Things to Do in the UAE This Eid Al Adha 2026
Eid Al Adha 2026 is here, and the UAE has come through with a proper break. Private sector gets four days off (May 26 to 29, Arafat Day through Eid). Public sector and schools get the full week. However you slice it, you have time, people to see, and zero excuse to waste it on your couch.
Whether you are planning something with family, catching up with friends you have been "meaning to see," or just looking for a reason to get out of the house, here are a few things to do worth your time.
1. Le Grand Voyage at Louvre Abu Dhabi
What: Le Grand Voyage (The Great Journey), a film screening at the Louvre Abu Dhabi
When: May 27
Price: Free
Le Grand Voyage is a 2004 French-Moroccan film directed by Ismail Ferroukhi, and the story follows Reda, a teenager in the south of France who is roped into driving his elderly father all the way to Mecca by car. They cross through Italy, the Balkans, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, and finally into Saudi Arabia. Along the way, they argue, they sit in silence, they misunderstand each other in the way that fathers and sons do when they have spent years not really talking. It is a road movie, but it is also a quiet meditation on faith, duty, generational divides, and the distance between who your parents are and who you think they should be.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi has a habit of programming films that match the moment, and this one lands perfectly.
2. Dubai Opera Has Two Very Different Reasons to Show Up
Dubai Opera is running a stacked lineup over the Eid break, and two shows in particular are worth flagging.
ADAM Live in Concert
When: May 28, 9 PM
Where: Dubai Opera, Main Auditorium
Tickets: From AED 295
If you grew up anywhere in the Arab world, you do not need me to introduce Adam. The Lebanese singer has been a fixture since he was 14 years old, and tracks like "Ala Bali" and "Khelset El Hekaya" are the kind that entire wedding halls sing back to him. He performs in Lebanese, Egyptian, and Khaleeji dialects, which is part of why he connects across the region the way he does. An Eid night out with Adam on stage is about as festive as it gets.
Ivan Vasiliev's Farewell Performance: The Last Dance
When: May 30, 8 PM
Where: Dubai Opera, Main Auditorium
Tickets: From AED 290
And then there is the complete opposite end of the spectrum. Ivan Vasiliev, one of the most powerful ballet dancers of his generation, is giving his final performance. Ever. The Alexandrite Gala brings together soloists from the Bolshoi, La Scala, Paris Opera Ballet, and the Dutch National Ballet for one evening built around his farewell. If you have never been to the ballet, this is a wild place to start. If you have, you already know what this means.
Two shows, two completely different worlds, same building. That is Dubai Opera doing what it does best.
3. Cinema Akil's Eid Lineup
Where: Warehouse 68, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz
Showtimes: Check the Cinema Akil calendar for dates and times
Tickets: Available on their website
If you have never been to Cinema Akil, Eid is a good excuse to fix that. It is Dubai's independent cinema, tucked inside Alserkal Avenue, and it is the polar opposite of the multiplex experience. Small, curated, with a chai diner attached. The kind of place where you feel smarter just walking in, without anyone making you feel like you should.
Their Eid week lineup includes Sentimental Value, I Swear, and yes, Shrek.
Grab a chai from the diner before or after. The whole Alserkal area is worth a wander if you have not been in a while.
4. Dubai's Heritage Museums
Al Shindagha Museum in old Dubai is running a full Eid Al Adha programme from May 28 to 31, free with museum entry. Workshops include Gahwat Al Eid (the traditional Eid coffee experience), embroidery on prints, designing your own Eid thoub and Eidiya pouch, plus Al Ayyala performances and an Eidiya Trail across all museum houses. Capacity is limited on most workshops, so showing up early is the move. Check their Instagram page for the full schedule and timings.
Etihad Museum in Jumeirah is also running Eid workshops from May 27 to 29, including "Create Your Cultural Pouch" and "My Family, My Values," both centered on Emirati heritage and family traditions. Check their Instagram page for the full schedule and timings.
5. Abu Dhabi's Eid Al Adha Cultural Programme
Abu Dhabi Culture is running Eid Al Adha 2026 programmes across several of its museums and cultural sites, and there is genuinely a lot happening.
Zayed National Museum has the biggest lineup, with activities running May 27 to 31. Expect a Majlis Sabahiyat Al Eid, traditional games, a Majlis of Crafts, dukhoon-making and Eidiya keepsake workshops, poetry, Al Ayala heritage performances, and cooking sessions with Chef Abeer Allouz.
Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi is running workshops from May 25 to 31, including cookie decoration, nature mosaics, needle felting, palm leaf weaving, henna design, and kids discovery tours. They also have Al Ayala performances and ongoing architecture mini tours.
Qasr Al Hosn is hosting Eid celebrations on the first and second days, and Manarat Al Saadiyat has an Eid Majlis and art studio activities running throughout the break.
For the full schedule across all Abu Dhabi Culture sites, check their Eid Al Adha guide.
6. Stay In and Still Go Somewhere
If your idea of an Eid plan is not leaving the hotel for three days, no judgment. The staycation offers this year are strong, and a few are worth highlighting.
Dukes The Palm / NH Collection Dubai The Palm are running a stay-two-nights-pay-one deal starting from AED 350, with late checkout until 3 PM, a Grand Eid Lunch, 25% off dining, a kids program, and access to facilities across both hotels. If you have kids and want them entertained while you sit by a pool pretending to read, this is the one.
Anantara The Palm has 30% off rooms and villas, daily resort credits up to AED 500, and complimentary breakfast for kids under 12. One of the better Palm options if you want the resort experience without the resort-season pricing.
Rove Hotels is doing stays from AED 199 with breakfast included, and a free upgrade to half board if you book a breakfast package. Multiple locations across Dubai. Good value if you just want a clean room, a pool, and a change of scenery.
Address Beach Resort is offering up to 35% off, and they do a floating breakfast at ZETA Seventy Seven, which, if nothing else, will perform well on your Instagram.
Most of these run from May 22 to 31, so you do not have to wait until Eid day to check in. Book early, the good rooms go fast.
7. Dubai Restaurant Week Is Still Running
The deal: Two-course lunch for AED 125 or three-course dinner for AED 250
When: Extended through May 31, which means it runs straight through Eid
How to book: Through the Dine Out section on the Careem app
If you have been meaning to try that restaurant you keep walking past and never booking, this is the nudge. Dubai Restaurant Week was supposed to wrap up mid-May, but it got extended to the end of the month, which means the entire Eid break is covered. Over 125 restaurants are participating, including names like Nobu by the Beach and Mimi Kakushi, plus a long list of Michelin-recognised and Gault&Millau spots.
AED 250 for a three-course dinner at a restaurant that would normally cost you twice that is not a bad way to spend an Eid evening. Book through Careem, pick your night, show up hungry.
8. Stock Up on Eid Sweets
This is not optional. Whether you are hosting, visiting family, or just treating yourself because it is Eid and you can, the sweet shops across Dubai go all out for the occasion. Kunafa, maamoul, baklava, Turkish delight, dates stuffed with everything imaginable. I wrote a full guide to where to find the best Eid sweets in Dubai, so I will not repeat the whole list here, but if you have not sorted your Eid platter yet, start there. Fair warning: go early. The good stuff sells out fast, especially on Eid eve.
9. Learn to Make Sourdough from Scratch
What: The Art of Real Sourdough, a hands-on workshop by Tabchilli
When: May 31, 4 PM
Where: Dubai
Book: tabchilli.com
Bilal Souroduhg and Maher El Tabchy are running a sourdough workshop where you build your own live starter, mix dough from scratch, and learn shaping and scoring techniques. You leave with a live sourdough starter, a glass fermentation jar, a recipe guide, and your own handcrafted dough. Small group, limited seats. If you have ever wanted to get into sourdough but never got past watching videos about it, this is the push.
10. Go Somewhere Surreal Without Leaving the Mall
If the heat is doing its thing and you would rather stay indoors, Dubai has a few immersive experiences running Eid deals that are actually worth it.
Arte Museum at Dubai Mall is running several Eid offers. Kids go free with a paying adult (AED 149 for one adult and one child), couples get 30% off the second ticket, and the family bundle drops to AED 79 per person for groups of three or more. Fourteen zones of digital art, light, and sound designed by Korean studio d'strict. If you have not been yet, this is a good excuse at a good price. dubai.artemuseum.com
AYA Universe at Wafi City is running a buy-three-get-four family pass from May 22 to 31. Glowing gardens, mirrored rooms, digital landscapes. It is a full sensory thing, and kids lose their minds in there. Adults do too, they just pretend they are taking photos for the kids. aya-universe.com
The Green Planet at City Walk has UAE resident tickets from Dhs 129 with extended hours until 7 PM during Eid (May 26 to 29). An indoor tropical rainforest with over 3,000 plants and animals across four levels. They are also running henna, face painting, workshops, and puppet shows during the break. Good for kids, surprisingly interesting for adults. thegreenplanetdubai.com
Ski Dubai at Mall of the Emirates has an Eid Family Pass for AED 1,000 for four people, valid May 23 to 31. That gets you snow park access, unlimited rides and attractions, unlimited chairlift rides, four meals at North 28, clothing and equipment rental, lockers, fleece gloves, plus a choice of one activity per person: a penguin encounter, zipline rides, a slope pass, or a ski/snowboard lesson. For a family of four, that is a lot of value packed into one ticket. If you have kids who need tiring out in a way that does not involve you standing in 40-degree heat, this is the move.
