Welcome listeners to Things to do in Dubai with your globetrotting sports nut Oly Bennett, coming to you on a sunny winter Sunday in Dubai, where the skies are clear, temps are sitting in the mid‑20s, and the city feels like a giant open‑air festival with shopping deals, fireworks, and festive chaos in all the best ways.Dubai’s big headline vibe right now is the Dubai Shopping Festival 2025–26, running citywide with mega sales, nightly entertainment, fireworks, concerts, raffles, and cultural pop‑ups across malls and outdoor venues, as outlined by TourGuideUAE and Dubai’s Department of Economy & Tourism. Wherever you go tonight, expect drones in the sky, discounts on basically everything, and at least one person wheeling a brand‑new TV to their car.If you’re feeling festive, Expo City Dubai is in full Winter City mode this afternoon from 4pm to 10pm, with twinkling lights, kids’ activities, food stalls, and a cosy, family‑friendly winter village atmosphere, according to the official Expo City events schedule. Stick around there for Carols by Candlelight at Al Wasl Plaza this evening, with classic Christmas songs, choirs, and LED candles turning the dome into a glowing sing‑along. Expo’s calendar also shows an evening screening of the Saudi film “The Tambour of Retribution,” perfect if you’re in an artsy, cinema‑lover mood.Bargain hunters and eco‑champions, your quirky highlight today is the indoor Festive Flea Market at The Market Mall in Dubai Investments Park, running from 2pm to 9:30pm as listed by Dubai‑FleaMarket. It’s second‑hand and crafts only, so think pre‑loved treasures, handmade goodies, and zero fast‑fashion guilt – my kind of competitive sport: who finds the weirdest, coolest vintage item first.Night owls, DSF evenings mean live music, street performances, and fireworks especially around Downtown, Dubai Festival City, and Bluewaters, as promoted by the Dubai Events Calendar. You can pair that with a late‑night stroll around the Dubai Mall fountains or catch a show at Dubai Opera, which continues to host big‑ticket concerts and theatre through the season, according to The National’s 2025 live shows round‑up.On the practical side, Dubai’s event guides highlight extra public transport services during peak festival evenings, so check Dubai Metro timings and aim for stations near key hubs like Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall or Expo 2020 to dodge traffic and parking drama. RTA often extends metro hours on big event nights, making trains the real MVP of your evening.My must‑do combo for today: hit Old Dubai in the late afternoon – ride an abra across Dubai Creek, wander the spice and gold souks – then swing over to Expo City for Winter City and Carols, and cap it off at a DSF hotspot for fireworks and people‑watching. If you want a hidden‑gem twist, grab shawarma from a small neighborhood joint in Satwa or Karama instead of a mall chain; that’s where the real flavor medals are won.Local tip: carry a Nol card loaded in advance and you can jump between metro, tram, and some buses seamlessly, which is clutch when you’re hopping from a flea market in DIP to Expo City to Downtown. Also, winter evenings get breezy by the water, so bring a light jacket – desert cities can fake you out.Before I dash off to referee an imaginary “fastest mall walker during DSF” championship, keep an eye on tomorrow’s calendar: more Winter City magic at Expo, DSF concerts ramping up as we edge closer to New Year’s, and fresh family activities popping up on the Dubai Events Calendar and Dubai Culture’s listings. Tune in tomorrow for more quirky picks, from cultural deep dives to late‑night music mayhem.Thanks for listening, please subscribe, and remember—this episode was brought to you by Quiet Please podcast networks. For more content like this, please go to Quiet Please dot Ai.For more check out https://www.quietperiodplease.com/and make sure to jump on these great deals https://amzn.to/3V0gjPtFor more on Oly check out https://www.instagram.com/olybennet/This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI