Welcome Gang!
So many days off! But I’m not complaining. Bluey's live in Abu Dhabi. There's a brand new drift-karting arena in Al Quoz. And we're sending Global Village off properly. This is the Eid issue.
Eid Al Adha falls on Wednesday, May 27, and most of you are looking at six days straight with the family (or ten, if you’ve boldly taken the Monday off). The pressure is on. So here's the full breakdown — pre-Eid plans, Eid break plans, something for the baby, something for the teenager, and a water taxi nobody's told you about yet.
THE BIG FOUR:
Four of Dubai's biggest outdoor attractions close May 31 — for good, until October.
Global Village, Dubai Miracle Garden, Dubai Safari Park, and Dubai Garden Glow are all shutting down for the summer at the end of this month. If any of these are still on your list — this is the week.
THE HEADLINERS:
1. Bluey's Big Play — Live Stage Show — Deerfields Mall, Abu Dhabi. May 27–29. Four shows daily: 5pm, 6pm, 7:30pm, 9pm.
Bluey and Bingo. Live. On stage. In Abu Dhabi. For the first three days of Eid. The live stage show runs from Day 1 to Day 3 of Eid Al Adha at Deerfields Mall in Al Bahia, with interactive entertainment and a meet-and-greet after each show. If your household has a Bluey fan under 6, this is the answer to "what are we doing for Eid?" Four shows a day means you have options. Book the moment you finish reading this. Ages: 2–8.
2. Terra Bee Festival — Expo City Dubai. May 29–31. AED 20 entry. FREE under 12.
The last weekend of Eid, and one of the best things happening in the country. The three-day indoor festival is packed with guided bee tours, honey tastings, honey extraction sessions, beehive construction demonstrations, and live beehive observations. Children can take part in beeswax candle making, bee-themed tote bag decorating, and wooden bee colouring, while entertainment includes face painting, African drummers, and a bee mascot roaming the space. It's cool, it's covered, it's genuinely interesting for kids and adults. Metro accessible via Expo Station. Ages: All ages. 4–12 especially.
3. Yas Bay Fireworks — Yas Bay Waterfront, Abu Dhabi. FREE. Nightly 9pm, first three evenings of Eid.
Nightly fireworks at Yas Bay Waterfront at 9pm during the first three evenings of Eid Al Adha, set against the backdrop of the waterfront. Free to watch. Pair it with dinner on the waterfront and you've got a proper Eid night out without planning a thing. Ages: All ages.
PRE-EID THIS WEEK (May 21–25):
The ELS Club Family Fun Day — Dubai Sports City. Friday May 22, 3pm–11pm. FREE entry.
A full outdoor family day on the grounds of one of Dubai's most beautiful golf clubs — kids' activities, pony rides, live entertainment, food, carnival games, darts football and more. Ages: All ages.
IKEA Happy Friday — Kids Eat Free — Multiple UAE locations. IKEA Family members. Up to 2 kids (ages 8 and under) eat free with a paying adult. Fridays.
Swedish meatballs for you, free food for the kids. IKEA Family membership is free to sign up for in-store or online. Call your nearest branch to confirm the Friday offer is running before you head in. Ages: All ages. The budget Eid lunch sorted.
EID CINEMA PICKS:
Shrek 25th Anniversary — UAE cinemas. Check VOX/Reel/Novo.
The original ogre, back on the big screen. Shrek returns to cinemas on 15 May in both standard and 4DX screens for its 25th anniversary re-release. If your child has never seen it, this is the moment. If you've seen it 40 times, do 41. One of those films where parents are having just as much fun as the kids. Ages: 4+.
Star Wars: The Mandalorian & Grogu — IMAX — UAE cinemas.
Din Djarin and Baby Yoda on the biggest screen available. Make it IMAX. The kind of film that earns a proper outing, not just a download. Ages: 8+.
IN THE KNOW:
Dubai Marina Water Taxi Day Pass — Dubai Marina. AED 25. All day, hop on and off.
This just launched, and almost nobody knows about it yet. The new AED 25 ticket allows unlimited travel throughout the day between several marine stations across Dubai Marina, with the freedom to hop on and off at any station. Stations include Marina Walk, Marina Terrace, Dubai Marina Mall North, Marina Promenade, and a route connecting to Bluewaters Island. Ages: All ages.
