A thrilling opening weekend of cultural performances, mega sales, family fun, and unmissable prizes from 27 to 29 June will set the stage for 66 days of non-stop summer excitement

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 24 June 2025: The 28th edition of Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) is just days away, and it’s bigger, brighter, and more exciting than ever. Running from 27 June to 31 August, the most value-packed edition of the city’s favourite summer festival will kick off its packed programme of thousands of offers and things to do with an epic opening weekend from 27 to 29 June. Promising the start of a summer well spent with pocket-friendly prices and great value for everyone, DSS 2025 will commence with unbeatable shopping, jaw-dropping discounts, showstopping headline concerts and live entertainment, the season’s biggest-ever prizes, world-class gastronomy, and endless family-friendly experiences at every turn.

Organised by Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), DSS will bring a brand-new shopping experience for the first-time ever with three specially curated retail seasons designed to keep the city buzzing. Coinciding with the Opening Weekend will be the launch of Summer Holiday Offers, the first dedicated retail season of DSS 2025. Running from 27 June to 17 July, this early summer shopping campaign will offer discounts of 25 to 75 percent off across hundreds of participating brands citywide. From fashion and beauty to tech and home essentials, residents and visitors will be able to unlock sensational savings while enjoying exclusive mall activations and rewarding promotions. The summer of exceptional sales will continue with the DSS Sales Season bringing 9 weeks of the best bargains across more than 800 top brands at over 3,500 stores throughout the city’s iconic shopping malls and vibrant shopping destinations.

Shoppers will also be able to dive into spectacular opening weekend concerts across Dubai's favourite malls, free-to-attend for all from 27 to 28 June. On Friday, 27 June, Dubai Festival City Mall will host Japanese dance crew Sabrina and Palestinian-Jordanian pop artist Reina Khoury, while Abri & the Band and singer-songwriter Noel Kharman will take to the stage on Saturday, 28 June. Over at City Centre Mirdif, Syrian vocalist Al Shami and Jordanian indie rock band Jadal will perform live on Saturday, 28 June, with roaming entertainers and energetic live acts bringing extra vibrancy to the weekend atmosphere.

Incredible live entertainment will continue across the city, headlined by Miami Band on Saturday, 28 June at Coca-Cola Arena alongside Mutref Al Mutref. The weekend kicks off on Friday, 27 June, with Jazziyat featuring Banah at Dubai Opera and A Tribute to Adele beginning its two-night run at Theatre by QE2 on the same night. On Saturday, 28 June, comedy fans can catch Atul Khatri Live at Dubai College, while We Call It Ballet enchants audiences at Zabeel Theatre. Then on Sunday, 29 June, the Pinoy Comedy Mixtape brings the laughs to Dubai World Trade Centre, setting the tone for a summer packed with unforgettable entertainment.

Citywide promotions will keep the excitement going, with highlights like Spend and Win a Polestar 4 LRSM at Dubai Festival City Mall, the SHARE Millionaire activation across Majid Al Futtaim malls, Shop, Win, Drive at Dubai Festival Plaza, the Jurassic Café by VOX Cinemas at Mall of the Emirates, and the DSS Win a Soueast S06 promotion at Dubai Outlet Mall. At Mercato Mall, the Slide Into the Summer Surprises activation features free-to-watch daily circus acts, comedy shows, workshops for kids, and the much-loved summer slide. The Interiors Warehouse Sale debuts from 27 June to 5 July at Dubai World Trade Centre, featuring significant discounts on premium furniture and home décor, starting from 55 per cent off renowned labels such as Giorgio Collection, Michael Amini, Theodore Alexander, and more. Loyalty programmes including Tickit and AURA will also offer members exclusive chances to win, meanwhile, the Lucky Receipt promotion will return from 27 June to 17 July, giving 210 lucky shoppers the chance to walk away with exciting prizes.

Making Opening Weekend celebrations even more memorable will be multiple chances for shoppers to participate in incredible raffles to win big throughout the Summer Holiday Offers phase. Highlights include the DSMG DSS Raffle, Dubai Gold & Jewellery Group Raffle, and the VISA Jewellery Program, each offering unforgettable rewards and mega prizes to kick off the season.

Adding to the energy of the opening weekend will be the first of this year’s DSS indoor mall runs, designed for families, children, and wellness lovers of all ages, abilities, and fitness levels. The season will kick off on 28 June, with Dubai Hills Mall hosting an indoor fun run powered by Skechers. Participants will be able to choose from 1, 2.5, 5 or 10km routes - perfect for everyone whether a seasoned runner or a newcomer looking to embrace a healthy lifestyle. Memorable mornings will await all participants, buzzing with electric energy and enthusiasm.

This weekend will also kick off the best-value time for families and children to enjoy Dubai’s world-class leisure and hospitality scene, with exclusive summer offers at more than 100 hotels and 15 top attractions across the city. Promising even more savings will be the DSS Entertainer, which also launches on 27 June to help visitors and residents unlock three months of unlimited savings with over 7,500 buy-one-get-one-free offers across premium dining, casual restaurants, attractions, fitness, beauty, and more. Available to purchase throughout DSS for only AED 195, the DSS Entertainer can be redeemed all seven days of the week and is valid from three months of the date of activation. Top venues include Wild Wadi, Motiongate Dubai, IMG Worlds of Adventure, STK, Asia Asia, Shake Shack, At.mosphere, and many more.

Finally, everyone’s favourite Dubai characters Modesh and Dana will make special appearances across the city. Starting this weekend, families can meet them at Dubai Festival City Mall on 28 June, City Centre Mirdif on 29 June, and Ibn Battuta Mall on 30 June, with more surprise pop-ups planned throughout the summer. From playful city décor to themed giveaways and roaming entertainment, Modesh and Dana bring extra magic to the DSS Opening Weekend and beyond.

The Opening Weekend Celebrations are just a few of the thousands of offers and things to do this summer. DSS 2025 promises a summer well spent with 66 non-stop days of incredible value and signature only-in-Dubai experiences until 31 August 2025. Highly awaited signature citywide experiences this year include the Beat the Heat DXB concert series from 4 to 13 July; the highly anticipated Summer Restaurant Week from 4 to 13 July; and - making their DSS debut - the first-ever edition of 10 Dirham Dish from 1 to 31 August and DSS Gahwa Beats coffee pop-ups every Saturday throughout DSS on 26 July, 2 August, 9 August, 16 August, and 31 August. Plus many more exclusive retail promotions, incredible discounts, life-changing raffles, global gastronomy, world-class hospitality, indoor family fun, and headline concerts to delight visitors of all ages.

Dubai Summer Surprises 2025 is supported by Key Sponsor Commercial Bank of Dubai and Strategic Partners which include: Al Futtaim Malls (Dubai Festival City Mall & Festival Plaza), Al Zarooni Group (Mercato Shopping Mall), AW Rostamani Group, DHAM (Al Seef, Bluewaters, Ibn Battuta Mall, Nakheel Mall, and The Outlet Village), Emirates Airline, ENOC, e&, Majid Al Futtaim (City Centre Deira, City Centre Mirdif, Mall of the Emirates), Merex Investment (City Walk and The Beach, JBR), and talabat.