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Dubai Shopping Festival 2026/27: Promoters and Mall Activations for Brands
Quick answer
Dubai Shopping Festival usually runs from early December to mid January. The 31st edition ran for 38 days, from 5 December 2025 to 11 January 2026, and as of 29 September 2026 Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment has not yet announced the dates for 2026/27.
The scale is why brands take part. For the 30th edition the organiser reported more than 3,500 outlets and 850 brands with savings, over 125 events at more than 60 venues and AED 50 million in raffles and promotions. A mall activation needs the slot, the permits, a trained promoter team and a content plan, ideally booked in October and November.
Updated 29 September 2026
Every December the malls of Dubai change pace. The atriums fill with stages and light installations, the raffles start, and shoppers who came for a sale stop for anything that catches the eye. For a brand, those weeks are the closest thing Dubai has to a national launch window.
This guide starts with what visitors ask, the dates, the venues and what is on, using the organiser's own announcements. Then it turns to what brands and retailers ask us every autumn: how to take part, which activation to run, how many promoters it needs, which permits apply and when to book.
When is Dubai Shopping Festival 2026/27?
Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), part of the Department of Economy and Tourism, runs the festival and announces its dates each year. The pattern of recent editions is steady. The 30th edition ran for 38 days from 6 December 2024 to 12 January 2025, as Gulf News reported when the dates were revealed. The 31st edition ran for another 38 days, from 5 December 2025 to 11 January 2026, according to the Department of Economy and Tourism, which announced it on 2 September 2025.
The Dubai Media Office published the 2026 retail calendar in November 2025. It lists Dubai Home Festival from 16 October to 1 November 2026, the Festival of Lights from 2 to 12 November and Eid Al Etihad celebrations from 30 November to 3 December 2026, the weeks that lead into the festival. The 32nd edition, spanning December 2026 and January 2027, had no officially announced dates when we checked on 29 September 2026.
For planning, treat early December to mid January as the likely window, and hold your final dates until DFRE announces them. We update this page when it does.
Where DSF happens: key malls, markets, venues on a map
DSF is not one venue. It is a citywide programme, and the footfall moves between a handful of anchors. In the 31st edition the opening concerts and nightly fireworks were at Dubai Festival City Mall, the drone show flew twice nightly over Bluewaters and The Beach at JBR, and the e& MOTB market filled the Dubai Design District waterfront from 1 to 11 January. The 12 hour sale ran across Majid Al Futtaim malls, and the big retail anchors stayed The Dubai Mall and Mall of the Emirates.
DSF hubs at a glance, from the 31st edition
Dubai Festival City Mall
Festival City, on the Creek. DSF Nights concerts, fireworks and the Festival Bay stage in the 31st edition.
Dubai Design District (d3)
Creekside waterfront district. Home of the e& MOTB market, 1 to 11 January 2026.
The Dubai Mall
Downtown Dubai, next to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall metro station (Red Line). Retail anchor for sales and brand launches.
Mall of the Emirates
Al Barsha, next to Mall of the Emirates metro station (Red Line). Part of the Majid Al Futtaim 12 hour sale.
City Centre Deira and City Centre Mirdif
Deira and Mirdif, the two Majid Al Futtaim malls that joined the 12 hour sale on 26 December 2025.
Bluewaters and The Beach, JBR
Dubai Marina coast. Viewing areas of the DSF Drone Show in the 31st edition.
The map below traces a route through the main DSF hubs, from Dubai Festival City Mall in the east to Bluewaters in the west, the way a brand team or a visitor would move across the city during the festival.
What DSF is: the history of the festival since 1996
The festival was created to bring visitors to Dubai in the quiet months after New Year, and to turn the whole city into one shop window. Khaleej Times records that the first edition in 1996 drew 1.6 million visitors and about AED 2.15 billion in spending, against a projection of AED 1 billion, and that it was confirmed as an annual event on 26 March 1996.
It grew fast. Knowledge at Wharton reported in 2010 that the 2009 edition drew more than 3.3 million people and over 6,000 retailers. Retail and Leisure International noted that the 31st edition marked 30 years since the 1996 launch. Today DFRE describes it as the world's longest running annual retail celebration of its kind, in the words of the Dubai Media Office release for the 31st opening weekend.
