After a two-year hiatus, Dubai street culture and music festival Sole DXB is set to return with a bang to the Dubai Design District from December 9 to 11. Marking its 10th anniversary this year, organisers of the festival are promising one of the event's biggest yet, with musical performances by global and regional stars, talks, film screenings, sports tournaments and exclusive product launches.
Scroll through the gallery above for more pictures from Sole DXB 2019
Also returning will be streetball tournament Sole Ball Above All Invitational as well as Sneaker Swap, where attendees will have the opportunity to buy, sell and trade footwear from leading collectors in the region.
Here is what not to miss at Sole DXB 2022:
Who are the performers at Sole DXB 2022?
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British singer Jorja Smith will be one of the headliners at Sole DXB 2022, the annual music, lifestyle and street culture event that's returning after a two-year hiatus. All photos: Sole DXB -
US rapper Rapsody -
UAE-born Somalian rapper Freek -
US singer Mumu Fresh will perform and also give a talk -
South African singer Muzi -
Bangladeshi-American hip-hop artist Anik Khan -
British rapper Central Cee -
US rapper Bas -
Rap group Coast Contra -
Egyptian rapper Felukah -
Egyptian hip-hop artist Tac -
Egyptian hip-hop artist Marwan Pablo
Spanning hip-hop, soul, RnB and dance music over one weekend, performers this year will feature international stars and regional favourites. Musical performances begin on the second day of the event, on December 10, with British rapper Central Cee, American RnB star Ari Lennox, American rapper Rapsody, rap trio Coast Contra and Egyptian hip-hop artist Tac set to perform.
On December 11, it will be the turn of British singer Jorja Smith, American rappers Amine and Bas, Egyptian hip-hop star Marwan Pablo, American singer Mumu Fresh, Bangladeshi-American hip-hop artist Anik Khan, South African singer Muzi, Somalian rapper Freek and Egyptian rapper Felukah.
Times for performances have not been announced
The talks
The talks are an essential element of the festival and this year's list of speakers includes iPhone artist Elise Swopes, Iraqi rapper Narcy, as well as performers Bas and Fresh.
Moroccan artist Hassan Hajjaj, a regular at Sole DXB, will be this year's official festival host, and will also give a talk.
Times for the talks have not been announced
Exclusive product launches
Sole DXB is as much about the fashion as it is about the music. Street fashion, to be exact. And this year promises to be no different, with a number of brands curating their own unique spaces and showcasing exclusive product drops and Sole DXB-branded releases and collaborations.
Here's what you can expect:
Sole x Sonra
Sole DXB has teamed up with Hikmet Sugoer, the man behind the sustainable sneaker brand Sonra from Berlin, to produce a limited collection of 100 leather trainers, to mark the 10-year anniversary of Sole DXB. Inspired by the colour palette of Marrakesh, from pastels to whitewashed walls, the shoes are sustainably made with materials that are exclusively sourced from Europe — everything from the soles to the laces can be replaced.
“I am feeling honoured to be part of the 10-year anniversary of Sole DXB. Five years ago, I released a colourway of my then-newly founded brand Sonra at Sole DXB and it was a huge success. And now five years later, we are having a project together," Sugoer said.
Hassan Hajjaj’s Andy Wahloo
Hajjaj will officially launch his Andy Wahloo brand, with his first-ever apparel collection of T-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, trousers, leather jackets, varsity jackets, key rings and accessories. Festival-goers will get to experience Hajjaj's inspiration first-hand as his collection will be housed in a remake of his very own Moroccan riad, or courtyard.
Kappa x Sole DXB
Riding the World Cup wave, Sole DXB has teamed up with Italian sportswear brand Kappa to create a limited edition football kit collection that will feature jerseys, shorts, tracksuits and socks. The line will exclusively be sold at Sole DXB and is also a nod to the festival’s first-ever community football cup, which will take place on-site throughout the weekend.
Sole DXB Merch x Jorja Smith
Inspired by 1990s-style vintage RnB and hip-hop t-shirts, this year’s Sole DXB merchandise will be emblazoned with headliner Jorja Smith and will be available on-site only. With a limited run of only 200 t-shirts, this collection is true Sole memorabilia to mark the festival’s 10th edition. Guests will be able to watch their merchandise being produced in real-time as live screen-printing will be hosted at the venue.
Crocs
Crocs will present its latest Salehe Bembury collection with cool personalisation for its fans. The space will be divided into two sections — one dedicated to the launch of an exclusive colourway of Salehe Bembury, and the other where guests will be able to personalise the classic clogs designed by a local artist, using the Crocs printer.
Fred Perry x RexChouk
Fred Perry will present its collaboration with Saudi multimedia artist RexChouk via an installation which will invite guests to explore a parallel universe and imagine the future. The partnership will also include a limited-edition shirt, with each shirt design representing an element from the Sole DXB pop-up experience, titled A New Life.
The Giving Movement
The home-grown Dubai brand will present an interactive space bringing together street, community and sustainability. The pop-up will kick off with a capsule collection exclusive to Sole DXB and will feature an exciting DJ line-up and a bar. True to the sustainable streetwear label's ethos, the space will be built with an eco-friendly approach; each element used will be repurposed and used to extend its life cycle and avoid ending up in landfills.
New Balance
New Balance will drop some of its latest collaborations and Made In The US collections, including the much-anticipated Made in USA 990v6, Joe Freshgoods 993, Salehe Bembury 990v2, Stone Island 574 and Bodega 9060.
1886
This Saudi streetwear brand will bring its Unity collection, a capsule drop made exclusively for Qatar World Cup. The term “unity” refers to the spirit of the world cup where different nations play together with fair play and mutual respect.
Wild Arab West
Founded in 2020 by two Emirati women, Hessa Ali Alechla and Iman Al Midfa, as a platform aimed at highlighting the fusion between eastern and western cultures through art, lifestyle and entertainment, this edgy brand will be showcasing its creative fusion this year, featuring an exclusive merchandise drop just for Sole DXB.
Sole DXB runs from December 9 to 11 at Dubai Design District. Tickets, starting at Dh100, are available at soledxb.com
