In depth · Christmas & New Year
Christmas in Dubai: winter markets, the Shopping Festival and New Year at Burj Khalifa
December is Dubai’s high season: warm days, cool evenings and a city in its most festive mood. Christmas markets fill the courtyards of the resorts and Expo City, hotels lay on grand Christmas lunches, the Dubai Shopping Festival lights up the malls, and the year ends with fireworks cascading down Burj Khalifa.
Updated October 2026
Christmas markets
Dubai’s Christmas markets have become a December tradition. Expo City Dubai turns Al Wasl Plaza into Winter City, with chalet-style stalls, fairground games and a giant tree beneath the dome; in 2025 it ran from 6 to 31 December. Souk Madinat Jumeirah, City Walk and several of the beach resorts hold festive markets of their own, usually from early December; dates are published by each venue in the autumn.
Christmas lunch and festive dining
Christmas Day in Dubai means the hotel Christmas lunch: turkey with all the trimmings, carols, Santa for the children and, often, a pool or a beach to retreat to afterwards. The grand hotels of Downtown, the Palm and Jumeirah Beach compete with festive menus and afternoon teas through December.
Our advice: book Christmas lunch and New Year’s Eve dinners as soon as menus are released, often in October, and check each hotel’s dress code.
The Dubai Shopping Festival
The Dubai Shopping Festival, organised by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, traditionally opens in early December and runs into January, with sales across the malls, concerts, drone shows and fireworks; the 2025–26 edition ran from 5 December 2025 to 11 January 2026. The 2026–27 dates are announced in the autumn.
New Year’s Eve at Burj Khalifa
At midnight, fireworks and lights cascade down Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. Downtown Dubai fills from the afternoon and roads close early; many watch from the restaurants and terraces around The Dubai Mall and the Dubai Fountain, or from across the water.
Our advice: reserve a table with a view of Burj Khalifa well ahead, and take the Metro rather than a taxi; leaving Downtown after midnight takes time.
Questions and answers
Is Christmas celebrated in Dubai?
Yes: hotels, malls and markets celebrate openly, with trees, markets and Christmas lunches.
When is the Dubai Shopping Festival?
It traditionally runs from early December into January; the 2026–27 dates are announced in the autumn.
Where are the New Year’s Eve fireworks in Dubai?
The main display is at Burj Khalifa in Downtown Dubai.
Join the conversation
Spent Christmas in Dubai? Share your favourite market, lunch or New Year view.
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Where 2026 dates are not yet published we describe the tradition only. Dates are from official and organisers’ sites, read in October 2026; check them before you travel.