Where to watch Dubai's NYE fireworks free

The four free grandstands

Burj Park and the Boulevard for Burj Khalifa (arrive by 6pm). JBR Beach for Ain Dubai (8 to 10pm). Kite Beach and Sunset Beach for Burj Al Arab (by 10pm). Palm West Beach and The Pointe for Atlantis (by 10pm).

Every spot above is genuinely free. The difference between a great night and a stressful one is only the arrival time.

Which free spot is best?

For scale: Downtown, if you commit the whole evening to it. For families: JBR Beach. For photographs: Kite Beach facing the sail. For crowd-to-view ratio: Palm West Beach, the local secret.

The one rule

Decide your exit before you pick your spot. Downtown means metro; the beaches mean walking a little further than you parked. Nobody drives away from a fireworks show in Dubai at 12:10am.