What’s on in the UAE this week: From a Korean culture festival to pink afternoon tea
The first week of October in the UAE features a wide range of cultural, educational, leisure and sporting events, from the final days of Dubai’s inaugural Korean culture festival and a university exhibition to a comedy tour in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and special Pinktober activities promoting breast cancer awareness. Expo City Dubai will also host a peaceful morning of yoga and sound healing, while the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi will hold a special fitness session beneath dinosaur skeletons.
Final Days of K-Fest Dubai
Dubai’s inaugural Korean culture festival concludes on Sunday after a 10-day run. Last weekend, K-pop group ONEUS and Korean singer Kwon Eunbi performed at the festival’s free opening night at Festival Bay, Dubai Festival City Mall.
A variety of events will continue at venues across Dubai until the festival ends.
ROXY Cinemas at Dubai Hills Mall, City Walk and Al Khawaneej will screen four Korean films during Korean Movie Nights, with special ticket offers. The line-up includes Exhuma, Revolver, Dark Nuns and Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice. Silver tickets start from AED 40 on weekdays.
At Korea 360 in Dubai Festival City Mall, various pop-up booths will host a Discover and Collect activity, allowing visitors to earn points at each station and win prizes. The atrium stage will also host Korean language and culture classes, Korean cooking lessons, demonstrations of Korean make-up techniques and a skincare masterclass.
On Friday, October 2, from 5pm to 7pm, the King Sejong Institute will hold a Korean language and culture class featuring an introduction to the Korean language and Hangul calligraphy.
On Saturday, October 3, from 10am to 4pm, a Korean cooking class will be held in collaboration with aT Center, with capacity limited to 30 participants.
A demonstration of Korean make-up and beauty techniques will take place the same day from 6pm to 8pm.
On Sunday, October 4, from 2pm to 4pm, KCII will host a masterclass on basic skincare routines.
The Korean Market at Al Ghurair Centre will run from October 1 to 4, featuring food stalls, beauty products and Korean merchandise. Activities will include games such as Ddakji Flip and Tteokbokki Toss, as well as workshops on painting Taeguk fans, making Ddakji and practising Hangul calligraphy. K-pop dance performances and Random Play Dance sessions will also be staged.
ARTE MUSEUM DUBAI will showcase d’strict’s immersive digital works under the theme Nature Eternal until October 4. The exhibits include Paintings of Joseon, inspired by Korea’s artistic heritage; Gangneung, inspired by the city’s coastal scenery; and Starry Busan.
Unlike the festival’s other events, K-Town at Dubai Outlet Mall will continue until October 24, offering Korean food, products and cultural experiences.
Time: Until October 4; K-Town until October 24
Location: Dubai Festival City Mall, Al Ghurair Centre, Dubai Outlet Mall, ARTE MUSEUM DUBAI and ROXY Cinemas
Cost: Free entry to events at shopping malls; ROXY Cinemas Silver tickets start from AED 40 on weekdays
Gulf News Edufair Dubai
Students and families exploring university options can meet representatives from more than 25 universities, career service providers and study-abroad consultancies in one location this weekend.
Edufair Dubai returns after its May edition attracted more than 8,000 visitors. Exhibitors will showcase undergraduate, postgraduate and executive programmes in the UAE and abroad. Visitors can learn about university admissions, scholarships, financial aid, internships and student life overseas, while some institutions will also offer early enrolment benefits.
A range of seminars will be held across all three days. One session will explore whether a university education is worth the time and cost, examining programme rankings, teaching quality, industry links and return on investment.
Other sessions will focus on studying abroad, living costs, visas, post-study immigration pathways and choosing between professional qualifications and university degrees.
Another session will examine artificial intelligence, highlighting the skills now required across all fields of study, as well as human capabilities that AI cannot replace.
A separate session will address the transition from school to university, offering strategies for managing workloads, gaining independence and building support networks.
