Get your calendars out – exhilarating adventures, brunch and culture await.
Dubai is heading into the weekend with plenty on the agenda. Friday offers festive Chinese dining, skyline views and unscripted Arabic comedy, before Saturday turns up the volume with Carnatic rock, a beachfront White Party and a golf-inspired brunch. Sunday keeps the momentum going with coastal Italian cuisine, an evening of Indo-fusion music and Shakespeare retold through flamenco. Whether you are looking for a memorable meal, live entertainment or somewhere lively to spend the afternoon, these are the best things to do in Dubai from 25 to 27 September.
Friday 25 September
Have lunch at La Petite Maison
The FACT award-winning La Petite Maison remains one of DIFC’s defining restaurants, serving French Mediterranean food in a bright dining room inspired by the Côte d’Azur. Its business lunch changes with the seasons, with current options including Sea Bream Tartare with yuzu, Quinoa Salad with raisins and goji berries, and Baby Gem with avocado and parmesan. Main courses range from Rigatoni alla Norcina and Tomato and Eggplant Risotto to Grilled Prawns and Duck Confit with orange and endive. The signature tomato and lemon placed on every table remain part of the ritual. AED 135 (one starter and one main) or AED 185 (one starter, one main and one dessert).
Where: La Petite Maison, Gate Village Building 8, DIFC, Dubai
When: Monday to Friday from 12pm to 3pm
Contact: https://lpmrestaurants.com
Dine above Dubai at Lion in the Sun
Dinner comes with serious altitude at Lion in the Sun, the open-fire Mediterranean restaurant on the 62nd floor of Mandarin Oriental Downtown. Designed with the relaxed feel of a private home, the restaurant combines warm interiors with an outdoor terrace overlooking the Burj Khalifa and Downtown Dubai skyline. Food centres on fire and sharing, with premium seafood, prime cuts and hand-rolled pasta cooked using open-flame techniques. Creative cocktails add another reason to settle in as daylight fades and the city begins to sparkle below. For dinner with a view, few tables place you quite so dramatically above Dubai.
Where: Mandarin Oriental Downtown, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
When: Daily from 6pm to 12am
Contact: https://lioninthesundubai.com/
Laugh out loud with 3a Ka3ba
Forget the script. Lebanese comedians Fouad Yammine, Anthony Hamawi, Tony Dagher and Jad Bou Karam are heading to JAFZA One Convention Centre with 3a Ka3ba, their completely improvised Arabic-language comedy show. Audience suggestions shape the performance in real time, meaning no two editions are quite the same. Over two hours, the quartet moves between spontaneous sketches, quick-fire exchanges, observational humour and audience interaction, relying on chemistry and comic instinct rather than rehearsed routines. It is unpredictable, interactive and designed for anyone who likes their comedy a little chaotic. Tickets start from AED 195 per person.
Where: JAFZA One Convention Centre, Jebel Ali Freezone, Dubai
When: Friday, 25 September 2026 at 8.30pm
Contact: https://dubai.platinumlist.net
Saturday 26 September
Partner Listing: Make matcha at HuQQabaz Garden
HuQQabaz Garden at Mall of the Emirates is giving matcha lovers the chance to get hands-on with its Make Your Own Matcha workshop. The relaxed afternoon session will introduce guests to the history of matcha, its different types and quality grades, before showing them how to identify high-quality varieties. Participants will then prepare two matcha drinks of their own. The experience also includes a cup bedazzling workshop, where guests can customise a cup to take home, alongside a mini matcha box. Set within HuQQabaz Garden’s leafy surroundings, the session is designed for friends, matcha fans and curious beginners. AED 220 per person.
Where: HuQQabaz Garden, Mall of the Emirates, Al Barsha, Dubai
When: Saturday, 26 September 2026 at 2pm
Contact: https://huqqabaz.com
Catch Agam live in Dubai
Indian classical music and progressive rock collide when Agam takes over Dubai World Trade Centre. Formed in Bengaluru, the acclaimed band has built a loyal following for its distinctive take on Carnatic progressive rock, pairing traditional South Indian compositions and soaring vocals with electric guitars, driving percussion and intricate arrangements. The result moves comfortably between classical tradition and full-scale rock concert energy. Fans can look forward to a set showcasing the sound that has made Agam one of India’s most distinctive contemporary bands, with plenty of technical musicianship along the way. Tickets start from AED 99 per person.
Where: Dubai World Trade Centre, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
When: Saturday, 26 September at 7pm
Contact: https://dubai.platinumlist.net
Tee Off at the Kiss My Putt Brunch
Saturday brunch gets a sporting twist at Five Iron Golf inside The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi. Kiss My Putt swaps the traditional restaurant setup for three hours of simulator golf, mini-golf, darts and games, alongside food, music and free-flowing beverages. The experience is great for groups, whether you know your birdies from your bogeys or have never picked up a club before. Sharing dishes and drinks keep things social between swings, while high-tech golf bays add some friendly competition to the afternoon. Packages start from AED 245 per person, with both afternoon and evening sessions available every Saturday.
Where: Five Iron Golf, The Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi Beach Resort & Marina, Dubai
When: Saturdays from 2pm to 5pm and 8pm to 11pm
Contact: www.fiveirongolf.ae
Sunday 27 September
Discover Mehfil by Soul Sutra
Ease into Sunday evening with Mehfil, a live music gathering from emerging collective Soul Sutra. Taking place at TROY Dubai inside Ramee Dream Hotel, the event features IndoFuzon Band and blends Indian classical influences with contemporary acoustic arrangements. Rather than a conventional concert, the evening is designed around the spirit of a traditional mehfil, creating a more intimate setting for melodies, poetry and collaborative musical moments. The programme explores South Asian sounds through a contemporary lens, making it ideal for listeners looking for something more relaxed than a large-scale arena show. Tickets start from AED 100 per person.
Where: TROY Dubai, Ramee Dream Hotel, Business Bay, Dubai
When: Sunday, 27 September, gates open at 6pm
Contact: www.district.ae
See Romeo & Juliet Through Flamenco
Shakespeare gets a fiery Spanish makeover when Barcelona Flamenco Ballet presents Romeo and Juliet at The New Covent Garden Theatre. The 90-minute production reimagines the famous tragedy through contemporary flamenco, expressive choreography and dramatic storytelling, translating the story’s themes of love, conflict and fate into rhythm and movement. Traditional flamenco techniques sit alongside modern dance influences, with explosive ensemble sequences contrasting against quieter moments between the central lovers. For anyone who knows Shakespeare’s story inside out, the production offers an intriguing new perspective on the familiar tale. Tickets start from AED 250, with doors opening at 8.40pm ahead of the 9pm performance.
Where: The New Covent Garden Theatre, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai
When: Sunday, 27 September, 2026 at 8.40pm
Contact: https://dubai.platinumlist.net
Celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival at Shang Palace
Mark the Mid-Autumn Festival and Golden Week with a celebratory menu at Shang Palace. The signature Chinese restaurant at Shangri-La Dubai is serving a limited-edition set menu inspired by regional traditions, with dishes including a Mid-Autumn Dim Sum Platter, Bamboo Pith and Scallop Soup, Wok-Fried Diced Beef and comforting duck fried rice. Finish with a traditional lotus seed mooncake, one of the season’s most symbolic treats. Priced at AED 238 per person, the experience offers an easy way to gather family or friends and celebrate one of the most important dates in the Chinese cultural calendar.
Where: Shang Palace, Shangri-La Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai
When: 23 September to 7 October 2026
Contact: www.shangri-la.com