If you only set one early alarm this month, make it Sunday 22 November. That’s the Dubai Run, when Sheikh Zayed Road closes to cars and fills with runners from 6:30am. The rest of our list of things to do in Dubai in November 2026 is kinder to your sleep: design in d3, Diwali lights by the Creek, championship golf, an art fair and the boat show at Dubai Harbour.
Quick answer: The big dates are Dubai Design Week (3 to 8 November), Noor: Festival of Lights at Souk Al Seef (7 to 8 November), the DP World Tour Championship (12 to 15 November), the Dubai Run (22 November) the Dubai International Boat Show (25 to 29 November) and the Emirates Dubai 7s (27 to 29 November). The Dubai Fitness Challenge runs all month and most of it is free.
| Event | Dates | Where | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai Fitness Challenge | 31 Oct to 29 Nov | Across Dubai | Free |
| Dubai Design Week | 3 to 8 Nov | Dubai Design District (d3) | Free |
| Downtown Design | 5 to 8 Nov (public days) | d3 | AED 80 for one day |
| Noor: Festival of Lights | 7 to 8 Nov, from 6pm | Souk Al Seef | Free |
| DP World Tour Championship | 12 to 15 Nov | Jumeirah Golf Estates | Free on Thursday with registration |
| World Art Dubai | 19 to 22 Nov, 1pm to 9pm | Dubai World Trade Centre | From AED 20 |
| Dubai Run | Sun 22 Nov, from 6:30am | Sheikh Zayed Road | Free |
| Dubai International Boat Show | 25 to 29 Nov | Dubai Harbour | From AED 60 |
| Big 5 Global | 23 to 26 Nov | Dubai World Trade Centre | See website |
| Emirates Dubai 7s | 27 to 29 Nov | The Sevens Stadium | From AED 75; under-15s free |
Free things to do in Dubai in November 2026
Dubai Fitness Challenge (31 October to 29 November)
The 10th Dubai Fitness Challenge started on 31 October and runs to 29 November. The idea is simple: get moving every day for a month, with free classes all over the city. The fitness villages are where most of it happens.
- Kite Beach: Monday to Friday 3pm to 11pm, weekends 7am to 11pm. Entry is free, but you need to register on site. Courts can be booked ahead.
- Zabeel Park (Gate 2): Monday to Friday 4pm to 11pm, weekends noon to 11pm.
- Al Warqa’a Park: daily 4pm to 11pm, with a 2.8km running and cycling track.
Our tip: Kite Beach on a weekend morning is the best of the three. Get there early, train, then stay for breakfast by the water.
More free Dubai Fitness Challenge events. Dubai Ride opened the month on Sunday 1 November, with a 4km family loop and a 12km route on Sheikh Zayed Road. Still to come: Dubai Stand Up Paddle at Hatta Dam on 7 and 8 November (from 8am, with free shuttles from Dubai World Trade Centre that you need to book), and Dubai Yoga, a sunrise session at the DIFC Gate on Sunday 29 November. Register for both on the Dubai Fitness Challenge website.
Dubai Run 2026 on Sheikh Zayed Road (Sunday 22 November)
This is the one people talk about for weeks. It starts at 6:30am on Sheikh Zayed Road, and it’s free to enter.
There are two distances, 5km and 10km, both on Sheikh Zayed Road; check the official route before the day. The 5km is the better pick for families and anyone pushing a buggy.
Register on the official Dubai Run page. Road closures and any extra metro hours will be announced by RTA closer to the day, so check before you set off. Leave the car at home either way.
Dubai Design Week, Diwali and culture
Dubai Design Week 2026 and Downtown Design (3 to 8 November)
Dubai Design Week fills d3 with installations, talks and pop-ups, and the festival itself is free to attend. Downtown Design is the ticketed fair inside it. Its public days are 5 to 7 November (noon to 8pm) and 8 November (noon to 6pm). A day ticket is AED 80, or AED 150 for the four-day pass.
Getting there: take the metro to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall station, then RTA bus D03 to the “Dubai Design District 1” stop. If you drive, d3 parking is free for the first two hours, then AED 20 an hour.
If you can only do one day, make it Saturday 7 November. It’s a weekend, Downtown Design is open until 8pm, and you can head to Al Seef for Noor afterwards.
Diwali in Dubai 2026: the Festival of Lights and Noor at Souk Al Seef
Diwali falls on Sunday 8 November this year, and Dubai’s Festival of Lights runs citywide from 2 to 12 November. The highlight for most families is Noor: Festival of Lights at Souk Al Seef on 7 and 8 November from 6pm (until 11pm on 7 November), with a Diwali procession, live music, dance, storytelling and rangoli. Entry is free.