DSF over time
| Edition | Dates | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| 1996, first edition | Late January to end of February | 1.6 million visitors, about AED 2.15 billion spent |
| 2009 | Winter season | More than 3.3 million visitors, over 6,000 retailers |
| 2024/25, 30th edition | 6 December 2024 to 12 January 2025 | 125+ events, 60+ venues, 3,500+ outlets, AED 50 million in raffles |
| 2025/26, 31st edition | 5 December 2025 to 11 January 2026 | 38 days, 1,000+ drones in the opening show, AED 400,000 final prize |
| 2026/27, 32nd edition | Not yet announced | Likely early December to mid January |
What is on at DSF: shows, raffles, markets
The festival is three things at once: sales, shows and prizes. For the 31st edition the Dubai Media Office announced an opening concert by Nora Fatehi at Festival Bay on 6 December, fireworks, and a drone and pyro show with more than 1,000 drones set to a soundtrack by Hans Zimmer. Bluewaters listed two drone shows a night from 5 December 2025 to 11 January 2026. Gulf News covered the opening weekend, with experiences at Hatta Wadi Hub and Coca Cola Arena.
The raffles keep shoppers spending. Khaleej Times reported a daily prize of a new car and AED 100,000 for shoppers spending AED 200 or more, AED 400,000 on the final day and more than AED 2.6 million in weekly gold draws. Explore Malls listed The Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Festival City Mall, City Centre Mirdif, City Centre Deira, Ibn Battuta Mall, City Walk, Global Village and The Outlet Village among the participating destinations. WowDeals added BurJuman and Dubai Outlet Mall.
The season also overlaps with Global Village, which Gulf News expected to open its 31st season in October 2026, pending an official date. For a brand, the lesson is that the crowd follows the programme, so the best slots sit near the shows.
Brands that stood out at recent editions
The editions of the last two winters show three ways a brand can stand out during DSF.
Homegrown brands at e& MOTB. The 13th edition of the market, at the Dubai Design District waterfront from 1 to 11 January 2026, hosted more than 95 retail and food brands. According to the organiser's release, nearly half were UAE based and more than 85 percent were small businesses under five years old. Gulf News counted 56 brand stalls and 27 food vendors with free entry. For a young brand, it is the most direct route into the festival crowd.
Mall groups with their own mega sale. Gulf Business reported that Majid Al Futtaim ran a 12 hour sale on 26 December 2025 across Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Deira and City Centre Mirdif, with discounts up to 90 percent and AED 1 million in SHARE points for one winner. Brands inside those malls rode a single day of peak traffic.
Partners who own a moment. In a DFRE release on Zawya, Al Ghurair became presenting partner of the DSF Drone Show and official partner of DSF Nights in a multi year agreement from 2026 to 2029. The 31st edition named Commercial Bank of Dubai as key sponsor, with strategic partners including Al Futtaim Malls, Emirates, ENOC, e& and Majid Al Futtaim.
Why sampling works in those crowds: research reported by Shopify found that wine tasting customers at Cornell were 93 percent more likely to spend more and come back. Fizz Experience, a UK sampling agency, surveyed more than 2,000 shoppers in a four day programme and found that 88 percent would not have bought without trying first. An older survey of 20,000 consumers by Odore, reported by Cosmetics Business in 2021, found that 75 percent were more likely to buy from an unknown brand after sampling it. Dubai gives that effect scale: Cushman and Wakefield reported that retail makes up 25.3 percent of Dubai's GDP and that Dubai Mall welcomed more than 111 million visitors in 2024, and Gulf News listed seven UAE malls opening in 2026.
How brands take part in DSF
There are three routes into the festival, and most brands use more than one.
1. As a partner of the festival. DFRE works with private sector partners at several levels. Its releases name key sponsors, strategic partners, presenting partners of a single event such as the drone show, and official or association partners. A 2019 Department of Economy and Tourism overview of DSF partners explains that strategic partners enrich the festival with sales, global brand activations and mall events. This route suits large groups that want their name on the programme.
