This Weekend #1
Bread, art and a night at the opera.
A bread festival in Al Quoz, a Sudanese painter at the Jameel, masks and canals at the Opera, and a night above Hatta Dam. Plus Design Week, which wants booking now.
This weekend: Fri 30 Oct to Sun 1 Nov
Five plansChecked 25 October 2026Prices in AED
Saturday is the busy day. Subko runs a hands-on bread workshop at What The Food at 4pm, and the Jameel opens its new Salah Elmur show with a talk and performance from 5pm (RSVP).
Friday is quieter. TITIZÉ plays Dubai Opera at 2pm and 8pm through Saturday, from AED 275. Tickets are non-refundable, so be sure of the date before booking. Caravan Hatta takes bookings any night, from AED 1,200, just over an hour's drive away.
Design Week starts on Tuesday 3 November. The festival in d3 is open entry. Downtown Design, the fair, is AED 80 a day and open to all from the 5th.
Nobody paid to be in this guide.
Hours and prices change. Check with the venue before you go.
Food and culture, Saturday and Sunday
What The Food takes over Alserkal
The festival's fifth edition is about bread and salt: talks, chef-led workshops and a communal table in The Yard. Window runs a grill station on both days.
The facts
- Where
- Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz 1
- When
- Sat 31 Oct & Sun 1 Nov
- Price
- Walk in. Workshops need booking
- How to book
- Book on alserkal.online. Subko's bread workshop is Sat at 4pm
- Who it's for
- Food people who like to know where it came from
alserkal.online/what-the-food (opens in a new tab)Open in Maps @alserkalavenue
Art, opens Sunday
Salah Elmur opens at the Jameel
'Just as the Heart of a Mango is a Stone' gathers the Sudanese painter's work since 2018, with photographs from his family's studio in Khartoum.
The facts
- Where
- Jameel Arts Centre, Jaddaf Waterfront
- When
- Opening Sat 31 Oct, 5–8pm (RSVP). Open from Sun 1 Nov, to 14 Mar
- Price
- Open access. Register at the desk
- How to book
- 12-minute walk from Al Jaddaf Metro (Green Line)
- Who it's for
- Slow Saturday mornings, and anyone who likes a painting with a story
jameelartscentre.org (opens in a new tab)Open in Maps @jameelartscentre
Stage, Thursday to Saturday
TITIZÉ at Dubai Opera
Compagnia Finzi Pasca's acrobatic theatre of Venetian masks, canals and mirrors. Ten performers, about 80 minutes, no interval.
The facts
- Where
- Dubai Opera, Downtown
- When
- Thu 29 – Sat 31 Oct, 2pm & 8pm
- Price
- From AED 275
- How to book
- Book on dubaiopera.com. Tickets are non-refundable
- Who it's for
- A date night, or with children aged 4 and up
A night away, any night
50 Airstreams above Hatta Dam
Our Habitas' first UAE stay: Airstreams with private decks facing the dam or the valley, a barrel sauna, a cold plunge, and fire-cooked Emirati food at Madar.
The facts
- Where
- Caravan Hatta, Hatta. Just over an hour from Dubai
- When
- Open since 28 Sep
- Price
- From AED 1,200 a night
- How to book
- Book on ourhabitas.com. Drive; kayak and hike on site
- Who it's for
- Couples, and anyone who needs a quiet weekend
ourhabitas.com/caravan-hatta (opens in a new tab)Open in Maps @habitascaravanhatta
Design, book now
Next week: Dubai Design Week
The 12th edition fills d3 with installations, talks and workshops, from 3 to 8 November. Downtown Design, the fair, holds invite-only previews on 4 November and is open to all visitors from 5 to 8 November.
The facts
- Where
- Dubai Design District (d3)
- When
- Tue 3 – Sun 8 Nov. The fair is open to all 5–8 Nov
- Price
- Festival: open entry. Downtown Design: AED 80 a day
- How to book
- Valet across d3. Parking: 2 hours included, then AED 20/hr
- Who it's for
- Design people, and anyone furnishing a home
dubaidesignweek.ae (opens in a new tab)Open in Maps @dubaidesignweek
How we checked
Every fact here comes from the venue's own website, menu, booking page or Instagram, or from the Michelin Guide and official listings. Nobody paid to be in this guide, and nobody knew we were writing it. If something has changed, write to [email protected] and we'll correct it. How we pick a place →
Photos
- What The Food takes over Alserkal: @alserkalavenue
- Salah Elmur opens at the Jameel: Salah Elmur, Fire Behind the Mountain, 2025. Courtesy the artist
- TITIZÉ at Dubai Opera: @dubaiopera
- 50 Airstreams above Hatta Dam: @habitascaravanhatta
- Next week: Dubai Design Week: @dubaidesignweek