Here’s the Abu Dhabi Public Water Taxi Ferry — erm, the Abu Dhabi version . And the Dubai to Sharjah Ferry… because why not.
Yas Island Kids Go Free — Hotel stays April 10 to Oct 31.
If you're thinking about a staycation or overnight trip for Eid — this is worth knowing. When you book a stay at one of Yas Island's participating hotels, two kids under 12 can stay, play at the theme parks, and dine on the same meal plan as the adults, all for free. Ferrari World, Yas Waterworld, Warner Bros. World, SeaWorld — all included with the package.
FOR THE TINY GANGSTAS:
Ribambelle — Bluewaters Island. Open daily 9am–11pm. Entry from AED 80 (credit bands).
The best answer to "where do I take a toddler over a long weekend when it's 38 degrees outside." Ribambelle is a jungle-themed indoor playground on Bluewaters Island with 1,000 square metres of slides, ball pits, and games — while parents have a fully licensed restaurant and a proper menu to themselves. Wagyu burgers and spaghetti bolognese on the same table. Worth it. Ages: 0–6 for the play area. Parents eat well.
Katie Jane Dubai — Mucky Pups Messy Play — Multiple locations. From AED 85/class.
If your baby is anywhere between 6 months and 2 years and you want something that isn't soft play again — this is it. Taste-safe messy play sessions where the whole idea is that your child gets absolutely covered in paint, and that's the point. Every class has a different activity. The 6–14 month version is gentle and sensory-led. The older group goes full chaos. Check their website for the Eid week schedule and locations around Dubai. Ages: 6 months–3 years.
TEEN GANG:
No Grip DXB — Al Quoz 3. Just opened. From AED 130. Ages 12+, min height 130cm. Open Thu–Sun 10am–midnight.
Brand new and genuinely unlike anything else in Dubai. No Grip DXB has opened in Al Quoz 3 with what it bills as the world's first two-level indoor drift-karting track — high-speed drift sessions alongside racing simulators, games, and a pool table, designed as a social hub for friends, families, and racing fans. This isn't regular go-karting. The karts are built to slide and spin — you're practicing controlled drifts around corners, not racing laps. 15-minute sessions. Open Thursday to Sunday. Ages: 12+.
Chaos Karts — Al Quoz. From AED 140. Ages 9+, min height 1.30m.
Real-life Mario Kart with full projection walls, virtual power-ups, and 6 different tracks. The 10-year-old who reviewed it on TripAdvisor described it better than I can: "It's basically Mario Kart but IRL." Indoor, air-conditioned, properly brilliant for kids who've run out of screen time. Ages: 9–16.
Yes, both of this week's picks involve karts. No, we're not sorry. One is Mario Kart brought to life with projection walls and virtual power-ups. The other is a two-level drift track where you learn to slide sideways through corners like you've watched on YouTube a hundred times. Same vehicle, completely different energy. Pick based on your teenager's personality. Mario vs Fast and the Furious 😀
A BIT DOWN THE ROAD:
Toy Story 5 — UAE cinemas. June 2026.
The gang's back. Woody, Buzz, all of them. The first Toy Story film in seven years is hitting cinemas in June, and it's going to be an event for every family that grew up with the originals — which, at this point, includes the parents. Ages: All ages.
Museum of Digital Art (MoDA) — DIFC, Dubai. Opening way, way, way down the road.
Opening in DIFC's Zabeel District, the Museum of Digital Art will be Dubai's first museum dedicated to digital art and new technologies — featuring five floors of immersive rooms, interactive spaces, digital installations, and multimedia artworks. Early details suggest this will be genuinely different from anything already in the city. One for the curious teenagers and the parents who liked Art Dubai but want something more interactive. Watch this space. Ages: 8+. In the meantime, you can always go here.
That's your Eid banger. Six days, something for a 6-month-old and something for a 15-year-old, a brand new drift track nobody's been to yet, and Bluey live in Abu Dhabi. Pick your days, book the stage show early, and take the water taxi at least once.
Oh. The last day of school is July 3. The new academic year starts August 31. Start thinking about summer camps now — the good ones fill up fast.
Have a blessed holiday.
Eid Mubarak 🌙
Till next week, Parves
