Best Birthday Ideas in Dubai
Whether you are a resident or a tourist aiming to splurge and celebrate your birthday in Dubai, you might be looking for some ideas! We’ve compiled a list of suggestions and themes that you can incorporate into a birthday celebration that you are planning.
The best birthday celebration ideas in Dubai
The best birthday ideas in Dubai include renting a movie theatre, yacht parties, skydiving, competitive bowling, painting parties, and going to arcades.
Aside from that, getting things from stores for free on your birthday is also fun! If you’re ready to know more, read on!
Rent A Movie Theatre
Image credit: Tima Miroshnichenko/Pexels
Did somebody say block screening? We have to say, Dubai takes movie theatre rentals to another level!
Usually, when we think about movie theater rentals, it’s mostly a group of people huddled together in a reserved movie theater in a mall. In Dubai however, they take it up a notch with their Gold Class cinema.
This type of service offers reclining seats and waiter service during a private screening with your friends. It is more of a 2-in-1 deal: a private party and a movie screening in just one event.
What’s great is that you can easily find Gold Class cinemas at malls such as the Mall of the Emirates and CineStar Cinemas. Prices range from AED 110 to AED 200 per seat with two room options for customers, which are 31- or 42-seat theatres.
We recommend booking two days in advance to secure the theatre you want to rent.
Yacht Parties
Image credit: Kampus Production/Pexels
You don’t need to buy an actual yacht for this type of party! Even if you don’t have money to purchase one on your own, there are services that allow you to rent one, even for just a day.
Compared to renting an entire event venue, renting a yacht isn’t actually that expensive. You can expect to pay only around AED 450 to AED 550 per hour.
Some yacht rental services will also offer free drinks and water with your reservation. As for food, unfortunately, yacht rentals don’t usually offer their own catering.
We recommend also asking a food provider beforehand so you’ll have something to eat during a party. Alternatively, you can also just hold a potluck-themed party if you want to cut down on food expenses!
Throwing a birthday party on a yacht is a unique and memorable experience because celebrating in a luxury vessel floating on water is not a common birthday party location.
This option is perfect for small group celebrations and can be enjoyed by people of any age and gender! Provided, of course, that they don’t get easily seasick.
Painting Parties
Image credit: rssn_fckr/Unsplash
This is a more creative option for families and kids who would want an activity-based celebration. Painting parties are, as the name suggests, where people can paint socialize, and express their creativity through art.
This kind of party only requires renting a studio, an art gallery, or a warehouse. Usually, these locations allow their clients to bring in their catering and decorations to personalize the venue.
Renting an art warehouse such as the Jamjar Art Warehouse in Al Quoz will only cost you AED 195. The extra costs will come with the venue decorations, art materials, and catering (if you wish).
We recommend this type of party for children and adults who are art enthusiasts.
Sky Diving
Image credit: Ralph Burrows/Unsplash
Now, this option is perfect for thrill seekers! Dubai is home to multiple skydiving locations, so you have a lot of options to choose from. Some of these include The Desert Campus Dropzone and the Palm Dropzone.
This activity is something we recommended for adults only, as there is an age requirement for sky diving. Only those 18 and above can enjoy the excitement of being dropped off in the clear skies of the city.
Additionally, we advise making sure that the company you chose for this activity has the necessary safety gear and equipment for sky diving. These include helmets, parachutes, and safety straps to hold you in during the jump.
Also, we recommend being in good health and sober during the activity. This is because you might feel way worse or sicker if you jump while in a bad condition.
You can expect to pay around AED 120 to AED 250 for a single jump ticket.
Also, some offer pair or tandem jumping sessions, which are priced around AED 1,699 to AED 3,000.
Competitive Bowling
Image credit: Mattias Zomer/Unsplash
If you are into a more activity-based party, where you can freely interact and compete with your friends or family, this option might be for you.
Setting up a friendly yet competitive party involving bowling is fun. We recommend this for groups who are into sports or bowling.
What makes this option appealing is that it’s inexpensive. Bowling alleys, such as the Al Nasr Leisureland, allow customers to rent their lanes for around AED 100 to AED 200 each.
Each lane allows up to six people to play. You can essentially bring your close friends or your immediate family members and just rent one lane.
The only downside to this option is that food and drinks may or not be allowed inside. This depends on the alley you’ve chosen to play in.
We recommend calling or inquiring beforehand. Alternatively, we also recommend grabbing dinner before playing as it might interfere with your competition.
Arcades
Image credit: Carl Raw/Unsplash
Speaking of fun and activity-filled suggestions, you can also host your birthday celebration in an arcade!
These locations provide visitors with a wide variety of games and activities to choose from. From fighting games to the classic basketball hoops to racing car games and more, you and your companions will certainly have a fun time in any of the arcades in Dubai.
One thing we do have to point out is that if you’re not renting out the entire place, you might not be provided the level of privacy you want for your birthday celebration.
However, if this is merely part of a long celebration, then co-mingling with other people might not be that much of a downside to you.
What’s great about this option is that you won’t be spending much in these places. Arcades such as the Marina Arcade and Magic Planet only charge via tokens, which cost around AED 5 to AED 10.
BONUS. Get things for free!
Image credit: Madison Inouye/Pexels
One of the best things about celebrating your birthday is getting gifts. There are special presents from your close friends and family, but there’s a certain happiness in availing free things from stores.
Some restaurants offer a complimentary cake for anyone who is celebrating in their establishment. Coffee shops such as Starbucks also offer a free drink as a birthday gift!
Additionally, some shops and stores such as Sephora offer skincare and cosmetic items for free for anyone who is celebrating their birthday.
We recommend looking up the places that offer free items before your birthday arrives, so you can fully maximize the opportunity. There’s nothing wrong with getting free things on your special day!