Dubai’s Waterfront Is Getting a Light Show Worth Looking Up For
Drones, lasers and projections on JBR’s towers will turn the bay between The Beach and Bluewaters into an evening spectacle from 5 December.
yapped Editors · Nov 11, 2026 · 1 min read
Quick facts
- Dates
- 5 December 2026–17 January 2027
- When
- Nightly, 7.30pm–10.30pm
- Where
- The bay between The Beach, JBR and Bluewaters
JBR’s towers are becoming part of the show. This winter’s Dubai Shopping Festival waterfront programme will combine projections on selected buildings with drones and lasers over the bay between The Beach and Bluewaters.
The nightly programme begins on Saturday 5 December, a day after DSF opens. It gives winter visitors, families and anyone planning dinner by the water another reason to make an evening of it.
“That spreads the action across the buildings, water and sky.”
What Will You See?
The announced format includes two drone shows set to music, architectural laser mapping on selected JBR towers and a laser display with its own soundtrack. A floating platform of searchlights will sit in the middle of the bay.
That spreads the action across the buildings, water and sky. For once, “look up from your phone” comes with a fairly convincing incentive.
Plan Around the Show, Not Just the Window
The published 7.30pm–10.30pm window covers the evening’s programming. It does not establish when each drone show begins, or mean one continuous three-hour performance.
Those individual timings will matter if you’re bringing younger children or fitting the show around dinner. For now, save a December evening rather than committing to a particular restaurant sitting for the view.