What's on in Dubai in January 2027: Events, Marathon, Golf

Five things to plan around in January 2027

#1

Citywide; ends Sunday 17 January Sales, mall evenings and the last festival nights

Dubai Shopping Festival, final fortnight

Visit Dubai lists the 2026-27 festival from Friday 4 December to 17 January, so January is its final stretch. Expect promotions in the malls and a busy first week after New Year. We found no announced finale programme as of 2 November, so check Visit Dubai nearer the date before you plan an evening around it.

#2

Sunday 17 January; 26th edition Runners, and early risers who want to watch

Dubai Marathon

The official race site gives Sunday 17 January and three races: the 42.195 km marathon at 6:30 am for ages 18 and over (USD 150), a 10 km road race at 8:00 am for ages 15 and over (USD 85) and a 4 km fun run at 10:00 am open to all (USD 50). Registration is online only. We did not find the route or road closures.

#3

Emirates Golf Club, Majlis Course; Thursday 21 to Sunday 24 January Golf fans and a day outdoors in cool weather

Hero Dubai Desert Classic

The tournament site lists general admission as free on Thursday and Friday and AED 135 on Saturday and Sunday, with AED 85 shown as the early-bird price. Visitors aged 17 and under enter free but need a registered ticket and an adult. General admission includes the Tournament Town fan village. Hospitality tickets cost far more.

#4

Dubailand; open until May 2027 A flexible evening on any night of the month

Global Village, Season 31

The official site lists 4 pm to midnight from Sunday to Wednesday and 4 pm to 1 am from Thursday to Saturday. An any-day ticket is AED 30. A weekday ticket, valid Monday to Thursday and not on public holidays, is AED 25. Tuesdays are reserved for ladies and families, except on official public holidays. Rides and some attractions cost extra.

#5

Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve; pre-dawn pickup Clear, cold dawns between the busy event days

A cool morning in the desert

January is the coolest month of the year, which suits our sunrise balloon flight: from $275 per person, with pre-dawn hotel pickup and 4-5 hours door to door, finishing with breakfast at a Bedouin-style camp. A 30% deposit confirms it. Baskets fill early in peak season, and a flight can be cancelled for weather, so tell us your dates on WhatsApp.

What's on in Dubai in January 2027: the short answer

The fixed dates are Sunday 17 January, when the Dubai Shopping Festival ends and the 26th Dubai Marathon runs, and Thursday 21 to Sunday 24 January for the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Visit Dubai lists the festival from 4 December to 17 January. The marathon organisers publish their date on their own site, and the golf dates are on the tournament's official site.

Friday 1 January is a public holiday, which gives a three-day weekend, according to The National. Global Village is open all month. Everything below is as of 2 November 2026. The Dubai Sports Council published its 2026-27 sports calendar in October, and it adds a 24-hour car race, a beach volleyball event, a polo cup and a half marathon. For most of those the reports gave no venue, so confirm details with the organiser.

The January 2027 calendar

Dates come from the sources named in the last column. Where the source did not give a venue, the table says so, and we have not guessed.

As of 2 November 2026. Organisers can change dates and venues; confirm on the official channel before you book.

If you only have one weekend, the busiest is 15 to 17 January, because the marathon morning and the last day of the Shopping Festival fall together on Sunday. The following weekend, 22 to 24 January, has the golf, the polo cup and the half marathon.

Dubai Shopping Festival: the last two weeks

Visit Dubai describes the festival as shopping deals and entertainment and lists it from Friday 4 December to 17 January. That makes the first half of January the end of a six-week run. The festival closes on a Sunday, the same day as the marathon, and we found no announced closing event as of 2 November.

For a visitor, the practical value is sales, plus the chance to shop in the evening once the first-week New Year crowds thin out. Our Shopping Festival guide covers the whole run. If you plan to claim VAT back on a large purchase, read the rules before you shop and keep your receipts.

Dubai Marathon, Sunday 17 January

TradeArabia reported in July that the 26th Dubai Marathon would run on Sunday 17 January, and the official race site confirms the date and shows registration open. The races, start times and fees on its registration page are in the table below. Registration is online only, and fees can change, so check the page before you pay.

From the registration page of the official race site, read on 2 November 2026.

We did not find the route, the start and finish area or the road closures in the sources we read. TradeArabia says full race maps will be on the official race site, so check it, and look at the RTA closure notices in the days before. If you have an early pickup on 17 January, such as a balloon flight or the 8:00 AM Abu Dhabi tour, tell us your hotel area and we will check the closures for you. More in our Dubai Marathon guide.

