Shop till you drop at 25th Dubai Shopping Festival

(life) The countdown to one of the worlds largest shopping festivals has officially begun and as the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) prepares to launch the landmark 25th edition of Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF), the entire city is uniting together to create its most memorable edition yet.

The world-famous festival will open on Thursday, 26 December 2019 and run until Saturday, 1 February 2020, featuring 38 days packed with showstopping performances, immersive experiences, innovative brand activations and family-friendly celebrations.

With more than 1,000 brands participating across close to 4,000 outlets; shoppers and deal-hunters will find offers of up to 75 per cent off across the city, as well as the opportunity to engage and collaborate with tailor-made brand activations from global fashion, beauty, homeware and lifestyle retailers.

Here's what to look out for:OPENING CEREMONY

Dubai Shopping Festival will kick off its 25th edition in its own inimitable style, with a spectacular two-day grand opening ceremony at Burj Park, Downtown Dubai. The star-studded event will feature a series of concerts by Emirati and international singers, cultural and family-oriented performances on 26 and 27 December. Additionally, a 'lights on' event will countdown to when the city's lights are officially turned on with fireworks adding colour and sparkle to Dubai's famous skyline.

New to DSF this edition and created in tribute to the festival's inaugural year, a series of pop-up markets will appear across the city, combining the heritage of Dubai with innovative retail experiences and entertainment for all. Last Exit Al Khawaneeji Market will officially open on 26 December where visitors will be able to enjoy a plethora of attractions including a custom ice rink, a snowman building zone and a dedicated snow fight pit. Al Rigga Market will also kick off on 26 December which will be transformed to the original DSF Market 25 years ago; bringing everyone in Dubai a touch of nostalgia. From African dancing, flash mobs and talent contests, there will something for everyone to enjoy. Finally, the Hatta Market located in the heart of Hatta will officially open on 26 December offering guests a traditional outdoor souk experience with cultural games and experiences. There will also be an outdoor cinema showcasing classic blockbusters for the whole family to enjoy.

SHOPPING & PROMOTIONS

Shoppers across Dubai's malls will enjoy offers between 25 per cent to 75 per cent off on international fashion, beauty, home and lifestyle brands.

12 Hour Sale: In a welcome tradition, DSF will kick off in style with an exclusive 12 Hour Sale at Majid Al Futtaim Malls, giving customers up to 90 per cent off at Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Mirdif, City Centre Deira, City Centre Me'aisem, My City Centre Barsha and City Centre Al Shindagha. Running from midday to midnight on 26 December, this year will see 25 winners take home AED 10,000 vouchers to be spent at MAF malls.

Souk Heritage: Inspired by the bustling souks of the UAE, the Souk Heritage concept will become the cultural hub of DSF, with a traditional style market alongside 1.8km of the Dubai Creek in Al Seef allowing visitors to experience different cultures, enjoy shopping, dining, art and entertainment from around the world.

Market Outside the Box (MOTB): MOTB reinvents itself as the ultimate hangout this 25th edition of DSF. Running from 16 January 2020 to 1 February 2020, MOTB is a live showcase of the hottest up-and-coming local, regional and international music and bands, as well as fashion and food vendors. Additionally, an enclosed experiential Game Zone taking up to 24 gamers, and a dedicated Kids Zone will make hearts race with adrenaline and keep visitors coming back for more.

EVENTS & EXPERIENCES

Headline Concerts: Global superstars from around the world will descend upon Dubai throughout DSF to appeal to every taste and musical preference. The Coca-Cola Arena in City Walk will host Pakistani sensation Rahat Fateh Ali Khan on 27 December, while British pop star Ellie Goulding will take to the Arena's stage on 10 January.

Dubai's first Hologram Concert: The first ever hologram concert in the city will debut this DSF, featuring a hologram of Umm Kulthum accompanied by a live orchestra of 20 music on stage, as well as the special performance of Sana'a Nabil, the granddaughter of Umm Kulthum. Taking place on 26 and 27 December at the Dubai Opera Grand Theatre, this is a performance simply not to be missed.

City Lights Installations: Art and technology will come together to create astounding interactive light installations at Burj Plaza. Music, mirrors and colourful lights will combine to deliver the most 'instagrammable' moments in a unique festival vibe.

Daily Fireworks: A beloved DSF tradition, there is something in the air throughout the festival as world-class fireworks displays will splash the skies with colour and light every night at The Beach, Al Seef, La Mer, Dubai Festival City, Dubai Creek, The Pointe and The Dubai Frame.

DSF Dine-In Specials: In celebration of the 25th edition and powered by the online food app Zomato, DSF will include more than 1,000 restaurants providing discounts starting from 25 per cent for in-dining experiences to be used when signing up with the Zomato Gold membership programme, which will also provide a 25 per cent reduction in membership fees.

RAFFLES & PRIZES

DSF 25 SHARE Millionaires: In collaboration with strategic partner Majid Al Futtaim Malls, DSF presents an exciting promotion with their new SHAREE app giving consumers 25 million reasons to shop. Shop at Majid Al Futtaim Malls for a chance to enter into the draw to become one of the 25 DSF SHARE Millionaires where each winner receives 1,000,000 SHARE points.

DSF Skywards Millionaire: In collaboration with strategic partner The Dubai Mall, DSF has introduced a new promotion with the Emirates Airlines Skywards programme. On a certain spend at any of The Dubai Mall stores, shoppers can enter into a draw to become one of 5 DSF Millionaires in Skywards Miles, with each winner receiving 1,000,000 Skywards Miles.

DSF 25 Home Makeovers: In collaboration with Home Center, one of Dubai's leading home furnishing brands, DSF has created a promotion where shoppers have the chance to become one of 25 winners of a stylish home makeover through a lucky draw.

DSF x 1000: Shoppers spending AED 100 at any participating outlet in Meraas' destinations: City Walk, La Mer, Al Seef, The Beach, Box Park, Bluewaters and The Outlet Village will receive a raffle coupon to get a chance of being selected as one of 25 daily winners of an AED 1,000 gift card. One thousand winners will be selected, with AED 1 million worth of prizes to be awarded.

INFINITI Mega Raffle: This year, the INFINITI Mega raffle is offering DSF visitors the chance to drive away in an INFINITI QX50 car plus AED 200,000 in cash every single day of DSF. To enter, simply buy a raffle ticket for AED 200 for the chance to win the daily prize. In addition, one lucky DSF shopper will go home with a grand prize of AED 1 million in cash at the end of DSF. Tickets can be purchased from Enoc and Epco petrol stations, Dubai Metro stations and Global Village.

Nissan Grand Raffle: The Nissan Grand raffle will offer DSF shoppers the chance to win one of five Nissan models - Nissan Patrol 2020, Nissan Pathfinder 2019, Nissan X-TRAIL 2020, Nissan Kicks 2020 and Nissan Sentra 2020 - simply by purchasing items worth a minimum of AED 25 from any EPCO or ENOC station. In total, 33 cars will be given away during DSF!

For more information, please visit www.mydsf.ae or @DSFSocial and #MyDSF for the latest news, information and events.

( With inputs from IANS )