Hello friends,

February is almost done. Let’s see what we have for the rest of the month and March.

Buckle up. This one's loaded.

Dubai Duty Free Tennis

The Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships are on through Feb 28 at the Aviation Club. Men's runs Feb 23-28, while the women's wrapped up. This is world-class tennis in the desert. Tickets still available, finals Saturday night.

Dubai Racing Carnival

Meydan Racecourse is hosting races every Friday night through March 28. Next big one is Emirates Super Saturday on Feb 28 — the dress rehearsal for Dubai World Cup. Paddock Garden has food pop-ups, McGettigan's Happy Hour after the last race, and Trackside Restaurant for fine dining. Race nights start 5:30pm. This one’s for you if you like horses, fashion, and networking.

Ramadan District Opens

Jumeirah Emirates Towers launches Ramadan District on Plaza Terrace, Feb 28-March 15. Museum of the Future backdrop. Traditional Arabic village vibe — Emirati artists, food stalls, live calligraphy, henna, kids’ activities, face painting, cooking classes. 5pm-2am daily. Culture meets community here.

Not a Majlis, Not a Space

25hours Hotel One Central has this pop-up running daily 6:30pm-3am through Ramadan. 6th floor, Museum of the Future views, backgammon, live music, burgers and pasta instead of traditional iftar buffets. Casual Ramadan vibes, no formality. FREE entry, pay for food/drinks.

Moonlight Market at Uptown Plaza

The Plaza at Uptown Dubai just opened Feb 20. The Moonlight Market runs daily 6pm-2am through Ramadan with food trucks (Salt, Lana Lusa, Goodies), live entertainment, workshops, board games, and a Ripe Market pop-up. It’s large: 21,000 square meters, and holds 4,000 people. It's the new spot. FREE entry.

Family Iftars Worth Booking

The Palmery at Jumeirah Al Naseem — international buffet, Emirati dishes, western options, live qanun player. AED 320 adults, AED 160 kids. Atlantis Asateer Tent — the iconic one, live cooking stations. AED 295 Mon-Thu, AED 325 Fri-Sun. Banyan Tree Beach — beach BBQ, kids run on sand. AED 295 adults, AED 150 kids.

Budget pick: Ciel Dubai Marina — 360 views from world's tallest hotel, Middle Eastern/Levantine/Asian. AED 225 adults, AED 112.50 kids. Buy 1 get 1 with Entertainer.

Big Bad Wolf Book Sale

Feb 26-March 8 at Dubai Studio City. 2 million+ books from AED 2. 10am-midnight daily. FREE entry.

Wild Wadi & Miracle Garden

Wild Wadi reopened Feb 14 — 30 rides, AED 149 for UAE residents (limited time). Miracle Garden through May 31 — 150 million flowers (wow!), new kids section with train and bumper cars. AED 85+.

Dubai Mall Spring Camp (check website for dates) — Based on last year, it should be KidZania + Ice Rink + Aquarium + Burj Khalifa + Play DXB + Reel Cinemas. Ages 7-14, 9:30am-3:30pm, 4 days. I’ll report back when I have updates

OliOli Time Trek Camp (March 25-April 5) — Palaeontology, ancient structures, Renaissance inventions, robotics. Ages 4-10, hands-on STEAM.

ISM Sports (March 13-29) — Football, Tennis/Padel, Multi Sport, Little Lions ages 3-5. From AED 780/week. Multiple Dubai/Abu Dhabi locations.

Star Sport Camps (March 16-27) — Football, basketball, badminton, volleyball, gymnastics, ages 4-18.

Ski Dubai — 5-day beginner/advanced ski camps ages 7-13. Full gear included.

Pure Minds Academy — Robotics, coding, AI camps. Ages 4-14, multiple locations.

Logiscool (Arjan/Mirdif) — Game design, Roblox coding, Minecraft, robotics. Ages 7-18.

Brainy n Bright — STEM spring camp, robotics and coding ages 6-16.

JamJar (Alserkal) — Art workshops, DIY painting, pottery. All ages.

Al Jalila Cultural Centre (March 27-31, April 3-7) — Music, pottery, theatre. Spring into creativity.

Mission Discovery (March 24-28, Jumeirah College) — Space science, hands-on research, and experiment launch to ISS. Ages 11-18.

Wonderful Me (March 24-April 4) — Multi-activity, ages 4-14, Rove Downtown/Studio One Arabian Ranches.

A BIT FURTHER

Long-Running Shows

Wicked at Dubai Opera continues. Mary Poppins runs through March-April at Etihad Arena, 26 performances. Keinemusik hits Bab Al Shams Arena March 28 — desert electronic music, sells out.

PARENTS NIGHT OUT

Kokoro (Alserkal) — UAE's first handroll bar, A5 wagyu rolls, Houston roots, won One to Watch Award 2026. No reservations, counter seating. New location opening at Dubai Mall in March 2026.

Middle Child (Alserkal) — Winner One to Watch Award 2026, comfort food by Lynn Hazim, pappardelle bolognese, cookbook shop + gourmet grocery. Communal table vibes.

Barrafina (DIFC) — Spanish tapas, counter dining, noon-11:30pm.

Nobu at The Link (One Za'abeel) — Japanese-Peruvian, 24th floor, first Dubai location with live entertainment.

Gymkhana (DIFC) — Mayfair Indian, tandoori lamb chops.

L'Avenue (Dubai Mall Fashion Avenue) — French brasserie, Fountain views.

Carbone (Atlantis The Royal) — New York Italian, tuxedo waiters, 6pm-11pm.

In The Know

Gold Street announced — Dubai's doing it again. World's first street "constructed using gold" as part of the new Dubai Gold District in Deira. Not a metaphor. Actual gold elements in the construction, though exact specs are still under wraps and rolling out in phases. The district itself is massive: 1,000+ retailers (Jawhara, Malabar Gold & Diamonds, Al Romaizan, Tanishq), plus Joyalukkas opening a 24,000 sq ft flagship — largest in the Middle East. Six hotels, 1,000+ rooms. It's rebranding the old Gold Souk into Dubai's "Home of Gold" — retail, wholesale, bullion trading, investment, all in one place.

Uptown Plaza opened — DMCC just unveiled The Plaza at Uptown Dubai. 21,000 sqm open-air events space, 43-metre HD screen, sculptural stage, premium sound/lighting, green lawns, terraces. Holds 4,000 guests. Built for concerts, festivals, fan zones, corporate galas, fashion shows, and cultural performances. Moonlight Market runs there now through Ramadan (already mentioned above), but the plaza itself is built for year-round programming. This is Uptown Dubai's entertainment anchor.

In Case You Missed It

Al Seef fireworks 9:30pm through March 19, FREE. Festival Bay drones 10:30pm nightly, FREE. Hamdan Colony Street Food Festival through March 15, FREE. Hatta Strawberry Farm through May 1, AED 35 kids/AED 55 adults to pick. Dubai-Hatta Express Bus AED 25 each way from Dubai Mall.

Enjoy!

-Parves

PS: I spend days curating the best items I find. It would mean the world to me if you could share the newsletter with parents and other families who could benefit from the content. Thank you in advance!