Hero Dubai Desert Classic, 21 to 24 January

The tournament's official site lists Thursday 21 to Sunday 24 January at Emirates Golf Club, and the Dubai Sports Council calendar names the Majlis Course. You can watch without paying on the first two days. The table shows the main ticket types as listed on the tournament's ticket page, with 5% VAT included.

Children aged 17 and under enter free all four days with a registered ticket and an adult. Early-bird terms and prices may change; check before you go.

The tournament site does not give gate times or practice days in the pages we read. Our golf guide covers playing a round yourself, and the sports roundup lists the other big dates of the season.

Global Village and the other seasonal sights

Global Village opened its 31st season on 14 October and runs until May 2027, with no exact closing day on the official site. Opening hours are 4 pm to midnight from Sunday to Wednesday and 4 pm to 1 am from Thursday to Saturday. An any-day ticket costs AED 30, and the weekday ticket is AED 25 for Monday to Thursday, excluding public holidays. Children under 3, visitors aged 65 and over, and people of determination enter free. Ride passes and some attractions are sold separately.

New Year's Day on 1 January is a public holiday, so the weekday ticket does not apply that day. Our Global Village Season 31 guide has the full picture. The park is outside the city, so plan the journey home before you go.

Not confirmed yet

Several things you may see in listings had no confirmed dates in the sources we could read on 2 November 2026.

• Concerts and shows: Visit Dubai's what's-on page names live shows by Atif Aslam, Trevor Noah and Richard Marx, and La Perle by Dragone, but the version we read gave no dates or venues.
• A Shopping Festival finale event: none announced.
• Marathon route and road closures: not in the sources we read.
• Desert Classic gate times: not on the ticket page.

Dubai's official calendar usually fills in during December. If an event matters for your dates, check the organiser's own page a week before you travel.

January weather and a plan around the events

January is the coolest month of the year. The long-term averages for Dubai International Airport give a mean daily high of about 24°C and a mean low of about 15°C, so a day starts cold and finishes comfortable. Bring a light jacket for evenings and the desert. Our Dubai in January guide covers the weather, the sea and what to pack.

A simple plan: put the one thing with a short supply first. The sunrise balloon is from $275 and the full-day desert safari is from $45 per person, or $65 with a 30-minute quad bike ride, with hotel pickup and no prepayment. The Abu Dhabi city tour is from $45 shared, with 8:00 AM pickup. Ramadan is expected to begin on Monday 8 February, so January is the last month of normal hours; see our Ramadan 2027 guide. For the night before the month starts, read our New Year's Eve guide.

FAQ

Recommended Dubai tours for this guide

Recommended tour

Full-Day Desert Safari in Dubai

It is the slow-travel version of the classic safari: more time on the dunes, sunset without the crowds and a full evening programme at a premium camp with air-conditioned tents, unlimited drinks and a large BBQ buffet with vegetarian and gluten-free options. Everything is arranged from the hotel door — a licensed English-speaking driver, the 4x4, the camp and the shows.

Duration

7 hours

Area

Lahbab Desert, Dubai

Format

Full-day desert safari

Best for

families, couples and first-time desert visitors who want the full evening programme

From $45 per person No prepayment

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Recommended tour

Sunrise Hot Air Balloon in Dubai

It is the desert from above at first light: gazelles, oryx and camels in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, the Hajar Mountains on the horizon and the dunes turning gold. After landing a vintage Land Rover or SUV takes you to a private Bedouin camp for a gourmet breakfast (veg and non-veg options), a short camel ride and a falcon photo, and every guest gets an electronic flight certificate signed by the pilot.

Duration

4-5 hours

Area

Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve

Format

Shared sunrise balloon flight with breakfast

Best for

couples, photographers and anyone who wants the desert at sunrise from above

From $275 per person 30% deposit

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Abu Dhabi City Tour from Dubai

It is the classic capital day in one organised loop: the mosque before the midday heat and crowds, the newly opened BAPS Mandir, the skyline from the Corniche, Bedouin history at Heritage Village and a photo op at Ferrari World. Transport, a licensed guide, mosque registration assistance and bottled water are included; the $45 shared tour covers all free-entry sites, and a private VIP car for up to 7 people is $245.

Duration

9 hours

Area

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Format

Full-day guided city tour (shared or private)

Best for

families, seniors and first-time visitors who want the capital's landmarks in one day

From $45 per person No prepayment

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