Date: Friday, October 2 to Sunday, October 4
Venue: Shangri-La Dubai, Sheikh Zayed Road
Cost: Free; registration required
A Morning of Wellness and Relaxation at Expo City Dubai
Terra at Expo City Dubai will host a special three-hour wellness and relaxation programme featuring Yin yoga, a Sound Alchemy session and YOFLO, combining gentle movement, sound and mindfulness. The ticket also includes tea or coffee from PXB Café.
Date and time: Saturday, October 3, 8.30am to 11.30am
Location: Terra, Expo City Dubai
Price: AED150
Pinktober Brunch at Bla Bla JBR
McGettigan’s at Bla Bla JBR will host a special Saturday brunch featuring live music, unlimited drinks and views of Ain Dubai. AED100 from every brunch package sold will be donated to Al Jalila Foundation to support breast cancer awareness programmes.
Date and time: Saturday, October 3, 3pm to 6pm
Location: McGettigan’s, Bla Bla JBR
Price: AED299 for the standard package and AED349 for the premium package
The Laughter Factory Stand-Up Comedy Tour
The Laughter Factory, which has brought professional comedians to the UAE for 30 years, will stage three shows in Dubai and Abu Dhabi this weekend.
British comedian and actor Marlon Davis headlines the line-up. He has appeared on shows including Live at the Apollo and Live From The Comedy Store, and has supported Kevin Bridges, Michael McIntyre and Alan Carr on tour.
Greek-born George Zach moved to the UK at the age of 18 to study biochemistry and began performing stand-up comedy in 2009. He has performed five times at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and has written for BBC One programmes This Week and The One Show.
Russian-Romanian comedian Denisa Alexe also rose to prominence on TikTok in 2020 through her character Ellena. Much of her content is inspired by growing up in Eastern Europe and spending 16 years in the Middle East.
John Hague, an emerging comedian from northern England, completes the line-up.
Dates and times: Friday, October 2 at 8.30pm; Saturday, October 3 at 8.30pm; and Sunday, October 4 at 7pm
Venues: Grand Millennium Dubai in Barsha Heights, Studio One Hotel Dubai, and The Club Abu Dhabi
Tickets: Available through The Laughter Factory website; for ages 21 and above
PINKtober Afternoon Tea at The St. Regis Downtown Dubai
Overlooking the Dubai Water Canal, Ginori Terrace is offering a special pink afternoon tea throughout October. Each menu item is named after a celebrated woman, from The Marie, honouring Marie Curie and featuring a smoked salmon sandwich with beetroot gel, to The Maya, a mango and lime sponge cake inspired by Maya Angelou.
A portion of the proceeds from each afternoon tea will support Al Jalila Foundation’s #PINKtober programme, which funds breast cancer research and treatment in the UAE.
Time: Daily until October 31, from 2pm to 6pm
Location: Ginori Terrace, The St. Regis Downtown Dubai
Price: AED 295 per person, including tea and coffee
Exercise Beneath Dinosaur Skeletons at Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi
Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi is hosting a curated programme of health and wellness activities in its atrium, including yoga, high-intensity workouts and mindfulness sessions beneath sauropod skeletons.
This women-only, semi-private session uses the Microformer. The workout is high-intensity but low-impact, focusing on core strength and controlled movements.
Time: Monday, October 5, from 7pm to 8pm
Location: Beneath the sauropod skeletons in the atrium of Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat Cultural District
A Special Opportunity for Founders: FemTech Hub Pitch Night
The Women’s Pavilion at Expo City Dubai is inviting founders working in women’s health to apply for the FemTech Hub Innovators Network Pitch Night.
Registered companies with a market-ready product or service addressing a women’s health challenge can apply from October 5 to 25. Selected founders will pitch their ideas to investors and industry experts on November 12.
The FemTech Hub pavilion is a collaboration between the Women’s Pavilion, PeriCare, Bynia Meem and American Hospital Dubai. Applications can be submitted through the Expo City Dubai website.