Dubai, UAE, 26 June 2025 – For this year’s Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS), Dubai Festival City Mall and Festival Plaza are set to become the season’s most vibrant destinations, offering visitors an exciting calendar of live entertainment, engaging activations, and chances to win big. Running from 27 June to 31 August, DSS 2025 will see both malls participate in the citywide summer celebration with family-friendly events, immersive experiences, and exclusive shopping rewards.
Whether you are after high-energy performances, creative kid’s zones, or summer-long prize campaigns, these destinations promise something for everyone.
- Opening Weekend Concerts & Parade: From 27 June to 28 June, head to Festival Square for live performances from regional talent including Reina Khoury and Noel Kharman. A colourful roaming parade with dancers and entertainers will fill the space from 6:00PM –10:00PM.
- Spend & Win: Shoppers who spend AED 300 or more can enter to win instant prizes and a Polestar 4 LRSM car in the grand draw at the end of DSS. Entry is easy: validate receipts and join the excitement. For instant wins, visit the activation stand located between COS & Zara on the Ground Floor.
- House of Pops Ice Cream Giveaway: Every Saturday from 27 June to 31 August, Blue Rewards members can enjoy complimentary House of Pops treats by redeeming their in-app voucher at the designated stand.
- The Messi Experience: Experience the legacy of football icon Lionel Messi in the region’s first-ever immersive attraction dedicated to his incredible journey. With nine themed zones, AR tech, and skill challenges, this is a must-visit for fans of all ages open from 12:00PM – 10:00PM- book tickets on The Messi Experience Dubai – Immersive Interactive Journey – Platinumlist.net
- Modesh Splash Park at Festival Bay: From 1 July to 31 August, South Side of Festival Bay will transform into a splash-filled water zone for families, featuring water slides, splash games, and endless outdoor fun for kids, brought to life by Modesh World.
- IP Characters Parade: From 5 July to 3 Aug, families can meet Bluey, CoComelon, and Blippi in daily parades happening five times a day from 4:00PM – 9:00PM.
- Photo Opportunities with Modesh & Dana: Strike a pose with Dubai’s favourite characters at themed photo zones throughout the mall, running from 27June to 31 August.
- DSS Run: On 31 August, from 5:00AM – 8:00AM, Dubai Festival City Mall will host the DSS Run, an indoor community fitness event featuring 10km, 5km, and 2.5km race options. Open to all ages and fitness levels, participants can enjoy the race in the comfort of an air-conditioned environment. Finishers will receive medals, with podium prizes for top performers across age groups.
Festival Plaza is bringing DSS energy to Jebel Ali and surrounding communities with a rewarding campaign and family-focused offers:
- Shop. Win. Drive: From 27 June to 31 August, shoppers who spend AED 200 or more and scan their receipts via the dedicated QR code will enter a draw to win one of several brand-new SUVs or a share of AED 100,000 in cash prizes. With multiple draw dates throughout the season, the excitement lasts all summer long.
- Family-Friendly Shopping & Dining: Festival Plaza offers everyday essentials and big-name anchors like IKEA, Lulu Hypermarket, and ACE, along with over 20 dining options.
- Community Lifestyle Hub: Shoppers can enjoy newly launched concepts like Champs fitness centre, Festival Plaza Design Hub, and wellness clinics, all under one roof.
- Creative Summer Activities: Festival Plaza is also home to exciting seasonal programmes like the Global Art Summer Camp, where kids can enjoy creative sessions starting at AED 600 for 5 sessions, AED 1200 for 10 sessions, and AED 2400 for 24 sessions, perfect for keeping young minds inspired throughout the break.
- Champs Summer Camp: From 30 June to 22 August, children aged 6 to 14 can join the Champs Summer Camp at Festival Plaza. Held Monday to Friday from 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM, the camp offers a variety of fun and active sessions including basketball, padel, football, karate, frisbee, and games.
-END-
About Dubai Festival City Mall
Dubai Festival City Mall, one of the major shopping destinations in Dubai, stands as the super-regional flagship mall in the Al-Futtaim Real Estate portfolio, achieving over 23 million footfall in 2023. With over 400 outlets, the mall is home to renowned fashion and beauty brands like The Editor’s Market, H&M, Watsons, Nike, Adidas, Sephora, MAC Cosmetics and more, as well as popular interior stores including IKEA and ACE.
