Dubai is gearing up for its biggest Eid celebrations this weekend with a plethora of entertainment options being laid out for people of all cultures and ages - from shopping and music concerts featuring top international, Arabic and Indian singers to water balloon bash and fireworks.

Residents and visitors, who will be in Dubai during the Eid Al Adha festival, will be spoilt for choice, said the organisers Dubai Events & Promotions Establishment (DEPE).

In keeping with Dubai’s cosmopolitan culture and inclusiveness, 'Eid in Dubai' will boast of several entertainment options for all cultures and ages. While the innovative 24-hour shopping format ‘Dubai 24 Hours’ continues for the second weekend of ‘Eid in Dubai’ on October 25 and 26 at selected malls, it will be hard to walk about in the city without bumping into a good time on the three days of the festival, so choc-a-bloc is the events calendar.

For music lovers, Eid starts off with a bang. The first day of the festival – October 26 – is when Latin heartthrob Enrique Iglesias croons at his best in the city. His performance at the Dubai World Trade Centre’s Sheikh Saeed Hall is being billed as the biggest indoor concert ever in the Middle East, said the DEPE in its statement.

"Lovers of Bollywood music will have it equally good on October 26 when Shreya Ghoshal, the reigning diva of the genre, takes to the stage at the Madinat Jumeirah auditorium to work the magic of her voice into the lilting melodies she has become so popular for," said the organisers.

And for Arab music lovers, there is Rotana concert series featuring Saudi Arabian singer Rabih Saqer, famous for his soulful rendition of the number “Sahratna Al Laila.” He will be performing at the Grand Habtoor Hotel on October 27, the second day of Eid, which will be followed the next day with a performance by Iraqi singer Majed Al Muhandis at the same venue.

Young Pan-Arab Lebanese star Melhem Zain will be hosted by Rotana at the Intercontinental Festival City hotel on the second day followed by compatriot Fares Karam, who is a famous exponent of the Dabkha style. The final performance of the day will be at the Intercontinental Festival City hotel fom Lebanese singer Nahwa, said the DEPE statement.

Children will also be having an especially good time as they go on a play date with Noddy, their beloved toy buddy, and all his friends at the Madinat Jumeirah’s First Group Theatre.

Author Enid Blyton’s perennial favourite toy character will grace the stage with two shows on Saturday and three shows on Sunday. In an extension of the Eid celebrations, ‘Noddy in Toyland’ will also be held on October 29, it said.

Meanwhile, the Ductac auditorium at Mall of the Emirates will host on all three days of Eid the Bahraini child prodigy Hala Al Turk, who will star in a children’s play titled “Journey of a Lifetime” with multi-talented Kuwaiti artiste Bashar Al Shatti. The play seeks to teach kids lessons of life with a theme dealing with contentment, and the pains of growing up.

For sports fans, there will be much action as basketball’s legendary Harlem Globetrotters performs live at the Dubai Tennis Stadium in Garhoud. Also the Dubai Water Balloon Bash, part of ‘Dubai Water Bash Day’ will be held at Zabeel Park on Saturday, said the DEPE statement.

Added to all this will be the daily dose of fireworks over the Dubai Creek, the varied attractions of Global Village and the Eid Fun Fair at Zabeel Park, as well as the Eid Dhiyafat programme and Ediyat Dubai promotion at various shopping malls, look set to make Eid Al Adha this year one of the most memorable celebrations ever experienced in Dubai, it added.-TradeArabia News Service