February Social Calendar

February is another jam-packed busy month of cultural, world-class sport and all-out fun events in Dubai.

It seems the start of the polo season, which is one of my favourite weekend past-times for getting together with friends, having a picnic and people watching.

In an international context, the tennis will probably likely steal the most attention. In entertainment, Virgin Radio’s Red Fest is bringing the biggest names in pop to our little desert village.

I’ll be taking a Valentine’s Day to rip to Yas Racecourse, where my husband will be driving Formula One car; A session I bought him for Christmas and definitely a wintertime activity. I’ll also be popping to Paris with my best girlfriend, a long-standing and never more cherished than since having children, February tradition.

But in the main, my sons and I will be hanging out either on Palace, aka Sufouh Beach, our new favourite spot, Al Sufouh Park or picnicking at the Ripe Market. Friday mornings are all about pampering now that my husband is taking the boys to SoccorTots, so weekly drop-in at the region’s largest salon, Beauty Connection on Sheikh Zayed Rd. will be on the cards. Let’s hear it for February!

Other than that, here’s where it’s at during the shortest month of the year:

Highbrow

Everyone with a digital camera in Dubai thinks they are a photographer. And Instagram has a LOT to answer for! There are a couple of interesting looking exhibitions on in that space in Feb. I fancy checking out:

Every Day the Middle East at Al Serkal Avenue, Al Quoz, until the 26th February. It’s free admission and features a collection of images from the Everyday Middle East Instagram feed, which disseminates photographs of everyday life taken by the mobile phones of 25 professional photographers from the Middle East and North Africa. The feed has collected over 46,000 followers. 90 images will be shown at the exhibition. More info from www.gulfphotoplus.com

Consumption Photography Exhibition, which will show until 16 Feb, is also free and also looks interesting. The Prix Pictet is a globally recognised award in photography and this year the exhibition opens in Dubai at the East Wing Gallery, Limestone house, DIFC. The award show is in its 10th year so far and this time around follows a theme of “Consumption” which aims to encourage debate and discussions on pressing current issues with regards to environmental and sustainable challenges faced by today’s world. More info at www.east-wing.org.

From the 1st to the 5th of the month, Shakespeare 4 Kidz brings its A Midsummer's Night Dream production to DUCTAC. The Bard’s popular tale will be given a musical makeover presented in a way that the kids will understand and parents will enjoy. Show timings are 8:45 am, 11 am and 6 pm. www.shakespeare4kidz.com for tickets.

At the Madinat Theatre on the 7th is The Ensemble Corund. Brilliance of Voices, The Ensemble Corund, is one of Switzerland’s oldest professional choirs. They specialize in the renaissance, baroque and modern contemporary music and more information on the show can be found here www.jumeirah.com.

Up-Tempo

The weekend of the 12th and 13th will be largely dominated by Virgin’s Redfest. Tickets start at AED350 and the line-up includes Iggy Azalea, Kiesza, The Script, Rixton, Bastille, Ella Eyre, Gorgon City Jeremih, Kid Ink and Cris Cab ... and if you know who any of the last five are, you’re way hipper than me and need to go! www.itp.net/tickets for tickets.

The 25th – 27th is Emirates Airline Dubai Jazz Festival. Tickets start at AED395 and this year’s listing includes James Blunt and John Legend. The main gigs are being held at the Media City Amphitheatre and tickets and a full schedule are available at www.dubaijazzfest.com.

Black Tie

Dubai’s Big Pink Ball is on Feb 12th and tickets start at aed1,098. 2015 promises to the biggest yet, with a Hollywood theme at Emirates Golf Club. The event aims to raise money in aid of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and you can support it at www.bigpinkball.com.

On the 26th, the Madinat will host the inaugural A Night of Prestige. Tickets start at AED3,000 for the event which offers a red carpet art exhibition experience. It will feature a performance by the Kiev City Ballet, jewellery collections and a tenor and a soprano performance, all accompanied by an extravagant dinner. To top off the night, there will be a ballet performance by the Kiev City Ballet. www.nightofprestige.com

For the Foodies

The Dubai Food Festival 2015 runs 6th to the 28th. The city-wide culinary celebration brings together some of Dubai’s most popular business and consumer food events including Gulfood and the Dubai Food Carnival. ‘DFF’ also features a wide range of food-related activities, tastings, offers and events that showcase the emirate’s diverse food offering - from Michelin starred chefs to street food - drawn from the cuisines of more than 200 nationalities. More at www.dubaifoodfestival.com.

Get active (or watch others… January is over, go easy on yourself ;p)

Polo runs all month with the Dubai Polo Silver and Gold Cup matches on at the Arabian Ranches Polo & Equestrian Club and various private matches there and at the Desert Palm field. The Dubai Gold Cup final event will be held on February 23 at noon. Dine in the VIP stands, bring your friends for a picnic on the lawn, or hit the party enclosure for a livelier experience. www.dubaipologoldcup.com.

Dubai’s MMILS (Middle Aged Men in Lycra) will be out in force at the Feb Dubai Tour Cycling, which is on from the 4th to the 7th at Mina Seyahi Marina Club. www.dubaitour.com. You have been warned.

And there’s a busy schedule of horse racing on at Meydan over the month, gearing up for the World Cup. Check out what’s on and when here www.dubaiworldcup.com/visit/calendar/racing-calendar.

The biggy is the Dubai Duty-Free Tennis Championships, which are held from the 15th to the 28th at Irish Village, Garhoud. As part of both the ATP and WTA world tours, it sees the best tennis players in the world go head to head for what is widely considered one of the most popular tournaments on the circuit. Last year, Roger Federer and Serena Williams claimed victory defeating the likes of Del Potro, Djokovic, Jankovic and Radwanska. Don’t miss out by booking here www.dubaidutyfreetennischampionships.com.

With over two million competitors across 21 countries and self-titled as the world’s best obstacle course, The Reebok Spartan Race comes to the UAE to find the country’s ‘warriors’ on the 20th of February. This includes a few athletic events, for the whole family and there will be live entertainment, food and beverages for both Spartans and spectators. You can register for the event at www.spartanrace.ae.

And if you’re still got something to prove after that, you need to register for the Dubai Challenge Triathalon on the 27th. Entry is AED1,000 for individual, more for teams. It spreads across lots of Dubai, but you can find out more at www.challenge-dubai.com.