One of the most popular holidays is Halloween, and in Dubai, it is also celebrated with an event on October 31. In Dubai, this holiday is particularly important for the tourism sector, and places are usually decorated in the most festive way possible with the most fun details.
Although it is not part of Emirati culture, Halloween is a great opportunity for foreign residents as well as for visitors who choose autumn to explore the city. Therefore, there are several points of interest that aim to make this celebration something special and wonderful for all ages.
The corners of Dubai where to celebrate the spookiest holiday.
Pumpkins and spooky decorations turn the city of Dubai into a true wonder during this time. Therefore, IMG Worlds of Adventure in Dubai is one of the places that knows how to enchant everyone in this typical celebration of the season. Here, Halloween Horror is presented, where visitors can experience the Zombie Apocalypse, with themed rides and a haunted maze. The Haunted Circus, The Apocalypse, and The Awakening are some of the shows in this venue that will be prepared from October 1 until October 31 to honor this classic North American tradition.
In addition to this variant, shopping malls are also preparing for this date. Many offer special tickets and deals for those wearing costumes and encourage children to go trick-or-treating in the streets. Among the most adapted to this tradition are Jumeirah Al Qasr, which offers a discount to those who show up in costumes; Barasti, which organizes Scarnival, known as the largest Halloween costume party in Dubai; and Dubai Riverland, which invites children to trick-or-treat and participate in activities such as face painting, a Halloween maze, and pumpkin carving.
A party with history in Dubai.
Despite being an American holiday, the city is filled with attractions for all tastes throughout the month of October. However, this celebration was banned in 2014 by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, which did not allow this holiday under any circumstances. This reached such extreme levels that an order was given that any American caught celebrating this festivity on October 31 would be arrested.
Beyond this ban, nothing prevented Halloween from establishing itself in these territories, and the parties went on. Christians, for their part, also chose to celebrate it in their own way and gave another twist to the commemoration. On the same date, they celebrate Saint Barbara, so their celebration became a true festivity, full of costumes to escape the Roman persecution.
The most iconic celebration in Dubai: the skeleton that went viral.
During 2023, an optical illusion dazzled the world during Halloween. On the night of October 31, a captivating image managed to move everyone with the terrifying sight of a gigantic skeleton among the skyscrapers of the site. This illusion was created using hundreds of drones with yellow lights, and the creature appeared walking through the streets, sending real chills down the spines of those present.
This show was produced by the company Geoscan, which is dedicated to creating all kinds of shows with drones. “Terrifying Halloween by Geoscan Drone Show,” was written during the social media post that received over 6,300,000 views and also garnered more than 2,500 comments showing passersby horrified and amazed by this spectacle.