Dubai Festival City is 2 km from Dubai International Airport, on the Eastern bank of Dubai Creek. Neighbouring locations include Garhoud and Umm Rammool. 

Yes, Dubai Festival City is just five minutes away from Dubai International Airport and offers convenient access to all the important roads in the city, such as Sheikh Zayed Road, Emirates Road and Al Khail Road.

DFC is accessible by RTA buses and water taxis. DFC is also accessible by metro from the Creek Metro Station which is just 5 km away. For more details on bus, metro and water taxi routes to Dubai Festival City, refer to our transportation guide.

The nearest metro station is Emirates Station on the red line, which is seven or eight minutes from Dubai Festival City by cab. 

Alternatively, you can head to the Creek Metro Station on the green line of the Dubai Metro, and take a water taxi direct to Dubai Festival City from the Al Jaddaf Marine Transportation Station right next to the Creek Metro Station.

There are two world-class international schools, Universal American School and Deira International School, within the Dubai Festival City district.

The major attractions at Dubai Festival City are the Guinness World Record breaking IMAGINE, as well as the Festival Wheel, Fabyland, Dhow rides, and NOVO Cinemas.

Dubai Festival City Mall is open from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm on weekdays and from 10:00 am to 12:00 midnight on weekends.

Dubai Festival City Mall was built and launched in 2007 and expanded further in 2017.

Dubai Festival City offers a variety of culinary options with Anise, The Fish House, and Hard Rock Cafe. Besides which, the Dubai Festival City Mall showcases 75 restaurants, many of which will feature waterfront dining set against the backdrop of some of Dubai’s most photographed vistas, like Eataly, Cheesecake Factory, Joe’s Crab Shack, Peppermill, Fratelli La Bufala, Buca di Beppo and more.

IMAGINE is Dubai Festival City’s Guinness World Record breaking daily attraction that features the latest entertainment technology in water, pyrotechnics, lasers, lights, and dramatic effects. IMAGINE provides the audience with a unique sensory experience, harnessing the power of light, water, and fire, combined with giant aqua screens, 30 fountains, and surround sound to produce a show like never seen before.

There are multiple shows on each day. The first show starts at about 7.30 pm at Festival Bay, the beautiful stretch of creekside waterfront behind Dubai Festival City Mall. Each show lasts around 10 minutes and there is a break of half an hour or so between shows.

Dubai Festival City offers four 5-star hotels: InterContinental DFC, the InterContinental Residence Suites, Crown Plaza DFC and Holiday Inn DFC.

Dubai Festival City is home to Fabyland which offers a variety of fun-filled experiences for children. Dubai Festival City also has Stay and Play, which is a unique “crèche” for children aged 2-7, with a team of professionals to provide care for the children and to keep them entertained while the parents relax or go shopping.

With premier residences in a highly desirable family neighbourhood for sale and lease, Dubai Festival City is a superior lifestyle destination, with options such as Marsa Plaza, Al Badia Residences and Al Badia Hillside.

DSF is one of the most popular attractions in Dubai and the stores in Dubai Festival City Mall generally offer huge discounts and special offers during this time. DSF generally runs from mid-December till the end of January every year.