Downtown Dubai is set to host an unprecedented eight-day New Year celebration, expanding the traditional one-night event into a week-long festival of fireworks, live performances, and immersive shows. Emaar announced that the district will feature a programme of events running from December 31 to January 7, transforming the area into a “stage of unmatched scale and spectacle.”
An Eight-Day Spectacle
For the first time, the New Year festivities will not be confined to a single evening. The extended celebration will include a grand parade moving through the heart of Downtown, alongside a continuous schedule of light shows and pyrotechnics. Organisers promise a series of immersive installations and live acts designed to captivate visitors throughout the first week of the new year.
Bollywood Stars and Burj Park
A key feature of the event will be a special ticketed experience in Burj Park, which will add a Bollywood theme to the celebrations. This is the result of a collaboration with Frontstage, a group company of Red Chilies Entertainment, which was founded by Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan.
Emaar confirmed the Bollywood show has been “curated with Shah Rukh Khan,” introducing a “new cinematic layer” to the festivities. Khan, a frequent visitor to the UAE, has previously served as Dubai’s official brand ambassador for tourism. The high-energy performances at Burj Park will be exclusive to ticket holders.
A Grand Parade and City-Wide Show
The planned parade will feature large floats, performers, and extraordinary puppets intended to reflect Dubai’s culture and vision. The main New Year show will span several iconic locations, from the Burj Khalifa lake to the Dubai Mall promenade and across the façade of the Burj Khalifa itself.
According to the announcement, the celebrations will include breathtaking live acts, dazzling visual spectacles, moving platforms, and aerial feats. The show will also incorporate advanced technology to ensure that “wherever viewers look, there will be something to capture their gaze.” Families can also enjoy live entertainment, children’s workshops, and a wide variety of food trucks and stalls.
Mohamed Alabbar, founder of Emaar, said the goal is to create a celebration on a scale never seen before. “Every moment, every light, and every spectacle has been designed to capture the spirit, creativity, and ambition of our city,” he stated. “It will be a night for the world to witness and remember.”
