Fabulous news: it’s the weekend. If you’re casting your eye around for something to do, look no further. Whether it’s festive market, an evening of live music or a the chance to check out a hotly anticipated attraction, we’ve got you covered.

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Thursday 14

Get into the Christmas spirit

With only a week and a half until Christmas, you can feel extremely positive about watching Love Actually and getting into the spirit of things. The St Regis Dubai’s Winter Garden Market is in full swing, too, and we can think of worse ways to spend a Thursday evening. The market includes kids activities, food, retail stalls, and live entertainment.

Winter Garden Market, St Regis Dubai, Al Habtoor City. 3-11pm weekends, 5-11pm Sunday to Thursday. Free entry. Tel: (04) 435 5577 wintergardenmarket.com

Get hyped

armani

After more of a big night out? Head to Armani/Prive for their regular Hype night – expect the freshest hip hop and R&B, organisers say. Mixed groups are preferred at the door and there’s a smart fashionable dress code.

Hype at Armani/Prive, Armani Hotel, Burj Khalifa, Downtown Dubai. 11pm-3am, lounge open from 5pm. Tel:  (04) 888 3308. armanihoteldubai.com

Friday 15

Take in some tunes

jazz

The Jazz Garden series continues this week, with JoAnnaLee (pictured) and Nine Below Zero Big Band taking over the Habtoor Grand Resort at Dubai Marina. Even better? It’s free if you register online, or you can book a table with a minimum F&B spend that works out to about Dhs110 per person. The music starts at 8pm, so make sure you’re settled in by then.

The Jazz Garden Episode Three, bands from 8pm. Free entry with online registration. Habtoor Grand Resort Dubai Marina, Al Falea Street, Jumeirah Beach. Tel: (04) 391 1196. jazzgardenseries.com

Saturday 16

Rise and shine

sum of us

If you like to start your Saturday morning with a workout and some treats, here’s one for you. The Sum of Us cafe’s regular Sunrise Market takes on a Christmas flavour this time around, but it includes the same free fitness class and Dhs135 breakfast (featuring unlimited coffee and juice) as usual. They’re also running a festive centrepiece workshop for Dhs125.

Sunrise Market at The Sum of Us, Ground Floor, Burj Al Salam, 6th Street, Trade Centre.  Class starts at 7am, market at 8am, breakfast from 9am. Tel: (056) 56 445 7526. facebook.com/events

Get into the wild

dubai safari

The long awaited Dubai Safari is now open, and for a limited time, you can visit for free. The park is in a soft opening phase – it’s not 100 per cent finished – but we’re hearing that it’s very much still worth a look around. The safari is home to 250 species, including ions, tigers, gazelles, hippos, buffalo, hyena, flamingos, gorillas, and chimpanzees. Split into four areas, some of which you’ll bus through, it’s set for a grand opening next month.

Dubai Safari, Al Warquaa 5 district, opposite The Farm, near Dragon Mart, daily 9am to 5pm during soft opening, 9am to 9pm from January, free during soft opening, from Dhs20 to Dhs85. dubaisafari.ae

Enjoy some festive treats

Four seasons Dubai, Chrismas

There may be people who don’t take the festive season as an excuse to eat desert after every meal, but we can’t relate to them. Palama lobby lounge at Lapita Hotel in Dubai Parks and Resorts have a Christmas bakery opening this weekend, with goodies like panettone, panadoro,  and mince pies. They’ll even have mini ginger bread houses.

Christmas bakery at Palama, Lapita Hotel, Dubai Parks and Resorts. December 14-26, takeaways available. Tel: (04) 810 9999. dubaiparksandresorts.com

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Images: Supplied