Dubai Design Week brings exhibitions and a weekend market to d3

Dubai Design Week will hold its 12th edition at Dubai Design District (d3) from November 3 to 8, 2026, with installations, exhibitions, talks and workshops. According to Gulf News, festival admission is free, while the Downtown Design fair requires a separate ticket.

Key facts

• When: Tuesday, November 3, to Sunday, November 8, 2026

• Where: Dubai Design District, Dubai

• Entry: Festival admission is free; Downtown Design tickets start at Dh80 on Platinumlist

• Design fair: Downtown Design runs November 4 to 8

• Marketplace: November 7 and 8

• Parking: Two hours free, then Dh20 per hour

What is on at Downtown Design?

Downtown Design presents contemporary design from international brands and regional studios from November 4 to 8.

Exhibitors include glassmaker Venini, outdoor furniture company Ethimo and kitchen appliance brand Gaggenau. Kohler will showcase work developed jointly with Agata Kurzela, an architect and designer based in Dubai.

Regional participants include Tashkeel’s Tanween Design Programme and the Athath Fellowship from Abu Dhabi. Iwan Maktabi will introduce work by Nadine Kanso and Omar Al Gurg, incorporating references to calligraphy, UAE symbols and the traditional majlis.

Other highlights include a Memphis Milano exhibition and a Buccellati pop-up involving Luke Edward Hall. Tristan Auer is the keynote speaker for The Forum, the fair’s talks programme.

Which outdoor installations can visitors explore?

Public areas throughout d3 will host installations exploring shared spaces, craft and materials.

The Urban Commissions winning project, Three Gardens and a Room by NAO Architects, places a gathering area between three gardens. Planting, shade and filtered light shape the space.

CHATAI 2.0, by Nikken Sekkei and SOBOKUYA, combines a timber structure with areas for communal making. ALTER’s Playing Field turns Ludo into an interactive installation, while aestudio uses reclaimed concrete rubble to create architectural forms.

Rasha Saffarini’s Taqleem draws inspiration from palm-tree trimming. Readers interested in the wider built environment can explore Guide of Dubai’s guide to Dubai’s futuristic architecture.

What exhibitions, workshops and shopping are planned?

The programme includes themed exhibitions, practical workshops and a market on the final weekend.

Exhibitions

Abwab becomes a collective exhibition called In Other Words, examining language through signs, gestures, interfaces and oral histories. The UAE Designer Exhibition, themed Inherited Futures, features designers reworking inherited materials and practices.

L’École will present research on goldsmithing methods from the Second Iron Age. For related reading, see the site’s guide to Emirati heritage and traditional crafts.

Workshops and Marketplace

Maker Space workshops welcome participants of every age and ability. Contributors include University of the Arts London, SAE University College, HKS Architects and Leica Camera.

On November 7 and 8, the outdoor Marketplace will sell homeware, jewellery, clothing and sustainably produced goods from independent makers and homegrown businesses. Food, activities for children and live performances are also planned.

How do you get to d3?

Visitors can reach d3 using the Metro followed by an RTA bus, or drive and use district parking.

Dubai Mall/Burj Khalifa is the closest Metro stop to d3. From there, take bus D03 to Dubai Design District 1. Shuttle services connect that stop with the Downtown Design fair.

Parking is free for the initial two hours, with each additional hour charged at Dh20. Several locations across d3 offer valet parking.

What does this mean for visitors?

Choose your date around the parts of the programme you want to attend: Downtown Design starts on November 4, while the Marketplace runs only on November 7 and 8.

Budget separately for the fair and parking beyond two hours. Consult the festival website for the full programme before planning individual sessions.

For a separate sightseeing activity, visitors can also review Dubai Iconic Places Tour options.

Details can change; check the official announcement before you travel.

Prepared by Yasin Toktaş with AI assistance for drafting, corrections and proofreading.