, drinks, camel rides, a market and a kids play area (bring a jacket, the desert gets nippy at night this time of year). PS: by all means bring your own tents, chairs, picnic blankets if you want – just don’t bring your own food and drink.

Al Sahra Desert Resort & Equestrian Centre, 4pm to midnight tonight, free entry. More info on Facebook.

10. Watch a master musician at work


Sami Yusuf is a multi-instrumentalist that writes, composes, produces and sings his own music. A trail-blazer in the genre of Islamic music, Sami trained at the Royal Academy of Music in London and sings in multiple languages. He will be premiering Glorification tonight, which features the poetry of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Dubai Opera, Downtown Dubai, 8pm, from Dhs350. Tel: (04) 440 8888. More info and tickets on website.

Saturday 17

11. Dabble in abstracts

the-jam-jar

There’s an abstract acrylics painting workshop at The Jam Jar today hosted by Samar Kamel (we can’t even draw stick men in Pictionary so would probably let the team down if we tried this, but if you’re more artsy than us it could be just the ticket for a Saturday morning).

The Jam Jar, Unit H74, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai, 10am to 12pm, Dhs250. Tel: (04) 341 7303. More info on website. 

12. Stretch out your hips

hips

The hips don’t lie, and fact is, almost all of us have tight joints right there thanks to sitting for too long day in, day out. Well, there’s a workshop to help this weekend – for Dhs150 you’ll get to spend 90 minutes learning all about how to open up those flexors.

Yoga House, The Greens, Dhs150, from 3pm. Tel: (056) 179 8668. More info on Facebook. 

13. Go to a market in Dubai’s coolest avenue

al-serkalaenue

See you down at Area 01 this weekend, which combines the best of the popular Urban Market with the chilled-out sounds of Music on the Avenue. There are stalls from Dubai vendors offering unique products (so perfect to send to family in other countries – you can guarantee they won’t already have something similar), and there are food trucks and stands, live music, and even yoga in the mornings.

Area 01, Alserkal Avenue, street 8 and 17, Al Quoz, Dubai, 11am to 9pm, December 16 and 17. More info on Facebook.

14. Try a new Saturday brunch

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Friday brunches are so 2000-late – Catch Dubai’s new Saturday brunch promises to focus on the food first and foremost. It’s launching this weekend, runs from 1pm to 4pm and features dishes like avo’ on toast, lobster rolls, cinnamon rolled pancakes and Branzino. For Dhs399 per person you’ll get the meal plus unlimited house beverages, it’s Dhs275 with soft drinks and Dhs449 with bubbles, bloody Mary’s and the like.

Catch, The Fairmont, Sheikh Zayed Road, 1pm to 4pm, from Dhs275. Tel: (04) 357 1755. More info on website. 

15. Dream all day

Lee-Burridge

Lee Burridge and Mathew Dekay’s All Day I Dream Party has been all around the world, and today it’s in Dubai. The new monthly residency called All Day I Dream of Cities in the Clouds will be at Arabia Ranches golf club: Burridge is involved in Burning Man, so expect melancholic house and techno and lots of colour around the space. Wrap your ears around the kind of sounds you can expect to hear at soundcloud.com/alldayidream.

Arabian Ranches Golf Club, Dubai, Sat 2pm to 10pm, from Dhs150. Tel: (04) 3663000. More info on website.