In this nomination we share, together with Dubai residents, what we remember most from the past year and what is worth visiting again whenever possible. As before, voting takes place in the rating's Telegram bot.
Dubai Rating · season 2024–2025
Best city event
Dozens of venues, from cosy art spaces to stadiums holding tens of thousands, a steady flow of business activity and talent of every kind, and an appetite for international ties fuelled by the wish to stand out — all of this makes Dubai one of the world's main event destinations. Delegations gather here, brands build their stands, whole companies fly in for corporate retreats, and global celebrities drop by regularly — including Russian-speaking artists.
Categories
Nominees with photos
Part of the shortlist with photos. The full list is below, by category.
Ed Sheeran
Sikka Festival
1 Billion Followers Summit
Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
Coldplay
Taste of Dubai
Dubai Design Week
Sole DXB
Quoz Art Fest
Dubai Future Forum
GITEX
Emirates Festival of Literature
Lacoste pop-up at Alserkal
Valentino at Matcha Club
Opening of Ribambelle
Shortlist by category
The shortlist was put together by the DZCH editorial team and club, with input from friends who have lived in Dubai for a long time. Rating users also suggested their own nominees — you can do it too via our Telegram bot.
Concerts
- Coldplay livenation.me: source about Coldplay
- Defected Dubai defecteddubai.com: source about Defected Dubai
- Digital Organ Experience toda.ae: source about Digital Organ Experience
- LAB with Anton Belyaev dubai.platinumlist.net: source about LAB with Anton Belyaev
- Martin Garrix dubai.platinumlist.net: source about Martin Garrix
- Thirty Seconds to Mars coca-cola-arena.com: source about Thirty Seconds to Mars
- AloeVera toda.ae: source about AloeVera
- Antokha MC toda.ae: source about Antokha MC
- Valery Meladze dubai.platinumlist.net: source about Valery Meladze
- Hans Zimmer dubai.platinumlist.net: source about Hans Zimmer
- Ed Sheeran dubai.platinumlist.net: source about Ed Sheeran
Festivals
- Dubai Design Week dubaidesignweek.ae: source about Dubai Design Week
- Dubai Shopping Festival visitdubaishoppingfestival.com: source about Dubai Shopping Festival
- Feastival dubaifeastival.com: source about Feastival
- Quoz Art Fest alserkal.online: source about Quoz Art Fest
- Sikka dubaiculture.gov.ae: source about Sikka
- Sole DXB sole.digital: source about Sole DXB
- Taste of Dubai tasteofdubaifestival.com: source about Taste of Dubai
- Woofstock Instagram: source about Woofstock
Education & culture
- 1 Billion Followers Summit 1billionsummit.com: source about 1 Billion Followers Summit
- Dubai Future Forum dubaifuture.ae: source about Dubai Future Forum
- Poetry of Air dubai.platinumlist.net: source about Poetry of Air
- The Nutcracker reelcinemas.com: source about The Nutcracker
- Africa Day expocitydubai.com: source about Africa Day
- Big Bad Wolf book sale Instagram: source about Big Bad Wolf book sale
Sport & wellness
- Dubai 30 x 30 dubaifitnesschallenge.com: source about Dubai 30 x 30
- Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com: source about Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships
- Dubai Racing Carnival dubairacingclub.com: source about Dubai Racing Carnival
- Dubai Run dubairun.com: source about Dubai Run
- Emirates Dubai 7s emiratesdubai7s.com: source about Emirates Dubai 7s
- Kayan Instagram: source about Kayan
Business
- Dubai Airshow dubaiairshow.aero: source about Dubai Airshow
- GITEX gitex.com: source about GITEX
- Game Expo dubai.platinumlist.net: source about Game Expo
- Gulfood gulfood.com: source about Gulfood
Brands
- Emirates Festival of Literature emirateslitfest.com: source about Emirates Festival of Literature
- Etisalat Beach Canteen beachcanteen.ae: source about Etisalat Beach Canteen
- Etisalat MOTB dubaidesigndistrict.com: source about Etisalat MOTB
- Sephoria sephoriaevent.ae: source about Sephoria
- Valentino at Matcha Club valentino.com: source about Valentino at Matcha Club
- Lacoste pop-up at Alserkal lacoste.ae: source about Lacoste pop-up at Alserkal
Kids & family
- Modesh World 2024 dwtc.com: source about Modesh World 2024
- Sleepover at The Green Planet thegreenplanetdubai.com: source about Sleepover at The Green Planet
- Opening of Boo Boo Land platinumlist.net: source about Opening of Boo Boo Land
- Opening of Ribambelle ribambelle.ae: source about Opening of Ribambelle
- Russian New Year melpomenetheater.com: source about Russian New Year
Nomination partner
Gold Apple
Beauty retailer Gold Apple
With the Gold Apple website and app you can quickly get ready not only for any event but for an ordinary day too. The range includes more than 15,000 products — perfume, make-up, skincare and products for men and children — with delivery across Dubai within 4 hours.
A gift card makes a universal present: the recipient chooses exactly what they need. You can pay for an order or a card any way you like: by card online, with Apple Pay or on delivery.
Partner website