2. As a participating retailer. Shops that join the festival promotions, discounts and raffles do it through the Department of Economy and Tourism, which runs the retail promotion certificate of participation service. This is the route for brands with their own stores.
3. As an activation inside a mall or market. Most brands take part through the venue: an atrium or kiosk slot booked with the mall's leasing team, a stall at a DSF market, or a sampling stand in a supermarket. Who benefits most: new brands that need trial, beauty and food brands that sell on sampling, and launches timed with the sales.
A verified example from the last edition: e& MOTB gave small UAE brands, most of them under five years old, eleven days in front of the festival crowd. Staff and content for any of these routes are available on request.
DSF activation budget, planning ranges in AED
| Item | Range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai Municipality food promotion permit | AED 7 per product | Official fee, 2020 guide |
| Food activity at an approved event | AED 160 per event | Official fee, 2020 guide |
| DDA advertising permit (free zones only) | AED 500 to 5,000 a year | Official fee |
| Mall kiosk rent, mid range mall | AED 20,000 to 35,000 a month | Index Design, April 2025, estimate |
| Mall kiosk rent, top tier mall | AED 150,000 to 500,000 a year | Noble Core Ventures, 2026, estimate |
| Kiosk design, build, branding | AED 43,000 to 170,000 | Index Design, April 2025, estimate |
| Promoters, hostesses, content crew | On request | Cover Page quote within two business hours |
Estimates are published market ranges, not official prices. Short DSF slots are quoted by each mall and are usually priced per day or per week.
Promoters for Dubai Shopping Festival
Promoters, brand ambassadors and sampling teams for your mall slot.
Trained on your product, uniformed and on a valid UAE permit, with a team leader from four staff. Tell us the mall, the days and the headcount.
Activation formats, team size, lead time
Most festival activations fall into six formats. The team sizes and lead times below are our own working ranges from Dubai mall projects, not official figures. They move with the mall, the number of days and the opening hours, which during the festival often run late into the night.
DSF activation formats at a glance
| Format | Typical team | Book this far ahead |
|---|---|---|
| Sampling stand | 2 to 4 promoters per shift, 1 team leader | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Atrium pop up or kiosk | 4 to 8 brand ambassadors, hostesses, 1 manager | 8 to 10 weeks |
| Product launch in a mall | Hostesses, promoters, models, a content crew | 8 to 12 weeks |
| Roaming promoters, flyer teams | 2 to 6 promoters, 1 team leader | 3 to 4 weeks |
| Raffle or gift with purchase desk | 2 to 4 promoters per desk, cashier support | 4 to 6 weeks |
| Content capture of the activation | Photographer, videographer, same day reels | 2 to 3 weeks |
Two rules hold for every format. First, one person, one job: the promoter who samples does not also run the raffle desk. Second, every shift of four or more needs a team leader on the floor, because the mall management will speak to one person, not to the whole team.
Permits for mall activations, sampling in Dubai
Permits depend on what you do and where you do it, so check the official page for each one before you sign a mall contract. This is general guidance, not legal advice.
Food and drink sampling. Dubai Municipality issues a Food Promotion Permit for sampling and promotion inside licensed department stores and supermarkets. Its services guide, published in 2020, sets an application at least three working days before the promotion, food items registered in its system, a fee of AED 7 per product and a validity of up to three months. Food served at an approved event needs a separate Food Activity at Events permit, filed at least three working days ahead, at AED 160.
Sales promotions and raffles. Retailers join festival promotions through the Department of Economy and Tourism, as described above. The Department also published the prize structure of the 30th edition, with AED 50 million in raffle prizes, which shows how much of the festival runs through official channels.
Advertising in free zones. If your activation sits in a Dubai Development Authority zone, such as the TECOM areas, the Authority's advertising permit applies. Its published annual fees start at AED 500 for ground floor shop signage and reach AED 5,000 for billboards and building wraps, with about four working days to issue.
The mall itself. Every mall has its own rules for atrium bookings, build times, insurance and staff access passes. We ask for them at the first call, because they often decide the date more than any permit does.
