15 things to do in Dubai and Abu Dhabi this week: November 3 to 10

From outdoor cinemas to food festivals, here our are top picks for this week

Taste of Abu Dhabi. Courtesy Taste of Abu Dhabi *** Local Caption ***  al02ma-bites-tastofAD.jpg
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As we enter the first full week of November, there are plenty of events taking place around the UAE to get you out and about. From outdoor cinemas to food festivals, it's a great week to make the most of the drop in temperature and enjoy the UAE's best season.

Here are our top picks of things to do this week:

Watch a movie on the beach in Dubai

Zero Gravity's beach cinema is showing Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl on Sunday, November 3. Watch Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley in the swashbuckling family favourite flick at the Dubai beach club from 8pm.

Snacks, including chilli cheese fries, popcorn, burgers and nachos will be served. The Dh50 entry includes a Dh50 food and drink voucher.

Sunday, November 3, doors at 7pm, screening at 8pm; Dh50; Zero Gravity, Skydive Dubai Drop Zone, Dubai; 04 399 0009; www.0-gravity.ae

Zero Gravity’s beach cinema is showing 'Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl'. Courtesy Zero Gravity 
Zero Gravity’s beach cinema is showing 'Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl'. Courtesy Zero Gravity 

See DJ Megablast hit the decks in Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Acclaimed Viennese producer DJ Megablast will perform two shows in the UAE this week, at the Dubai and Abu Dhabi branches of Peruvian restaurant Coya. The musician, best known for 2010 earworm Soy Como Soy, will take to the decks at Dubai's Pisco Bar and Lounge in Dubai on Sunday, November 3 to treat party-goers to a fusion of techno, world, and electronica beats, followed by a similarly pumping set in the capital on Thursday, November 7. Expect Latin-influenced tracks to match the surroundings, and hours of non-stop dancing.

Sunday, November 3, 11pm-midnight; Restaurant Village, Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach; Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai; Thursday, November 7, 10pm-midnight; Four Seasons Hotel, The Galleria, Abu Dhabi; reservations@coyarestaurant.aewww.coyarestaurant.com

Listen to Italian swing music at Roberto’s, Dubai

This month, Roberto’s DIFC is launching an ongoing Italian Swing Night. From 10pm-1am, each week on Sunday, see Italian band Mark Zitti e i Fratelli Coltelli perform a host of jazz hits, guaranteed to get you up on your feet.

Sundays from November 3, 10pm-1am; free entry; Roberto’s DIFC, Dubai; www.robertos.ae

Attend FooDiva’s Three Chefs Dinner

Samantha Wood, founder of restaurant review website FooDiva, will host her third #ThreeChefsDinner experience at Ninive restaurant on November 4. The theme is “modern Middle East”, and the chef line-up includes Australian-Lebanese chef Greg Malouf, who’ll create the canapes and mezze; host chef Gilles Bosquet on main courses; and Burj Al Arab’s Emirati pastry chef Sahar Parham on desserts.

Monday, November 4; 6.30pm-10pm; Dh650, inclusive of food, beverages and a gift bag from boutique concept Avantcha Tea; Ninive, Jumeirah Emirates Towers, Dubai; www.foodive.net/dinnerevents

See Frank Sinatra’s life on stage in Dubai

British actor Richard Shelton brings the story of Frank Sinatra to the UAE. 
British actor Richard Shelton brings the story of Frank Sinatra to the UAE. 

Sinatra Raw, starring British actor Richard Shelton, tells the darker side of Sinatra's story. Shelton has impersonated the music legend for the past 15 years; he has recorded with his bandmates, visited his former home and even snapped up one of his tuxedos.

Tuesday, November 5; 8pm; Warehouse Four, Al Quoz, Dubai; tickets from Dh150; warehousefour.com

Celebrate National Nacho Day with free samples in Dubai

To celebrate National Nacho Day (it’s a thing) on Wednesday, November 6, McGettigan’s will be offering free samples. The JLT branch will be handing out samples of its loaded Wagyu beef chilli nachos to customers between 5pm and 7pm, for those who fancy a free after-work snack.

Wednesday, November 6, 5pm-7pm; McGettigan’s JLT, Bonnington Jumeirah Lakes Towers; 04 356 0470, www.mcgettigans.com/jlt-dubai 

Another alfresco movie night in Dubai

As autumn kicks into full gear, Azure Beach has reopened Sea-nema, the beach club's weekly open-air cinema. Screening a film every Wednesday night on the lawn, the schedule will kick off with a showing of Batman favourite The Dark Knight Rises on November 6, with other movies such as Suicide Squad, A Star is Born and Aladdin on the schedule for the winter season. Seating options include beanbags and cosy sofas, while a special cinema-worthy menu, featuring hot dogs, popcorn and loaded fries, is also on offer.

Wednesdays from November 6, 9.30pm; Dh50 per person; until January; Azure Beach, Rixos Premium, JBR, Dubai; 052 777 9472, www.azure-beach.com

Take an artistic look at the future

Featuring site-specific works that speculate on what the future could look like, the exhibition Is This Tomorrow? is drawn from a 1956 seminal show at London’s Whitechapel Gallery. The 2019 edition will include artist-built immersive environments that open new ways of thinking about tomorrow.

