Updated
Three ways to spend Thursday 31 December 2026, each with clock times: free in Downtown’s public viewing areas, a dinner and a party from AED 250 per person, or a paid seat at the Burj Khalifa show, which cost AED 997.50 last season.
The times are from last New Year’s Eve (31 December 2025) unless a line says otherwise. No official plan for 31 December 2026 is out yet: no road closures, metro hours, beach rules or list of fireworks locations. Last season the plan came on 26 December 2025. We update this page the day it is out.
Sunset on 31 December 2026 is at 5:40pm, and it is dark soon after 6pm. Midnight has averaged about 22°C on the last ten New Year’s Eves.
Last season the roads around Burj Khalifa closed in steps from 4pm to 11pm, and the metro was timetabled to run all night, from 5am on 31 December to 11:59pm on 1 January.
| Time | What to do |
|---|---|
| Before 4pm | Be inside Downtown. Emaar’s advice last season was to arrive before 4pm, when road closures could begin. Taxis reached Downtown only until then. |
| Before 5pm | If you come by metro, use Financial Centre or Business Bay. Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall station was due to close to entry from 5pm, or earlier if full. That was RTA’s plan as reported by Khaleej Times. |
| 5pm | Emaar’s celebrations in Downtown start. Pick one of the ten free areas and stay there: each closed to new arrivals when it was full. |
| 5:40pm | Sunset. |
| Midnight | The fireworks. |
| After midnight | Walk to Financial Centre, Business Bay, Emirates Towers or World Trade Centre station. Just after midnight RTA said Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall station was closed. |
| By 1:19am | Sheikh Zayed Road was reported open again. |
Based on Emaar’s instructions and RTA’s plan for 31 December 2025, and on Gulf News’s live blog of the night.
Cost: nothing for the view. Bring water. Emaar’s pages disagreed on whether you may eat in the free areas. The ten areas are named on our free viewing spots page.
Three venues listed on this site take New Year’s Eve enquiries now. Vesna is listed from AED 250 per person, OCCO Hessa from AED 350 and OCCO Business Bay from AED 990. All three are promoted listings, and none has a fireworks view.
| Time | What to do |
|---|---|
| This week | Message the venue on WhatsApp. Ask for the seating time, what the price covers and the deposit. |
| 5:40pm | Sunset. It is dark soon after 6pm. |
| Evening | Go early. OCCO Business Bay is close to Downtown, where roads closed in steps from 4pm last season, so ask it which way to come. |
| Midnight | The countdown at your table. You will not see the fireworks from these three venues. |
| After midnight | Sheikh Zayed Road was reported closed at about 11:39pm and open again by 1:19am last season. The metro was timetabled to run all night. |
Last season’s ticket was AED 997.50 per adult and AED 577.50 for ages 5 to 12, without food or drink. Emaar has not published its programme or put tickets on sale for 31 December 2026 yet. We update this page the day it does.
| Time | What to do |
|---|---|
| Late November | Buy online. Last season tickets were on sale by 24 November 2025. |
| 26 to 30 December | Collect your badge at Dubai Mall or Dubai Hills Mall. No badges on 31 December. |
| 12 noon | Doors open. |
| By 4pm | Be there. Emaar’s advice was 4pm at the latest. After 4pm, badge holders parked at Al Wasl Club or Al Meydan and took Emaar’s shuttle. |
| 5pm | Entertainment starts. |
| 6pm | Final entry, according to Platinumlist, the ticket seller. Once you leave, you cannot come back in. |
| Midnight | The fireworks. |
| 12:30am | Emaar’s shuttles back to the car parks start. |
| 1am to 2am | Cars could leave Dubai Mall parking, depending on the authorities. |
Based on Emaar’s Burj Park page, FAQ and event guide for 31 December 2025, and on Platinumlist for the final entry.
Prices, gates and rules are on our Emaar NYE 2027 page.
With children: Global Village held seven countdowns from 8pm last season, included in the entry ticket, and Expo City Dubai’s event ran from 8pm to 1am for AED 150, with a children’s countdown at 9pm.
The beach: the JBR fireworks were listed for 11:59pm, and private cars were barred from 4pm under RTA’s plan. See JBR and Bluewaters.
The top end: a gala dinner. This season’s Atlantis gala starts at AED 8,500 per adult. See our Atlantis page.
A dinner anywhere: last season the typical offer started at AED 1,195 per person. The cost guide has the numbers by area.
Agree a meeting point with your group before you set off, and a second plan in case your area is full.
Last season 37 help tents stood at the celebration sites, and Dubai Police took calls on 999 for emergencies and 901 for everything else.
These venues take New Year's Eve enquiries on WhatsApp now. You book directly with the venue, and we charge no fee.
OCCO's own building on Hessa Street in Al Barsha 3: dinner, a terrace and shisha, away from the Downtown crowds. Mocktails and juices, children welcome.
From AED 350 per person guide price
Call +971 50 905 2216
Restaurant and lounge in Al Safa 2, near Jumeirah: live fire kitchen, live sets and shisha until late.
From AED 250 per person guide price
Call +971 4 343 3375
Dinner, a late lounge with a bar and a shisha terrace at Hyde Dubai, on the canal in Business Bay.
From AED 990 per person guide price
Call +971 56 430 5280
See these venues on one page →
Tell us how many you are and what you want to spend. We reply on WhatsApp with a shortlist, and it costs you nothing.