Dubai will flip the switch on its flagship Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) from 26 December 2025 to 1 February 2026, a six-week retail and entertainment extravaganza expected to pull more than four million inbound visitors. Organised by Dubai Festivals & Retail Establishment (DFRE), DSF 2025 opens with a 12-hour “mega sale” across Majid Al Futtaim malls, where discounts hit 90 % between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. Beyond the malls, markets pop up at Expo City’s Winter City and Madinat Jumeirah, while nightly fireworks light up Al Seef and Hatta.
For mobility planners, the festival’s scale matters. Dubai Airports forecasts peak daily throughput of 300,000 passengers at DXB between 27 December and 3 January, while Emirates and flydubai have loaded 48 extra flights on regional routes. Hotels across Downtown report 92 % occupancy for New Year’s Eve, pushing average daily rates above AED 1,200. Corporates scheduling kick-off meetings or incentive travel in early January should lock airfares and rooms immediately or shift events to Abu Dhabi where capacity remains.
Whether you’re plotting a 48-hour shopping blitz or a month-long escape from winter, VisaHQ can streamline every step of the UAE visa process. From new e-visa applications to mid-trip extensions, its platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) walks travellers through requirements in minutes and offers live support to keep itineraries on track—handy when hotel rates and flight seats are disappearing fast during DSF.
![Dubai Shopping Festival kicks off 26 December with 90 % “mega sale” and drone-show spectacular, drawing record holiday traffic]()
This year DSF’s must-see attraction is a 1,000-drone sky ballet over Bluewaters and JBR, synchronised to a new Hans Zimmer score. The show—free and staged nightly at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.—is expected to snarl traffic on Sheikh Zayed Road and prompt temporary diversions. The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) will extend Dubai Metro hours to 3 a.m. on opening night and New Year’s Eve and will pedestrianise key streets around The Beach.
Retailers are leveraging the inbound surge: over 800 brands will offer 25–75 % discounts through 1 February, while Dubai Duty Free promises daily prize draws to keep transit passengers spending during longer security queues. The festival continues to anchor Dubai’s strategy of positioning itself as a winter shopping-tourism hub and underpins Q4 revenues for airlines, hotels and ground-handlers.
Travellers holding 30- or 60-day UAE visit visas that expire mid-festival can now extend online without the old “visa-run,” thanks to this month’s ICP e-extension reform; trade-show delegates staying on for DSF should file the extension at least five days before expiry to avoid AED 50/day overstay fines introduced in Dubai this quarter.
For mobility planners, the festival’s scale matters. Dubai Airports forecasts peak daily throughput of 300,000 passengers at DXB between 27 December and 3 January, while Emirates and flydubai have loaded 48 extra flights on regional routes. Hotels across Downtown report 92 % occupancy for New Year’s Eve, pushing average daily rates above AED 1,200. Corporates scheduling kick-off meetings or incentive travel in early January should lock airfares and rooms immediately or shift events to Abu Dhabi where capacity remains.
Whether you’re plotting a 48-hour shopping blitz or a month-long escape from winter, VisaHQ can streamline every step of the UAE visa process. From new e-visa applications to mid-trip extensions, its platform (https://www.visahq.com/united-arab-emirates/) walks travellers through requirements in minutes and offers live support to keep itineraries on track—handy when hotel rates and flight seats are disappearing fast during DSF.
This year DSF’s must-see attraction is a 1,000-drone sky ballet over Bluewaters and JBR, synchronised to a new Hans Zimmer score. The show—free and staged nightly at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m.—is expected to snarl traffic on Sheikh Zayed Road and prompt temporary diversions. The Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) will extend Dubai Metro hours to 3 a.m. on opening night and New Year’s Eve and will pedestrianise key streets around The Beach.
Retailers are leveraging the inbound surge: over 800 brands will offer 25–75 % discounts through 1 February, while Dubai Duty Free promises daily prize draws to keep transit passengers spending during longer security queues. The festival continues to anchor Dubai’s strategy of positioning itself as a winter shopping-tourism hub and underpins Q4 revenues for airlines, hotels and ground-handlers.
Travellers holding 30- or 60-day UAE visit visas that expire mid-festival can now extend online without the old “visa-run,” thanks to this month’s ICP e-extension reform; trade-show delegates staying on for DSF should file the extension at least five days before expiry to avoid AED 50/day overstay fines introduced in Dubai this quarter.
