Christmas and New Year Shows for Kids in Dubai 2026/27

New Year with children in Dubai means a Christmas tree among palm trees, Ded Moroz (the Russian Father Frost) in an air-conditioned hall and an evening walk in a T-shirt. Many families worry that far from home their child won’t get a “real” festive season. In fact Dubai has a Russian yolka with the Snow Maiden, the Bolshoi’s Nutcracker, English Christmas pantomimes and markets with carousels.

A quick note on the word: a yolka (literally “fir tree”) is the children’s New Year party that every child in Russia and the CIS grows up with, a fairy-tale show with Ded Moroz, the Snow Maiden and a bag of sweets at the end.

Below is what’s known as of October 2026: what’s already announced for December, what to expect in January, how to buy tickets and how not to let heat, traffic and tiredness spoil the holiday. I update this post every year. For fireworks, New Year’s Eve itself and celebrations for adults, see my separate guide to New Year’s Eve in Dubai.

In short

What	When	Where	Age	From
Russian children’s yolka	usually early January; 2027 dates not yet announced	Zabeel Theatre, Palm Jumeirah	organisers recommended 2–12	check when sales open
The Nutcracker, Bolshoi Ballet	4–6 December 2026	Dubai Opera	2+	495 AED
Cinderella pantomime (in English)	5–24 December 2026	New Covent Garden Theatre, Mall of the Emirates	3+	150 AED
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (in English)	16–28 December 2026	Meyana Theatre, Jumeirah Beach Hotel	all ages, ticket from 3	100 AED
Festive market	4–27 December 2026	Madinat Jumeirah	any	free
Global Village	all season	Global Village	any, under 3 free	25 AED

Prices are from the venues’ sites and Platinumlist as of 17 October 2026, before service fees.

The Russian New Year yolka

The main event for Russian-speaking families is the traditional children’s yolka in Russian at Zabeel Theatre, the theatre at the Jumeirah Zabeel Saray hotel on Palm Jumeirah. It’s held with the support of the Moscow Government and the Consulate General of Russia in Dubai and the Northern Emirates. Platinumlist’s event pages show it has taken place in early January in recent years: 6 January 2024, 5 January 2025 and 10 January 2026.

How it went last time, in January 2026:

• a fairy-tale play, “The Yolka in the Candy Kingdom”, in Russian;
• it started at 11:00, doors opened at 10:30, and it lasted an hour;
• the organisers recommended it for children aged 2 to 12, and everyone from two years old needed a ticket;
• a gift bag could be bought separately: chocolate, a Tula gingerbread and other sweets.

The year before, they staged an interactive Nutcracker with Ded Moroz, the Snow Maiden and a photo session. The programme changes every year, but the format is usually similar: a morning show, a meeting with the characters and presents.

What’s known for 2026/27. As of mid-October 2026, the dates and programme of the new yolka have not been announced and no tickets are on sale. If the tradition continues, expect it in the first half of January 2027. Watch the children’s events section on Platinumlist from November, and once sales open, don’t wait: a lot of Russian-speaking families come to Dubai for the January holidays.

Bear in mind that individual New Year shows are sometimes cancelled. In December 2025, for example, a children’s show with Ded Moroz at the same Zabeel Theatre was announced on Platinumlist and then cancelled. So check the event page a couple of days before.

The Bolshoi Nutcracker: 4–6 December

This year families have a rare chance: the Bolshoi Theatre is making its first official visit to the UAE, and from 4 to 6 December Dubai Opera hosts Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker in Yuri Grigorovich’s production. Performances are at 14:00, 19:00 and 20:00 depending on the day, with tickets from 495 AED.

Two theatre rules matter for children. Under-twos are not admitted, not even on a lap. Every child over two needs their own ticket, and under-18s must come with an adult. For younger schoolchildren the matinee is easier: their routine stays intact, and after the show you can walk by the fountains while it’s still light.

The full programme of the tour, the dress code and how to buy tickets are in my post on the Bolshoi Ballet in Dubai.

Christmas pantomimes in English

If your child understands English or simply loves bright, noisy shows, Dubai has British Christmas pantomimes in December. It’s not ballet or opera: it’s a fairy tale with songs, jokes and an audience that shouts hints to the characters.

• Cinderella: 5–24 December 2026, New Covent Garden Theatre in Mall of the Emirates. Ages 3+, about two hours with an interval, tickets from 150 AED.
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: 16–28 December 2026, Meyana Theatre at Jumeirah Beach Hotel. An hour and forty-five minutes with an interval, no show on 25 December. All ages are admitted, tickets are needed from three, and under-12s must come with an adult. Tickets from 100 AED.