Wednesday, November 6 to Saturday, November 23; 10am-6pm, Saturday to Thursday; free; Concrete, Alserkal Avenue, Dubai, www.alserkalavenue.ae

Enjoy standup from Abish Mathew and Rohan Joshi

Indian comic Abish Mathew. A&L cover story by Ujala Ali Khan, Jan. 2015.
CREDIT: Courtesy OML Entertainment *** Local Caption ***  original2.jpg
Indian comic Abish Mathew. Courtesy OML Entertainment

Get tickets to see standup comedians Abish Mathew and Rohan Joshi at the RajMahal Theatre at Bollywood Parks. The multi-talented comedy duo will come together to provide an evening full of laughter. Mathew is known for his talk show Son of Abish and is one of the first Indian YouTube stars with more than 30 million views on his channel. Joshi is one of the earliest stand-up comics from India and was part of the now-defunct All India Bakchod group.

Thursday, November 7, doors open at 7.30pm, show starts at 9pm; Bollywood Parks Dubai, Dubai Parks and Resorts; www.bollywoodparksdubai.com

Eat fine food at Taste of Abu Dhabi

Book tickets now for Taste of Abu Dhabi, the sixth year of the food, drink and music festival. Experience three days of cuisine from the capital's top restaurants, cookery demonstrations, appearances by celebrity chefs including Jean Christophe Novelli, John Torode and Assia Othman, plus workshops, live entertainment and more. Thursday night's entertainment features performances by UB40 featuring Ali Campbell and Astro, while Friday night sees Boyzlife taking the stage.

Thursday, November 7 to Saturday, November 9, from 4pm-midnight on November 7; noon-midnight on November 8; noon-11pm on November 9; early bird tickets from Dh160 for Thursday; from Dh70 for Friday and Saturday; du Arena, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi; www.tasteabudhabi.com

Party like you're in Marbella at Drift Beach Dubai 

Drift Beach Dubai is welcoming back the world-renowned team from Ocean Club Marbella for the latest Drift X Ocean Club event. During the pair’s sixth collaboration – fourth in the UAE – Ocean Club Marbella will be bringing a line-up of live entertainment including cover artist, Funky D, together with Drift’s resident DJs. Ocean Club Marbella’s dance troupe and live performers will also be on hand to provide entertainment throughout the day.

Friday, November 8, 10.30am-8pm; from Dh250; Drift Beach Dubai, One&Only Royal Mirage, Dubai; 04 315 2200, driftbeachdubai.com/

See Salman Khan and Katrina Kaif on stage

An all-dancing, all-singing Bollywood stage production starring Salman Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sonakshi Sinha, Jacqueline Fernandez, Prabhudeva, Manish Paul, Daisy Shah, and Guru Randhawa is flying into Dubai for one night only (after the March show was postponed). Called Da-Bangg: The Tour Reloaded, the concert has already toured the US and Canada. It relives the highlights of the extremely successful action film trilogy.

Friday, November 8, from 8pm; Dh150-Dh2,000; Coca-Cola Arena, City Walk; www.coca-cola-arena.com/en/events/da-bangg

Learn how architecture can shape our future

The three-month long Sharjah Architecture Triennial kicks off this month. Themed Rights of Future Generations, the event explores urbanism and the role of architecture in managing the long-term effects of climate change. The diverse programme features lectures from policy makers and scientists, as well as exhibitions by architects and artists.

Saturday, November 9 to Saturday, February 8, 2020; free; various timings; various locations, Sharjah, www.sharjaharchitecture.org

Check out the new season at Dubai’s Global Village

Dubai's Global Village has reopened its doors for another season. This year, there are more than 3,500 shopping outlets from almost 80 countries, set across 25 pavilions. Head down this week to be one of the first to experience the new season, which features the Ripley's Believe it or Not! attraction as well as live shows and firework displays each weekend.

Daily, 4pm-11.30pm; from Dh15; Global Village, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Dubai; 043624114, www.globalvillage.ae/

See Dubai's floral artistry in full bloom

Dubai Miracle Garden will return for its eighth season from Friday, November 1. Courtesy Dubai Miracle Garden
Dubai Miracle Garden will return for its eighth season from Friday, November 1. Courtesy Dubai Miracle Garden

Dubai Miracle Garden is back for its eighth season, bringing more than 50 million colourful, fragrant flowers to its series of sculptures, designs and displays. The attraction will this year add a 400-metre walking track to the 72,000-square-metre garden, which will play host to daily entertainment such as costume parades, Zumba sessions and street performers. Dubai Miracle Garden will also attempt to secure its fourth Guinness World Record with a yet-to-be-revealed botanical concept, while several of its favourite displays from seasons past, such as a floral castle, will make a return.

Daily from Friday, November 1, 9am-9pm on weekdays, 9am-11pm on weekends; Dh55 for adults, Dh40 for children between three and 12, free for children under three and people of determination; Al Barsha South Third, Dubailand, Dubai; 04 422 8902, www.dubaimiraclegarden.com