Promoters, brand ambassadors: who you need on the floor
The team is what the shopper actually meets. A sampling stand with the right product and the wrong promoter is an empty table with a logo. For a festival activation we look for four roles.
Promoters stop traffic, sample and collect data. Brand ambassadors know the product in depth and can close a sale or book a demo. Hostesses manage the queue, the guest list at a launch and the welcome at a pop up. A team leader handles the mall management, the breaks and the stock count. For a launch, models and a photo and video crew complete the picture.
Language matters in Dubai. We brief every team on the product and the key lines in English and Arabic, and add Russian, Chinese, Hindi or French speakers where the mall's visitors call for it. As a staffing agency in Dubai since 2015, we build every roster around the festival calendar. Scale is the other test: the same organisation delivered 150 staff across three locations in one week for Van Cleef & Arpels at Dubai Watch Week 2025.
Same day photo, video with on spot editing
For 38 days DSF is one of the most posted events in the city. Shoppers, creators, media and the organiser publish in real time, and the brands that post while the festival is running ride that wave on social and on the web. Content that arrives a week later arrives after the conversation has moved on.
That is why Cover Page Agency has made on spot editing the standard. Our photographer shoots your stand, your crowd and your product, and within the hour you receive edited, print quality photos at 300 ppi, ready for your socials, your website and the press. Short reels follow the same day, filmed on the Sony FX5 in 5K open gate with 16 bit X-OCN RAW inside the camera, with stills from the 50.1 megapixel Sony A1. Our photo and video packages show what each shoot includes.
Content at DSF
Edited photos within the hour, reels the same day.
Print quality 300 ppi photos for socials and press, filmed by the same agency that staffs your stand.
Behind the Cover, by invitation
Our seasonal portfolio, so you can meet our team through its work.
What we see on the floor
What we see on the floor, by Lukas Götze
The festival changes the rhythm of a mall. Weekday afternoons are quiet, and after eight in the evening the atrium is full of families who came for the fireworks. The brands that do well staff for the evening, not for the opening hour, and keep their strongest promoters for Thursday to Saturday nights.
The other thing we see every year: the product arrives, the stand is built, and nobody has checked the mall's access passes for the staff. We send the names and ID copies to the mall with the booking, two weeks before the first shift, so the team walks in on day one.
Your DSF activation timeline, starting in October
October. Define the goal, sampling, sales, data or content, and the budget. Shortlist malls and markets, ask for atrium and kiosk availability, and brief us on the roles.
November. Sign the slot. File the permits that apply. We run the casting, the product training and the uniform fittings, and submit staff names for mall access passes.
December and January. The team runs the floor with a team leader and a manager on call. Our crew edits content on the spot. After the festival you receive the shift reports, the sampling counts and the gallery.
Since 2015 we have staffed launches, stands and pop ups in the malls of Dubai. If your brand is planning for the festival, the best time to call is now.
Staff for Dubai Shopping Festival
Tell us the mall, the days and the headcount.
We reply within two business hours with a roster and a quote. A manager on call on every booking, a team leader from five staff.
Prefer WhatsApp? Message us at +971 52 401 8887.
The author
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Marketing Director, Cover Page Agency
Over 1,000 activations across Dubai, Milan and Lyon since 2015. Turns events into brand moments with professional content and verified results.
