7 things to do in Dubai this weekend

The countdown to 2016 is almost upon us, and there’s no better place to be to spend the first few days of the New Year. After the likes of David Guetta and Martin Garrix have flown out, there are New Year’s Day feasts, highly anticipated new movies and (if you haven’t spent enough money over the festive season) Dubai Shopping Festival is back. Have a fantastic end to 2015, and we’ll see you on the other side.

David Guetta New Year’s Eve
Those of you who have desperately been trying to snap up tickets for the last few days will know that the event is now sold out. But hardened Guetta fans will be pleased to know that there are a limited number of tickets available on the door, so if you get there early enough, you could be in luck. The box office will be open from 7.30pm.
When: December 31, from 8pm
Where: Media City Amphitheatre

New Year’s Eve Dance Party
A welcome and innovative attraction down at The Beach for New Year, this is an all-night dance party that is entirely open to the public – and, as it’s dry, it will appeal to all sectors of the community. There is a full diary of events from 3pm on New Year’s Eve itself right the way through to the morning of January 1, from Zumba classes in the afternoon, a host of DJs at night, screens for the fireworks and, if you’re still up, yoga at dawn. This will probably become a fixture on the end-of-year calendar.
When: December 31-January 1, 3pm-9am
Where: The Beach, JBR

Dubai Shopping Festival
The largest shopping event in the Middle East is back with a packed calendar of events and promotions. You can find discounts of up to 75 percent on jewellery, perfume and clothes, as well as some great deals on electronics. Aside from all the shopping to be done, there are plenty of concerts, fashion events and sports to take part in.
When: From January 1-Febraury 2
Where: Locations include Dubai Mall, Global Village, Mall of the Emirates and Gold Souk. Visit the website for more

Cinema – Joy (18TC)
Director David O. Russell was obviously a pretty big fan of his Silver Linings Playbook cast, as he’s basically stuck all of them back in his latest creative venture, Joy… well, Robert De Niro, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence, at any rate. Lawrence leads the charge once more, cast as the eponymous Joy, a struggling divorcee forced to put her career aside for the sake of her children. Until, that is, she conceives of an ingenious, QVC-promoted domestic home invention that sets her on the path of pursuing her own American dream.
Check cinema listings