Get your calendars out – exhilarating adventures, brunch and culture await.
A lunch worth lingering over, a concert to sing along to or an afternoon beside the pool? There’s room for all three in Dubai this weekend. Noren offers a fresh reason to book a table, while TJ Monterde and KZ Tandingan take over Coca-Cola Arena. Elsewhere, Arabic theatre, Hinglish comedy and an unsettling trip to Cinema Akil round out your entertainment plans. Here’s how to spend this weekend in Dubai.
Friday 9 October 2026
Make time for a Japanese lunch at Noren
Ease into the weekend with Noren’s business lunch, served until 5pm at the Japanese neighbourhood restaurant in JLT. The menu opens with miso soup and the chef’s daily selection of starters, followed by a choice of mains that covers several corners of the kitchen. Go for chilli lemon cauliflower donburi, beef yakisoba noodles, miso eggplant or salmon sashimi donburi, depending on whether you’re in the mood for something warming or fresh. With an extended afternoon service, there’s also room for a later escape from the office. Priced at AED 89 per person.
Where: Noren, Pullman Hotel, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
When: Monday to Friday, from 12pm to 5pm
Contact: www.norenrestaurant.com
Enjoy an evening of Arabic comedy
The road to parenthood provides plenty of comic material in Mohandis Al Thauq Al Aam, an Arabic theatrical production coming to Dubai Opera. The play follows a couple preparing for their first child as they imagine a rather unusual future for their new arrival: becoming a “public taste engineer”. Along the way, emotional swings, crossed wires and domestic disagreements turn their preparations into a series of increasingly comical situations. Combining family humour with social observation, the production explores the gap between the plans parents make and the realities they face. Tickets start from AED 250.
Where: Dubai Opera, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Blvd, Downtown Dubai
When: Friday, 9 October 2026 at 8.30pm
Contact: https://dubai.platinumlist.net
Partner Listing: Share a Pan-Asian feast at East 14
Make your next catch-up a meal for two at East 14, where a month-long dining offer gives you another reason to gather around the table at Ciel Dubai Marina. Throughout October, one guest dines while their plus one eats with the restaurant’s compliments, with special prices covering both diners. The menu takes inspiration from China, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam, offering a broad sweep of Asian flavours to explore together. Lunch costs AED 245 for two, while dinner is AED 275 for two. Advance booking is required.
Where: East 14, Ciel Dubai Marina, Dubai
When: Daily until 31 October 2026, from 12:30pm to 3pm and 6:30pm to 10pm
Contact: www.sevenrooms.com
Saturday 10 October 2026
Spend Saturday poolside at Ayla Beach
Pack your swimwear and head to Palm West Beach, where Ayla Beach’s Aloha Pool Party sets the scene for a leisurely Saturday by the water. Hosted at The Club, the weekly gathering combines pool dips, sun loungers and a soundtrack of laid-back beats. Mediterranean-inspired bites and handcrafted cocktails keep the afternoon moving, whether you’re settling in with friends or making a full day of your beach escape. Arrive from 11am to claim your place and alternate time in the water with lunch and a little lounging. With the beachside setting doing much of the work, there’s little need to overplan the day. Minimum spend starts at AED 300 per person.
Where: Ayla Beach, The Club, Palm West Beach, Palm Jumeirah
When: Saturdays from 11am
Contact: https://aylapalm.ae
Partner Listing: Brunch on dim sum at Demon Duck
Chef Alvin Leung’s playful approach to Chinese and Pan-Asian cooking sets the tone for Saturday brunch at Demon Duck. Located at Banyan Tree Dubai, the restaurant puts its signature duck at the centre of an afternoon featuring interactive cooking stations, dim sum and a dedicated duck station. Explore a selection of starters and mains before finishing with a dessert platter, with a live DJ providing the soundtrack. Signature cocktails add to the occasion, making this an appealing choice for a leisurely gathering with friends on Bluewaters Island. AED 495 (soft beverages), AED 595 (house beverages) and AED 795 (Champagne).
Where: Demon Duck, Banyan Tree Dubai, Bluewaters Island, Dubai
When: Saturdays from 1pm to 4pm
Contact: www.banyantree.com
Catch Avinash Agarwal’s Hinglish stand-up show
Avinash Agarwal takes to the stage at Dubai Heights Academy with Namaste Donald, a stand-up show built around his Donald Trump impersonation and Hinglish humour. Familiar to viewers of India’s Got Latent, the Indian comedian combines impressions with observational material, punchlines and stories drawn from relatable situations. The performance switches between Hindi and English, giving bilingual comedy fans a Saturday night alternative to the usual dinner reservation. His take on Trump sits at the heart of the show, with the impersonation providing a starting point for the evening’s jokes and storytelling. Gather friends who share your sense of humour and settle in. Tickets start from AED 125.
Where: Dubai Heights Academy, Al Barsha, Dubai
When: Saturday, 10 October 2026 at 8.30pm
Contact: http://platinumlist.net
Sunday 11 October 2026
Enter the Backrooms at Cinema Akil
Cinema Akil swaps a leisurely Sunday for psychological suspense with screenings of Backrooms, directed by Kane Parsons. The sci-fi horror follows a therapist into a strange parallel dimension after her patient disappears through a concealed basement doorway. Beyond it lies a maze of yellow corridors and humming fluorescent lights, where familiar surroundings become increasingly unnerving as she searches for him. The premise makes good use of enclosed spaces and the unease of finding yourself somewhere that seems to have no end. Pick up a karak chai from Project Chaiwala before taking your seat at Alserkal Avenue’s independent cinema. Tickets cost AED 50.
Where: Cinema Akil, Warehouse 68, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz
When: Sunday, 11 October 2026 at 1.30pm and 6pm
Contact: www.cinemaakil.com
Explore Mexican coastal cooking at Cocina Tres
Coastal Mexican flavours set the direction for Cocina Tres’ new weekend lunch at Pullman Dubai Downtown. Start with Guacamole de la Casa and grilled Elotitos before exploring the ceviche bar, where yellowtail Tiradito del Día and scallop Aguachile Negro offer a seafood-led introduction. Follow with Baja Tacos, Taco de Arrachera or woodfire-grilled Pescado Zarandeado, with handmade heirloom corn tortillas also part of the appeal. The waterfront setting lends itself to a leisurely weekend gathering, particularly if you’re making time to work through several dishes with friends. Lunch is served à la carte, with the option to add two hours of free-flowing frozen margaritas for AED 175 per person.
Where: Cocina Tres, Pullman Dubai Downtown, Business Bay, Dubai
When: Saturdays and Sundays from 12pm to 3.30pm
Contact: https://cocina-tres.com
See TJ Monterde & KZ Tandingan at Coca-Cola Arena
Filipino music stars TJ Monterde and KZ Tandingan take their In Between concert tour to Coca-Cola Arena for an evening of solo favourites and soulful duets. Following four sold-out nights in the Philippines, the husband-and-wife performers arrive in Dubai with a show directed by John Prats. Their Original Pilipino Music catalogue forms the foundation of a performance centred on love, life and the connection between the two artists. Gather your fellow OPM enthusiasts for a musical finish to the weekend. Tickets start from AED 399.
Where: Coca-Cola Arena, City Walk, Al Wasl, Dubai
When: Sunday, 11 October 2026at 8pm
Contact: http://platinumlist.net