Sources
Official and established sources
- Dubai Media Office (6 December 2025), 31st edition opening weekend: concert, fireworks, drone show, sponsors and partners. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- Department of Economy and Tourism (2 September 2025), 31st edition dates: 5 December 2025 to 11 January 2026, 38 days. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- Dubai Media Office (25 November 2025), 2026 retail calendar: festival and retail dates for 2026. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- DFRE via Zawya (February 2026), results of 2025: 30th edition events, venues, outlets, brands and raffles. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- DFRE via Zawya, Al Ghurair partnership 2026 to 2029: partner levels across DSF events. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- DFRE release via Zawya on TradingView (2 January 2026), e& MOTB season 13: dates, hours, vendors, homegrown share. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- Department of Economy and Tourism (January 2019), DSF strategic partners and key sponsors: how partners contribute, an older document. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- Department of Economy and Tourism (9 January 2025), DSF raffles and retail promotions: AED 50 million in prizes for the 30th edition. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- Dubai Municipality (2020), food related permits and approvals: Food Promotion Permit and Food Activity at Events permit. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- Dubai Development Authority, advertising permit: fees and requirements in DDA free zones. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- Bluewaters Dubai, DSF Drone Show 2025: dates and two shows a night. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- Khaleej Times (updated 30 January 2023), a look back at DSF: 1996 visitors, spending and milestones. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- Knowledge at Wharton (15 June 2010), DSF history: 2009 visitors and retailers. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- Gulf News (18 September 2024), 30th edition dates: 6 December 2024 to 12 January 2025. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- Gulf News (6 December 2025), opening weekend: venues and programme of the 31st edition. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- Gulf News (6 January 2026), MOTB market: brand stalls, food vendors, free entry. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- Khaleej Times (21 November 2025), festival prizes: daily raffles, grand prize and gold draws. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- Cushman and Wakefield (4 December 2025), Dubai retail market update: retail share of GDP, rents, Dubai Mall visitors. Consulted 29 September 2026.
Newer voices and industry research
- Gulf Business (24 December 2025), 12 hour sale: Majid Al Futtaim malls, discounts, prize. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- Gulf News (2 September 2026), Global Village season 31: expected October 2026 opening. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- Gulf News (8 January 2026), new UAE malls in 2026: seven malls opening or expanding. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- Retail and Leisure International, 31st edition: 30 years since the 1996 launch. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- Explore Malls (14 December 2025), DSF guide: participating malls, brands and stores. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- WowDeals (21 November 2025), DSF guide: venues and malls. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- Index Design (14 April 2025), mall kiosk costs: kiosk build and monthly rent estimates. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- Noble Core Ventures (updated 7 September 2026), kiosk licence guide: annual mall rent estimates. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- Shopify (7 May 2025), product sampling: Cornell wine tasting finding and in store advice. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- Fizz Experience, do free samples increase sales: exit survey of more than 2,000 shoppers. Consulted 29 September 2026.
- Cosmetics Business (26 July 2021), sampling survey: 75 percent of 20,000 consumers, an older study. Consulted 29 September 2026.
FAQ
What are the dates for Dubai Shopping Festival?
Recent editions ran from early December to mid January: 6 December 2024 to 12 January 2025, and 5 December 2025 to 11 January 2026. As of 29 September 2026 the dates of the 2026/27 edition have not been officially announced by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment.
What are the upcoming sales in Dubai in 2026?
The official 2026 retail calendar lists Dubai Home Festival from 16 October to 1 November 2026, the Festival of Lights from 2 to 12 November, Eid Al Etihad celebrations from 30 November to 3 December, and the 3 Day Super Sale twice a year, followed by Dubai Shopping Festival in December.
Which festival is going on in Dubai?
In the autumn of 2026 the retail calendar moves from Dubai Home Festival in late October to the Festival of Lights and Dubai Fitness Challenge in November, then Eid Al Etihad and Dubai Shopping Festival in December and January.
How can a brand take part in Dubai Shopping Festival?
Three routes: as a sponsor or partner of the festival with Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment, as a participating retailer through the Department of Economy and Tourism promotion service, or with an activation inside a mall or a DSF market such as e& MOTB.
How much does a brand activation cost in Dubai?
It depends on the mall, the days, the team size and the build. Some permit fees are published, for example AED 7 per product for a Dubai Municipality food promotion permit. Send us the mall, dates and headcount and we reply with a quote within two business hours.
Do I need a permit for product sampling in a Dubai mall?
Food and drink sampling in licensed stores and supermarkets needs a Dubai Municipality Food Promotion Permit, filed at least three working days ahead. Advertising in DDA free zones needs a DDA permit, and every mall has its own rules. Always check the official page before you start.
How far ahead should I book promoters for Dubai Shopping Festival?
For a sampling stand, four to six weeks; for a pop up or launch, eight weeks or more. During the festival every brand hires at once, so booking in October or early November secures the best trained promoters.
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