7 things to do in Dubai this weekend

Happy St Patrick’s Day to all the Irish expats. With Dara O’Briain in town, we’re sure you can start the weekend with a smile on your face. Art Dubai is back with four days celebrating all things creative, we’ve got a charity shopping event that lets you help refugee mothers, and there’s plenty of time for music and movies in between.

Dara O’Briain Live
Irish funnyman Dara O’Briain is taking his stand-up show Crowd Tickler to the Dubai World Trade Centre this week. Known as one of the best comics for audience interaction, it’s always well worth securing tickets at the front… Or at the back, if you’re not up for being the butt of his jokes.
When: Thursday March 17
Where: Dubai World Trade Centre, 

Paddy’s Day
Yep, it’s that time of year again, when everyone born west of Krakow claims to have at least one Irish great-grandparent in order to don the leprechaun hat and celebrate a little too hard. The McGettigans pubs will be rammed on the night, with the JLT branch offering a set from boyband Hometown.
When: March 17,
Where: McGettigans, JLT, +9714 378 0800

Art Dubai 2016
Held under the Patronage of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE, Ruler of Dubai, Art Dubai has developed into the leading inter­national art fair in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia (MENASA) region. This is now the tenth edition and this year showcases work from around 90 galleries from the UAE and the world. They are organised into three key themes: Contemporary; Modern (which focuses on masters from the Middle East, Africa and South Asia); and Marker, a curated section of artspaces that focuses each year on a particular theme or geography. Also part of Art Dubai is the renowned Abraaj Capital Art Prize, which this year has recognised Palestinian duo Basel Abbas and Ruanne Abou-Rahme. A one-day pass for Art Dubai is AED50 for adults, while a three-day pass is AED80.
When: March 16-19
Where: Madinat Jumeirah,

Journey Thru House
This week Zero Gravity welcomes the godfather of UK house, Graeme Park, who inspired the first wave of ravers at the legendary Hacienda club in Manchester – often playing Cream on the same night.
When: Friday, March 18, 3pm-3am
Where: Zero Gravity, Dubai Marina, +971 55 500 9111

Boom & Mellow Charity Shopping
Quirky fashion and accessories shop Boom & Mellow is running a “Mothers for Mothers” shopping event this weekend to raise money for charity. There will be a range of hand embroidered accessories made by Syrian refugee mothers in Lebanon and Turkey. It’s all part of a collaboration with the Basmeh & Zeitooneh Foundation, who teach women creative skills in order to help them financially. Best of all – even if you buy something from the store’s own range this weekend, a percentage of profits will be donated.
When: Until Saturday March 19
Where: Boom & Mellow, Town Centre, Jumeirah Beach Road, +971 4 344 4512

Piknic Electronik Dubai 
Piknic Electronik’s line-up is packing some serious heat with Sweden’s La Fleur being just one of the four DJs set to hit the decks this weekend.
When: Saturday, March 19
Where: The Address Montgomerie Dubai

Eye In The Sky (15)
Helen Mirren, Breaking Bad’s Aaron Paul and the late, great Alan Rickman star in the latest film to focus on the morality of modern-day warfare. In Eye in the Sky, Mirren and Rickman assume the roles of remote military commanders, tracking a suspected terrorist. The mission changes when a drone relays footage of a terror cell. The problem? A single civilian girl playing in the area, who would also be wiped out by any attack. Thus hangs the balance: one innocent life over thousands?
In cinemas from March 17