Dubai: Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) is back, and this year's edition is bigger than ever. Running from July 2 to August 30, the citywide festival will bring more than eight weeks of shopping, entertainment and family experiences, along with opportunities to win everything from a home and luxury cars to kilograms of gold and cash prizes. Organised by the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE) under the theme 'Make it a Dubai Summer', here are just some of the top deals and experiences you can look forward to this summer:1. Opening Weekend Celebrations: Free to attend concertsAs the DSS 2026 edition kicks off, you can enjoy live performances which will be free to attend at Dubai’s malls:Dubai Hills Mall: Lebanese singer Amanda Maalouf and Emirati artist Saif Al Ali will perform on July 3, and Palestinian-Canadian artist Donia and Emirati star Arqam Al Abri will perform on July 4.Mirdif City Centre: International DJ Akmaral, and acclaimed Iraqi pop singer Rahma Riad will perform on July 3 and star DJ Mowgli and Star Academy winner Nassif Zeytoun will perform on July 4.New Covent Garden Theatre, Mall of the Emirates: The Samratna concert by Mohamed Al Bakri will take place on July 3, offering audiences an intimate live Khaleeji music performance featuring soulful Gulf melodies and timeless Arabic compositions.JAFZA One Convention Centre: Assem Sukkar Spacetoon Concert will be held on July 4, delivering a nostalgic live experience celebrating the iconic Spacetoon theme songs that shaped generations across the Arab world.Dubai Opera: For theatre fans, you can also secure tickets for the Khairan Resort production, a light-hearted Kuwaiti comedy taking place from July 3-4.2. Win Your Home in DubaiHappening alongside the DSS festival, the Win Your Home in Dubai campaign, has already announced two winners. The third winner will be announced during the opening weekend festivities.The campaign has 12 residential units across the city on offer, supplied by Binghatti Developers, the exclusive real estate partner: 11 studio apartments and a two-bedroom apartment as the grand prize. Each week, a studio apartment will be given away, with the two-bedroom apartment reserved as the grand prize in the final-week draw.All you have to do is spend AED 500 at any of the 1,000+ participating outlets to enter the draw.Read more: Want to ‘Win Your Home in Dubai’? All you have to do is shop3. Raffle draws for cars, gold, cash and moreThere are also plenty of raffle draws being held across the city, including:Dubai Summer Surprises Raffles: 10 Exceed cars on offer, spend AED 200 or more at participating malls.2kg gold: DFRE Raffles (City of Gold) will offer eight winners a share from a total of 2kg of gold, while one winner receives 1kg gold, simply by spending AED 500 on jewellery for a digital coupon.Win a 2026 Gongfeng 007 and AED 500,000: This offer runs until September 20, for those who buy a Winner Pack for AED 50 from any Zoom convenience store or ENOC petrol station.Win an MHERO: Another raffle draw offering the chance for shoppers to win an MHERO car. To participate, you need to spend AED 300 or more at eligible stores in Dubai Festival City Mall.Cash prizes of AED 100,000: When shopping at Majid Al Futtaim malls, enter the SHARE Millionaire loyalty programme for a chane to win one of four bi-weekly AED 100,000 prizes.Win a Jetour: Select City Centre malls will also be offering a Jetour as a grand prize during DSS.Win a Cadillac: Shoppers at Mercato Mall can also enter a draw for a chance to win a brand-new Cadillac.4. Dh10 dishesThroughout August, over 70 restaurants will offer a selection of special dishes for AED 10, while the Summer Restaurant Week will be held from July 13 to August 2, with over 60 restaurants offering special menus at discounted prices, including mall-based and home-grown brands.5. Children’s activitiesThere will also be various mall activations from July 2 to August 30, from meet and greets with the popular children’s character Bluey at Dubai Festival City Mall, Minions and Monsters Fun Run at Mall of Emirates and a K-Pop Demon Hunters Pop-up at City Centre Mirdif.6. Modesh and DanaThere's no DSS without the two famous DSS mascots - Modesh and Dana. This season, the two will appear across the city, from school visits to surprise appearances at leading attractions. The Modesh World at Dubai World Trade Centre will also return from July 3 to August 23.Additionally, the Modesh Scholarship will allow shoppers to win one of 10 scholarships, each worth AED 20,000, when shopping at participating malls across the city.7. Staycation offersDubai residents can also avail of special resident discounts as nearly 100 staycation and attraction deals will be launched as part of DSS, including five-star hotels, all-inclusive resorts and budget-friendly options.What’s new this year?This year’s edition will also have several new additions like a curated experience through the DSS Luxe Edition featuring elevated shopping and lifestyle experiences, exclusive previews, personalised services, luxury pop-ups, premium hospitality, and special brand activations.Families can also enjoy a Back-to-School Carnival with live performances and interactive shows across the city from August 7 to 8.To support local talents, SME Pop-ups will also be held across the city and with the FIFA World Cup ongoing, there will be several FIFA activations organised at popular locations.
