Today (January 24), heralds the start of another glorious DSF edition as a grand opening ceremony will announce the beginning of 32 days of shopping, winning, and family entertainment. Across Dubai, visitors and residents are eagerly waiting for a season of celebration that will engulf the city between January 24 and February 24.

With over a hundred events including a wide spectrum of activities for every age group, DSF 2008 will feature some inclusions this year to add to the excitement.

Laila Suhail, Chief Executive Officer of DSF said, “After months of careful preparation and planning, DSF 2008 is finally here. Innovation is integral to every DSF edition and this will be very much evident in the coming 32 days through the shopping and entertainment activities in the Festival.”

“Our main aim through every DSF edition is to ensure that visitors and residents have a memorable experience by providing them the finest in shopping, winning, and family entertainment,” she added.

A grand opening ceremony is being organised at Dubai Festival City today (Jan 24) evening to usher in the thirteenth edition of the Festival. The opening will reflect the growth of Dubai over the years and include a combination of light and sound shows in the form of laser displays and dazzling fireworks.

While a majority of events will kick-start today (Jan 24), shopping will be a major attraction for visitors with shopping malls and exclusive DSF venues highlighting the first day of massive DSF promotions. Shoppers can also take part in the Lexus Mega Raffle from today (Jan 24) where one lucky winner can win two Lexus cars and 100,000 cash in a currency picked by the winner from currencies like the Sterling Pound, US Dollar, Argentinian Pesos, Italian Lira, and the Iranian Toman, among others.

While there are over a hundred events being organized during DSF 2008, the major attractions are as follows:

Food Festival
A favourite of DSF visitors, Food Festival attracts people of diverse backgrounds to a celebration of international cuisine. Celebrity chefs, live cooking counters, and culinary workshops, in addition to interactive events and exciting prizes, add to the excitement of this truly one-of-a-kind gastronomic experience. The Food festival will be held at Uptown Mirdif from January 25 to February 2. Evenings are the best times to visit the Food Festival, but for those who’d like a Friday brunch, the venue is open from 12noon to 4pm and then 6pm to 11:30pm.

Guinness World Records
As Dubai’s brand ambassador, DSF has contributed through numerous world records, and this year will be even more exciting as DSF 2008 will witness the launch of a new record breaking event under the name “Dubai Records”. The launch of this event will take place on 16th of Feb, while the first official edition will be held during DSF 2009. Dubai Records will mainly highlight various attempts to break local records only. Guinness World Records will remain a main attraction during the coming DSF editions with events for DSF 2008 taking place between 21-23 Feb at the Creek Park. Previous successful attempts include the Longest Footprints, the Biggest House Key, and the Largest Buffet in the World with 515 dishes.

Dubai Fashion 2008
Held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Hind Bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum - wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, Dubai Fashion was launched in 2004 and is an initiative by the DSF Office to bring top notch international designer labels to Dubai and showcase the latest collections to fashion enthusiasts in the emirate. The long term vision of the event is to position Dubai as a prime destination in the annual calendar of world renowned fashion. The Madinat Jumeirah will host the 2008 Dubai Fashion from Feb 10 to Feb 12.

Creations
‘Creations’ was initiated during DSF 2004 and was conceived as a platform for upcoming local and regional fashion designers aiming to establish themselves in the region. With DSF providing all the logistical support, amateur and budding fashion designers are given the opportunity to showcase their work within the fashion industry in Dubai. The nine-day event will be held at BurJuman, a DSF 2008 key sponsor, from Feb 14 to Feb 22.

Fringe Festival
The ‘Fringe’ festival concept was established over 60 years ago and continues to celebrate various forms of arts including theatre, comedy, visual arts, dance, and music. Major international cities that host fringe festivals include cities such as Toronto, Montreal, Edinburgh, Dublin, Melbourne, Prague, and now, Dubai. Between Jan 24 and Feb 8, numerous international performers will perform at various venues throughout Dubai

House of Talents
Held under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Hind Bint Maktoum bin Juma Al Maktoum - wife of His Highness Sheikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice-President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai - House of Talents is an annual event that has provided a platform to gifted women to showcase their talents and skills in handicrafts, architecture, fashion design, sculpting, information technology, drawing, interior design, music, jewellery designing, photography, perfume making, poetry and writing, and make-up and hair styling, to a wide audience since 1999. The 2008 edition of House of Talents is being organized from January 28 to March 1, 2008, at the Global Village.

