What’s happening in Dubai this August 2025: Sales, shows, concerts, eating out

Dubai’s always on the move, and August 2025 is packed with activity. Here’s your curated guide to the biggest happenings across the city, from shopping festivals and fitness to concerts, food, innovation conferences and cultural highlights.
Dubai Summer Surprises: Deals, Prizes Until August 31
Don’t miss:
- Great Dubai Summer Sale: Up to 90% off at major malls until August 10
- Back-to-School Sale: From August 11 to 31
- 10 Dirham Dish: Budget-friendly bites across restaurants all month (for details, visit www.visitdubai.com/en/festivals-and-events/dss)
- The Spend, Scan & Win campaign offers prizes up to Dh1 million as well as luxury cars
Dubai Mallathon: Malls as Running Tracks All August
Kicking off Aug 1 – 31, Dubai’s Crown Prince invites residents to the Mallathon, transforming seven major malls into free, air‑conditioned running and walking tracks from 7am to 10am daily. Participating malls include Dubai Mall, Mall of the Emirates, Dubai Hills Mall and others.
Dubai Sports World: Open Until September 2
Now in its 15th edition, Dubai Sports World reopens on Sunday, August 3, inside a 300,000 sq ft indoor venue at the World Trade Centre. Expect:
- Facilities for football, padel, cricket nets, tennis, and badminton
- Gym & fitness classes running daily
- Open through Tuesday, Sept 2
Back to School: Classes Resume August 25
Academic year restarts for both April-start and September-start private schools on Monday, August 25. Kids return to class, and families can capitalise on late Back-to-School sale days.
Museum of the Future: Summer Pass Experience
Until Sept 30, the Museum of the Future offers a Summer Pass for Dh229
This includes:
- Unlimited entry with no time-slot booking
- Seasonal programmes: Space Pioneers, Creative Storytelling, Wellness Experiences
- Behind-the-scenes tours and installations
Live Music in August: Pop, R&B and Arabic Nostalgia
August’s concert calendar is heating up with global stars and nostalgic throwbacks. Here are the must-see performances this month:
- Natalie Imbruglia at Dubai Opera
The Australian pop sensation behind hits like Torn brings her signature sound to Dubai Opera on August 23. Expect an unforgettable night of chart-toppers and acoustic brilliance.
Book now at Dubai Opera. - Macy Gray at Coca-Cola Arena
Grammy-winning R&B queen Macy Gray takes the stage on August 29, performing her soulful hits like I Try with a full band and signature raspy vocals.
At Coca-Cola Arena, City Walk. - Spacetoon Memories at Zabeel Theatre
Relive the golden age of Arabic cartoons with this special throwback concert celebrating 90s-era anime and theme songs on August 2–3. At Zabeel Theatre, Jumeirah Zabeel Saray. - Gahwa Beats: Coffee, Tunes & Ice
Gahwa Beats takes over Dubai Ice Rink at Dubai Mall on 16 August for a music-meets-motion experience led by DJ Whiteboy. Glide into this one-of-a-kind experience on the ice, exclusively with DSS. More live shows to be announced throughout the month, stay tuned.
Upcoming Conferences & Industry Events
August at Dubai World Trade Centre and other expo venues features several high-profile summits:
- Aug 3 – 4: AI & Digital Transformation in Education Conference
- Aug 10 – 11: Innovation in Healthcare Summit
- Aug 17 – 18: Sustainability & Renewable Energy Conference
- Aug 20 – 21: International Conference on Tourism, Transport & Logistics (ICTTL‑25)
- Aug 24 – 25: Digital Transformation Forum in the Financial Sector