A paradise for culinary delights, the destination offers iconic waterfront dining on Festival Bay and comprises 50 restaurants and cafés and the largest food court in Dubai. The mall promises an unrivalled gastronomic variety for visitors with a host of renowned brands such as Joe & The Juice, L’ETO, EL&N, and Karaki Lounge and licensed concepts including Sayf Dubai and Helipad by Frozen Cherry.
During the winter months, guests can enjoy the immersive and experiential destination The Bay by Social, featuring diverse food and beverage offering, cozy coffee counters, brand activation zones, interactive art installations, a carnival atmosphere and lush greenery.
The entertainment venue is also home to VOX Cinema Multiplex; the world-first BOUNCE-X Freestyle Terrain Park; the record-breaking, global attraction IMAGINE; Fabyland, a 70,000 sq. ft. family entertainment centre; and Leo & Loona, Hello Park and Go Skate, all-in-one family destinations.
With creating exceptional experiences at the core of its mandate, the mall offers several signature services including car charging stations, EZ taxis inside the mall, valet parking, NOL charging stations and Mayed, the mall’s personal happiness ambassador to provide personalized assistance to elevate the shopping experience.
For more information, please contact: https://www.dubaifestivalcitymall.com/home/
About Dubai Festival Plaza
Festival Plaza, Al-Futtaim Real Estate’s local lifestyle community mall, caters to residential areas including Jebel Ali, Al Furjan and Wasl Gate, as well as attracting visitors from Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah, Motor City and further afield.
Spanning 65,000 square metres, Festival Plaza offers a wide variety of retail, dining and lifestyle options including the largest IKEA store in the region, a concept store from Lulu Hypermarket and the premium Al-Futtaim Health clinics, HealthHub and Lutetia. Visitors to Festival Plaza can choose from more than 20 dining options offering international cuisines at the expansive food court.
Enhancing the community offering is the newly opened Battle Park paintballing facility, which joins the Volvo Mall studio, the Festival Plaza Design Hub for interior design, Kavak – the international pre-owned car platform now in the UAE – and Champs Festival Plaza, the UAE’s largest world-class indoor sporting and fitness complex.
Some 2,300 parking spaces ensure easy accessibility, while the mall offers several signature services such as a shuttle bus and a parents’ room.
For more information, please contact: https://www.dubaifestivalplaza.com/home/.
About Al-Futtaim Group
Established in the 1930s as a trading business, Al-Futtaim Group today is one of the most diversified and progressive, privately held regional businesses headquartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Structured into five operating divisions; automotive, financial services, real estate, retail, and health; employing more than 33,000 employees across more than 20 countries in the Middle East, Asia, and Africa, we partner with over 200 of the world’s most admired and innovative brands.
Al-Futtaim Group’s entrepreneurship and relentless customer focus enable the organisation to continue to grow and expand, responding to the changing needs of our customers within the societies in which we operate. By upholding our values of respect, excellence, collaboration, and integrity, Al-Futtaim Group continues to enrich the lives and aspirations of our customers every day. For more information, visit: www.alfuttaim.com
For more information, please contact: alfuttaim@webershandwick.com
About Dubai Summer Surprises 2025:
Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) 2025 takes over the city for its 28th edition from 27 June to 31 August, showcasing the summer as one of the best value times of the year to experience Dubai. Organised by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), the most value-packed edition of DSS this year promises a summer well spent for everyone with thousands of offers and things to do for 66 non-stop days. For the first time ever in DSS history, the city’s retail sector is anchored around three distinct shopping seasons – Summer Holiday Offers from 27 June to 17 July, Great Dubai Summer Sale from 18 July to 10 August, and Back to School from 11 to 31 August. Each period unlocks exclusive new retail promotions, spectacular mall activations, and life-changing raffles, alongside world-class gastronomy, hospitality, indoor family fun, and a packed events calendar. Bringing together a mix of not-to-be-missed, brand-new experiences and returning festival favourites for every preference and price point, there are endless reasons to stay, play, shop, and celebrate an exciting summer season together. DSS 2025 truly delivers unforgettable moments for everyone, whether families, friends, couples, residents, or visitors.