Dubai Carnivals
Based on the idea of floats, Dubai Carnivals will feature four platforms, each with a different theme. The themes include Russian, Arabic, Japanese, and Chinese. Different locations in Dubai like the Muraggabat Street, Al Seef Street, Creek Park, the Dubai Marina, Uptown Mirdiff, Arabian Ranches, Global Village, and even Dubai Media City, Dubai Internet City, and Knowledge Village will play host to the Carnivals thus making it possible for visitors anywhere in Dubai to view them. A total of 300 performers will take part in the Carnivals that will be held during every weekend throughout DSF.

Fireworks Festival
Fireworks have been a hallmark of every DSF edition and 2008 is slated to be bigger, better, and longer. Dazzling fireworks will be launched from a specially created platform when the display begins on Jan 24. An attraction during the weekends, visitors will witness some of the best pyrotechnics in the region and a spectacular display of colour, light, and sound. The Official launch of the Fireworks Festival, organized in cooperation with the Al Zarooni Group, a key sponsor of DSF 2008, will take place on January 25th at 8pm beside the Dubai Creek.

Art Avenue – Brought to you by Dubai Cultural Council
Being introduced for the first time in a DSF edition, the Art Avenue at Al Seef Road is a gathering of artists of unique calibre. Art enthusiasts to this part of Dubai will see generic, innovative, and experimental art all in one go. Featuring some of the finest talents around, Art Avenue is a must for those who appreciate aesthetics. Activities include paintings, caricatures, spray paint art, sculptures, rangoli, origami, mask making, and car painting. The venue is open to all throughout DSF 2008 between 4 and 10pm.

Carpet Oasis
Organised in cooperation with the Dubai Customs, the Carpet Oasis is a spectacular display of carpets, rugs, and handicrafts from around the world. The exhibition features some of the finest and rarest handmade carpets. During DSF 2006-2007, 50,000 visitors attended the exhibition and carpets worth AED 58 million were traded and bought amongst merchants and shoppers. Carpet Oasis is being organized at the Airport Expo Dubai throughout the duration of DSF 2008 from 10am to 10pm on weekdays and from 4pm to 10pm on Fridays.

New attractions in DSF 2008

Weekend Packages
Weekend Packages, a new concept to be presented during DSF 2008 is the ultimate weekend fun and entertainment package. This new addition will happen on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays every week during DSF 2008 where a special mega event along with the daily events will be presented. Dazzling fireworks will also adorn Dubai’s night sky during the weekends.

Feb 7 – 9: Journey Show at Creek Park - riveting cultural shows including 36 performers from two continents.

Feb 14-16: Dance of Fire and Light show at Global Theatre in Global Village – a combination of advanced light and sound techniques set to enthral viewers with special effects and pyrotechnics.

Feb 21-23: Flying Art Show at Creek Park - a 30-minute show comprising of aerial acrobats including aerial skills, Spartan shows and bungee shows.

Al Seef Street
In addition to the popular Night Souk and Bungee jumping event, Al Seef Street is an entertainment hotspot during DSF 2008. Activities for visitors include the Fun Fair, Skill Games Zone, Horse Carriage Rides, and Floating Restaurants. Additionally, the venue will host various cultural shows on a stage specially built for the occasion. Al Seef Street is open from 4pm to 10pm on weekdays and from 4pm to 12am on weekends.

Al Muragabat Street
The Muragabat Street will host street kiosks for DSF shoppers in addition to hosting an international animal circus and a huge Fun Fair. The purpose-built Muragabat Street will also host numerous cultural folk shows from around the world. Timings are 4pm to 10pm on weekdays and from 4pm to 12am on weekends.

