Dubai with kids this winter: dates for your family calendar 2026-27

Winter 2026-27 at a glance

All dates are for Dubai. School dates are for schools whose year starts in late August; your child's school confirms its own calendar.

Dubai Fitness Challenge: 31 October to 29 November

The 10th Dubai Fitness Challenge asks everyone to do 30 minutes of activity a day for 30 days, and it is free to join (WAM). The family highlights are the free Dubai Ride on Sunday 1 November, with a 4km Downtown family route, and the Dubai Run on Sunday 22 November, with a 5km route through Downtown (Emirates 24|7).

Three free Fitness Villages open every day of the challenge, at Al Warqa'a Park, Zabeel Park and Kite Beach, and two of them have fitness activities for children (Gulf News). Our Dubai Fitness Challenge guide for families covers every event and how children take part. For your own 30 minutes, there are parks across Dubai and public beaches with space to run, cycle and play.

Diwali: the Festival of Lights, 2 to 12 November

Diwali (Lakshmi Puja) falls on Sunday 8 November 2026 (Drik Panchang). Dubai's Festival of Lights runs around it, from 2 to 12 November, and the city's festival calendar promises lights in malls and districts, cultural performances and fireworks (Dubai Media Office).

The fireworks venues and times for 2026 have not been published yet, so check again in early November. We will add them to the calendar when they are announced.

Commemoration Day and Eid Al Etihad: 30 November to 3 December

Monday 30 November is Commemoration Day, when the UAE honours its martyrs (UAE Ministry of Health and Prevention). Eid Al Etihad, the UAE National Day, follows on 2 December, the 55th anniversary of the union. Dubai's festival calendar lists Eid Al Etihad celebrations from 30 November to 3 December, with fireworks, cultural shows and family activities (Dubai Media Office).

The official public holiday list gives National Day as "2 and 3 December (2 days)" (UAE Government portal), but the government confirms each year's days off nearer the time, so treat 2 and 3 December as expected for now. For students, the MoE school calendar already gives a National Day holiday from Wednesday 2 to Friday 4 December, which makes five days off with the weekend (MoE calendar). The school holidays guide has the rest of the school year.

Winter break: 14 December to 3 January

In the MoE's words: "Winter break will kick-off from 14 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, with schools resuming on 4 January 2027" (MoE, 2026). That is three weekday weeks, with New Year's Day, a public holiday, on Friday 1 January.

The winter camps page lists the camps that have announced winter dates so far, with ages and what each day looks like, and more holiday camp providers are adding dates every week. For the days at home, there are days out across Dubai, from theme parks to farms.

Dubai Shopping Festival: 4 December to 17 January

The 32nd Dubai Shopping Festival runs for 45 days, from Friday 4 December 2026 to Sunday 17 January 2027, "from the opening celebrations and December weekends through New Year's Eve and into the heart of January" (DFRE). Returning events include the DSF x Hatta Wadi Hub, and this season adds a first DSF edition of the Beach Canteen at Sunset Beach.

The full programme of shows, fireworks and drone nights has not been published yet. We will add the dated family events to the calendar once the organisers announce them.

Global Village Season 31: open until May 2027

Global Village opened its 31st season on 14 October 2026 and runs until May 2027, opening at 4pm, with pavilions from more than 90 cultures, rides and shows (Global Village). Tickets on its site are AED 25 for a weekday visit or AED 30 for any day. See Global Village on Waha.

New Year's Eve with children

Plans for New Year's Eve 2026 haven't been announced yet. As a guide to what to expect, last year Global Village held seven countdowns on the night, each with fireworks and drones, starting with China's new year at 8pm and Thailand's at 9pm, with gates open from 4pm to 2am (Gulf News, December 2025). An early countdown means younger children can see fireworks and still be in bed at a sensible hour.

We will add the confirmed family-friendly viewing options for 31 December 2026 when the venues publish them.

Under the stars: the Geminids, 13 to 14 December

The Geminid meteor shower peaks overnight on 13 to 14 December 2026, and a thin crescent moon "will not interfere with meteor watching" (EarthSky). It falls on the Sunday night before the winter break starts, so a late night is easier than usual.

The meteors are easiest to see well away from city lights. Dubai Astronomy Group runs guided desert nights for the Geminids, and our guide to fun and unique classes has its other stargazing evenings this season.

Into the new year: the marathon and Ramadan

School starts again on Monday 4 January 2027. The Dubai Marathon follows on Sunday 17 January 2027 (Dubai Marathon), the same day the Shopping Festival ends. Ramadan is expected to begin on Monday 8 February 2027, subject to moon sighting (The National, 2026).

A new term is a natural moment to start something new. If your child came back from the Fitness Challenge keen for more, our guide to one sport or several helps you choose what to sign up for.

Still to be announced

Some winter favourites haven't published 2026 dates on their own pages yet, so they aren't in the table: the festive markets, the Christmas and New Year events at hotels and malls, the New Year's Eve fireworks, and the National Day days off for private-sector workers. We check the official pages each week and add each date with its source as soon as it is announced. If you subscribed to the calendar, new dates appear on your phone by themselves.