For families who love cartoons, Disney concerts play at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on 18–20 December: Encanto, Frozen and The Lion King. That’s Abu Dhabi, so allow time for the drive there and back.

Markets, trees and Santa

The festive market at Madinat Jumeirah is the most atmospheric place for an outing with children. From 4 to 27 December 2026, Fort Island gets a 36-foot (about 11-metre) tree with a light show, a Venetian carousel, a mini train and gingerbread houses, while decorated abras glide along the canals. Entry is free, subject to capacity. Monday to Thursday the market opens at 15:00, Friday to Sunday at 12:00. Parking is small, so a taxi is easier.

The canals of Madinat Jumeirah, home of the festive market in December. Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Expo City Dubai. Last season, from 6 to 31 December 2025, Al Wasl Plaza hosted a Winter City: meeting Santa, artificial snowfall, a tree lighting, workshops and kids’ zones, with free entry for under-threes. The 2026 programme hasn’t been announced yet. If the winter town returns, I’ll add the dates here.

Trees in malls and hotels. From early December, big Christmas trees and festive installations appear in malls and hotels all over the city. They’re free, indoors in the cool and great for photos when your child is tired of being outside.

Global Village with kids

Global Village is a park of country pavilions with rides, street food and shows. The new season runs from 14 October 2026 to May 2027. Sunday to Wednesday the park is open from 16:00 to midnight, Thursday to Saturday until 01:00. Tuesday is reserved for women and families (except on public holidays).

A weekday ticket costs 25 AED, an any-day ticket 30 AED, and children under three enter free. Rides are paid separately. On New Year’s Eve, Global Village usually celebrates the New Year several times across time zones, so your child sees fireworks long before midnight. More on that in my guide to New Year’s Eve in Dubai.

Global Village in the evening: pavilions and lights by the water. Photo: Abil Ahamed, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Practical tips

Clothes. December days are usually 23–27 °C and nights 14–17 °C. A T-shirt and cap are enough during the day, but bring a sweater for the evening: it’s cool outdoors after sunset, and theatres and malls are strongly air-conditioned. Dubai Opera asks for elegant dress, no shorts or flip-flops, which is a good excuse to dress your child up.

Age. Every venue has its own rules. Dubai Opera doesn’t admit under-twos, the Russian yolka needs a ticket from two, Snow White from three. Check the age conditions on the event page before you buy.

Tickets. Buy only on the venue’s site or from an official seller the venue names itself. Book early: lots of families come to Dubai for the holidays.

Timing. Morning and afternoon shows are easier for little ones. Leave room for traffic between the show and dinner: in December, Downtown and the areas around the malls are busy.

If it’s easier, I can help with tickets: I’ll pick a show for your child’s age, buy from an official seller (you can pay from anywhere in the world), arrange a transfer from your hotel and back, and book a table before or after the show.

A plan for the holidays

1. Show day. A yolka or The Nutcracker in the morning or afternoon, then lunch and a walk by the fountains in Downtown.
2. An evening by the water. The festive market at Madinat Jumeirah: the carousel, an abra along the canals and the tree with its light show.
3. An active day. A water park or theme park: ideas are in my posts on splash parks for kids and Dubai with kids, and a ready programme is the UAE with kids.
4. A quiet day outdoors. A picnic in a park: Mushrif Park, for example, has a children’s cycle track and shady lawns.
5. An evening at Global Village. Rides, food from all over the world and festive shows.

Common mistakes

• Waiting until the last minute for the yolka announcement. Buy tickets for the Russian yolka as soon as sales open: demand over the holidays is high.
• Taking a baby to Dubai Opera. Under-twos won’t be let into the hall, not even on a lap.
• Buying tickets second-hand or in chats. A resold ticket can be cancelled without a refund.
• Forgetting a sweater. In the evening, outdoors or in an air-conditioned hall, a child gets cold quickly.
• Putting two events on one day. A show, the market and Global Village in one day is a lot even for adults.

More Russian culture in Dubai: The Bolshoi Ballet in Dubai · A guide to Dubai Opera · Russian theatre and stand-up · Russian concerts · Orthodox churches in the UAE.

Want to give your child a real New Year in Dubai? Message me on WhatsApp with your children’s ages and your travel dates: I’ll find a yolka or a show, and help with tickets, transfers and a plan for the holidays.