House of Hype at Dubai Mall has an Eid group ticket of AED 449 for four people, down from AED 149 per person for general admission. That works out to around AED 112 per person. Twenty-five immersive worlds, live shows, and non-stop surprises. Book at house-of-hype.com.
11. Eid Fireworks
Dubai does fireworks for every Eid Al Adha, and while the exact locations for Eid Al Adha 2026 have not been officially announced yet, the usual suspects are The Beach at JBR and Bluewaters Island, Dubai Festival City Mall, and the Burj Khalifa area. Hatta may also get a display near the Hatta Sign if they repeat the Eid al-Fitr setup. Keep an eye on the Eid in Dubai page for confirmed times and locations closer to the date. Free, no tickets needed, just show up and find a spot with a view.
12. Concerts
If you are the kind of person who measures Eid Al Adha by the concert lineup, this year delivers.
Kadim Al Sahir is performing at Space42 Arena in Abu Dhabi on May 28 at 7:30 PM. There is not much to say about Kadim that his audience does not already know. The man has been filling arenas across the Arab world for decades, and if you have never seen him live, an Eid night in Abu Dhabi is not a bad place to start.
Majid Al Mohandis takes the stage at Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai on May 29. Closing out the Eid break with Majid is the kind of plan that does not need convincing. If you know, you know.
George Wassouf and Ziad Bourji share the stage at Space42 Arena in Abu Dhabi on May 30 at 9 PM. Sultan El Tarab does not need an introduction. If you grew up on "Kalam El Nas" and "Tabki El Toyour," this is the one. Ziad Bourji alongside him makes it a double bill worth the drive to Abu Dhabi. Tickets from AED 150.
These will sell out or get close to it. Do not wait on tickets.
13. Global Village
If you still haven’t made your way to Global Village yet, consider this your sign. The season wraps up at the end of May, and while it’s definitely not for the faint-hearted during the Eid rush, it’s still one of those Dubai experiences worth doing at least once a year. Grab some friends, carpool if you can, take a photo of where you parked (trust me), and head in with comfy shoes and patience. Evenings are your best bet once the temperatures dip a little, but arriving earlier might save you from joining the sea of people already queuing at the gates.
14. Dubai Retail Gift Card Giveaway
Dubai Retail is launching its new Gift Card this Eid Al Adha, and to mark the occasion, a Gift Card Concierge will be roaming through seven malls from May 27 to 30, handing out complimentary AED 250 Dubai Retail Gift Cards to lucky visitors. The card works across 40+ malls and destinations and over 5,000 stores, covering everything from fashion and beauty to dining and leisure.
Locations include Al Khawaneej Walk, The Outlet Village, Bluewaters, Palm Jumeirah Mall, Palm West Beach, Ibn Battuta Mall, and Nad Al Sheba Mall. Keep an eye out for the trolley full of gift boxes. For the full schedule and timings, check Dubai Retail's Instagram page.
15. Emaar Entertainment Eid Deals
Emaar Entertainment is running up to 50% off across its Dubai Mall attractions for Eid, exclusively for UAE residents with a valid Emirates ID.
At the Top, Burj Khalifa: Up to 50% off tickets.
Dubai Aquarium & Underwater Zoo: 20% off tickets.
Dubai Ice Rink: 20% off all skating sessions.
KidZania Dubai: 20% off all tickets.
Play DXB: Buy AED 600, get AED 600 free.
Sky Views Observatory: Observatory + Slide for AED 59.
UAE residents only. Emirates ID required upon entry.
16. Lush UAE: Free Skincare and Wellness Services
Lush is offering free skincare and wellness services across their UAE stores for the Eid break, until Sunday 31 May. Book a mini facial, perfume consultation, hair and scalp reading, or a skincare workshop, or stay long enough to create your own skincare product to take home. Free samples are also on offer. Available at Lush stores across the UAE, no purchase necessary.