Al Seef gets busy after dark. Arrive before 7pm if you want a spot along the Creek for the procession. For fireworks, temples and more ways to celebrate, see our guide to Diwali in Dubai 2026.
More Dubai events in November: golf, art and weekend markets
DP World Tour Championship (12 to 15 November). Top-level golf comes to the Earth Course at Jumeirah Golf Estates. General admission is free on Thursday 12 November if you pre-register, and children 17 and under get in free on all days but still need a registered ticket. Friday to Sunday is paid. Thursday is the smart day: smaller crowds and no ticket cost.
Arabian Soul Fest (14 to 15 November). A weekend music and culture festival in Zabeel Park, with tickets from AED 75.
World Art Dubai (19 to 22 November). Affordable art at the Dubai World Trade Centre (Za’abeel Halls 2 and 3), open 1pm to 9pm. See the World Art Dubai visitor page. Tickets start at AED 20 and children aged 11 and under go free. Good for a first piece for a new flat.
Ripe Market at Academy Park. Back every Saturday and Sunday, 9am to 9pm, until 2 May 2027. Go in the morning for the farm stalls, before the sun is high.
Dubai International Boat Show 2026 (25 to 29 November)
The boat show is at Dubai Harbour, between Palm Jumeirah and Bluewaters. It’s open 3pm to 8pm, and until 9pm on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 November. Tickets start at AED 60 online. There’s no visitor parking at the venue. The organiser lists paid parking at the Nakheel Monorail and free parking at Skydive Dubai, both with a free shuttle, but check the official visitor page before you travel, as arrangements can change.
Same weekend, different crowd: HYROX Dubai takes over the Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City on 27 and 28 November. Expo 2020 metro station on the Red Line is a short walk away.
Emirates Dubai 7s 2026 (27 to 29 November)
The month ends with one of Dubai’s biggest weekends: three days of international rugby sevens, music and family activities at The Sevens Stadium on Al Ain Road. Friday tickets start at AED 75, Saturday and Sunday are AED 455 each, and a three-day pass starts at AED 595. Children under 15 go free. Book on the official Emirates Dubai 7s website.
Our tip: Friday is the cheapest and calmest day for families. Saturday is the busiest day, so arrive early.
Business, design and property events
Big 5 Global (23 to 26 November). The big construction and building show takes over the Dubai World Trade Centre, with materials, architecture, smart buildings and the latest thinking on how Dubai’s communities are built. It’s a trade event, so register on the official website before you go. If you’re interested in how new homes and communities are planned, it’s worth an afternoon.
Concerts in Dubai in November 2026
| Date | Show | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Wed 4 Nov, 9pm | Jony | Coca-Cola Arena |
| Sat 7 Nov, 9pm | Amr Diab | Coca-Cola Arena |
| Sat 7 Nov, 8pm | Ministry of Sound Classical | Dubai Opera |
| 25, 26, 28 and 29 Nov, 8pm (25 and 26 sold out) | Trevor Noah | Dubai Opera |
| Fri 27 Nov, 7pm | Atif Aslam | Coca-Cola Arena |
Ticket availability changes quickly, so check the booking page before you plan your evening.
How we’d plan a month of Dubai events
One free weekend? Do Design Week on Saturday 7 November, then drive to Al Seef for Noor that evening. Another? Run on 22 November, then spend the afternoon on the Boulevard and around Downtown. Save the boat show for a weekday when it’s quieter.
November is also when Dubai feels most like home, which is why it’s a busy month for house hunting. If you’re thinking of moving closer to the action, have a look at homes for rent across Dubai. For the attractions that stay open all season, see our winter favourites in Dubai.
The main events are Dubai Design Week (3 to 8 November), Diwali celebrations including Noor at Souk Al Seef (7 to 8 November), the DP World Tour Championship (12 to 15 November), the Dubai Run (22 November) the Dubai International Boat Show (25 to 29 November) and the Emirates Dubai 7s (27 to 29 November). The Dubai Fitness Challenge runs until 29 November.
Sunday 22 November 2026, starting at 6:30am on Sheikh Zayed Road. There’s a 5km and a 10km route (check the official route before the day), and entry is free with registration.
Yes, the festival in d3 is free to attend. Downtown Design, the fair inside it, is ticketed from AED 80 for a day.
Tickets start at AED 60 online. The show runs 25 to 29 November 2026 at Dubai Harbour.
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