Dubai's longest-running independent culture festival is back this December, and it's doing things a little differently. Sole DXB runs Friday 11 to Sunday 13 December 2026, and after more than a decade at d3, the event is relocating to The Square in Nad Al Sheba. Daily hours run from 4pm to 2.30am, with tickets from Dhs495 via platinumlist.net.
The music line-up is the main draw. Friday 11 December opens with Welsh electronic brothers Overmono, whose sets blend 90s rave energy, breakbeats, UK garage and melancholic techno (expect 'So U Kno' and 'Pure Devotion'), plus multi-instrumentalist Masego's sax-and-soul warm-up.
Saturday 12 December is arguably the deepest day. South London's Lola Young makes her Dubai debut on the main stage, riding her breakout hit 'Messy' alongside 'One Thing' and the Tyler, The Creator collaboration 'Like Him'. She's joined by rapper Smino's soulful, funk-leaning set and Nia Archives, a leading name in the jungle and drum & bass revival. Over on Stage Two — dubbed The Alternative & Global Hub — jazz drummer Yussef Dayes and producer-composer Matthew Herbert, known for building tracks from field recordings and everyday sounds, get their own slot.
Sunday closes big: Nigerian Afrobeats star Rema headlines the main stage with 'Calm Down' and 'Charm' in his catalogue, supported by UK R&B-meets-Afrobeats singer Odeal and rising Saudi neo-soul artist Hajaj. Stage Two rounds out the weekend with Malian Wassoulou singer-guitarist Fatoumata Diawara, retro-futuristic New Delhi band Peter Cat Recording Co., Egyptian-Lebanese indie duo Maii and Zeid, and DJ Gia Fu spinning Afro-Latin and salsa cuts.
Music is only part of it. Sole DXB started life as a sneaker summit and grew into a regional celebration of street culture, so expect fashion and art installations, retail pop-ups, talks, food and basketball alongside the gigs. More programme announcements are expected before the gates open.
For travellers, this is one of the region's best excuses for a December city break: warm weather, a festival that runs late into the night, and a line-up that spans Afrobeats, UK electronic music, West African jazz and regional indie acts you won't catch on the same bill anywhere else. Just note the venue change — Nad Al Sheba, not d3 — when booking accommodation.