Festival Park
There are parks and there are festivals, and then there’s Festival Park. A new highlight during DSF 2008, a host of international performers will converge at the Creek Park to provide the perfect setting for not only a great picnic but a great day out. Festival Park is open throughout DSF 2008 from 4pm to 10pm. Attractions include the Heritage Zone, Mini Animal Farm , Fun Fair, Skill Games Zone, Inflatable Zone, and the Flying Fox.

Other attractions

DSF Night Souq
A favourite with DSF crowds every year, the Night Souk, launched in 2003, comes alive late in the night and provides shoppers the unique chance to bargain for the finest goods till the early hours of the morning. Categorized as leisure shopping, Night Souk combines an entertainment area and a food court with raffle draws and amazing shopping offers for the perfect family outing. DSF 2008 sees the Night Souk move closer to the Dubai Creek thus providing a picturesque backdrop to one of the favourite DSF shopping destinations. Organised throughout DSF 2008, Night Souk will be open to visitors from 6pm to 2am from Sundays to Wednesdays, and from 6pm to 3am on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

Bungee Jumping
For those who’d like some adventure and thrill, DSF 2008 offers the perfect activity with Bungee jumping. Manned by professionals and maintaining the highest standards of safety and state-of-the-art equipment, this event is a sure attraction for all. Bungee jumping is open everyday from 4pm to 10pm on weekdays and 4pm to 12am on weekends.

Musical Festivals
Featuring some of the best names in the industry, DSF 2008 is organizing music concerts that will bring together some fine talent from across the globe. Those performing include Carlos Santana, Amr Diab, Tamer Hosni, Zakir Hussain, and a host of other international performers in addition to the Dubai International Jazz Festival. Additionally featured are theatre shows, comedy shows, and various cultural shows from around the world such as the Krystal Dinner Show, Kev Orkian Musical Show, and the Rough Diamond Musical Show.

Sports Championships
DSF events include much more than entertainment and cover a wide spectrum of activities with sports being one of them.

Sporting events for DSF 2008 include Championship Boxing on Feb 8 at the DWTC, the International Football Festival at the Al Shabab Club between Jan 25 and Feb 15, the Dubai edition of the globally renowned Terry Fox Run on Feb 15, and an exclusive yoga camp between Jan 25 and 27 at the Airport Expo Dubai by acclaimed yoga guru Baba Ramdev.

Heritage and Diving Village Events
Organised to highlight the rich legacy of UAE’s tradition, Heritage Events showcase a wide variety of exhibitions that cover the country’s handicrafts, culture, folklore music and dance, literature, and the life of the late HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Timings are from 5pm to 10pm through the week.

Fazza’ Championships
Under the patronage HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, the Fazza’ Championships include exciting sporting events that include the traditional Youla Championships (Jan 4 – Mar 23), in addition to diving (Feb 14-16), shooting (Feb 7-9), and falconry (Jan 26 – Feb 1).

Exhibitions
DSF 2008 will also host exhibitions during the 32-day period. They include the Arab Health Exhibition & Congress at DWTC between Jan 28 and 31, the Arab Lab Exhibition at the DWTC from Feb 10th to 13th, and the Sign and Graphic Imaging Exhibition between Feb 17 and 19 at the DWTC.

Additional Events
Taste of Dubai, being organized at the Dubai Media City from Feb 6 to Feb 9, will feature 45 iconic dishes and a variety of cuisines from 16 of the city’s finest restaurants. An Art Symposium by Emaar is also being arranged next to the Jumeirah Beach Park between Feb 4 and 28. Dubai Internet City will also host a Cyber Fest between February 17 and 21. Prominent restaurants will take part in the food fest where chefs will organize cooking demonstrations, carving displays and serve cuisines from around the world.

DSF Closing Ceremony
Another great event to conclude 32 days of festivities in style, the Closing Ceremony will take place at the Creek Park on Feb 24 and will witness the distribution of various DSF 2008 Awards.