Food and beverage events in Dubai in 2027: the full calendar, big and small, and how F&B brands can make the most of it

The short answer: Dubai's 2027 food and beverage calendar is busiest from January to May. World of Coffee Dubai runs from 26 to 28 January, Ramadan is expected to begin around 8 February, and Gulfood, the region's biggest food trade show, runs from 15 to 19 March. Around these sit dozens of smaller moments: weekend food markets, Global Village, beach food festivals, restaurant awards, cultural celebrations and international food days. Each one is a reason to launch a menu, run an offer or post content, and the brands that plan their photography, video and menus four to eight weeks ahead get the most from them.

We checked every date below against organisers' announcements and news reports on 11 November 2026 (see the sources at the end). Where an event had not announced its 2027 dates, we say so and give the previous year's dates as a guide. Always confirm with the organiser before you book anything.

2027 at a glance: the major F&B trade shows

Dubai food and beverage events in 2027, month by month

Running into 2027: events that start in late 2026

• Dubai Shopping Festival: 4 December 2026 to 17 January 2027, citywide. Malls, restaurants and cafés run offers across the festival.
• Global Village: Season 31 opened on 14 October 2026 and runs until May 2027. Its country pavilions include a wide range of food stalls and kiosks, open every evening.
• Ripe Market: every Saturday and Sunday from 10 October 2026 to 2 May 2027 at Dubai Police Academy Park in Umm Suqeim, with more than 100 small and medium businesses each week. A natural fit for home-grown bakeries, coffee brands and food start-ups.
• Beach Canteen: the beach food festival returns to Nessnass Beach in December 2026. Its spring dates vary from year to year (the 2025 edition ran from 27 March to 13 April), and 2027 dates had not been announced.
• Liwa International Festival: 12 December 2026 to 3 January 2027, a winter festival in the Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi.
• Dubai Racing Carnival: the 2026 to 2027 season of race meetings at Meydan builds up to the Dubai World Cup on 27 March 2027. Race nights bring large crowds and corporate hospitality.

January

• Dubai Shopping Festival continues until 17 January.
• Hero Dubai Desert Classic: 21 to 24 January at Emirates Golf Club, the 38th edition of the golf tournament, bringing visitors and corporate hospitality to the area.
• World of Coffee Dubai: 26 to 28 January at Dubai World Trade Centre. The sixth edition of the region's specialty coffee show, run with the Specialty Coffee Association.
• The 50 Best Restaurants Middle East & North Africa: reported for January 2027 in Abu Dhabi, under a new name. The exact date had not been confirmed. The 2026 list was revealed on 3 February 2026.
• Ramadan preparation: January is when restaurants, bakeries and hotels shoot and design their iftar and suhoor menus.

February

• Chinese New Year: Saturday 6 February, the start of the Year of the Goat. A good moment for Asian restaurants and dessert brands.
• Ramadan: expected to begin around Monday 8 February, subject to the moon sighting. Iftar, suhoor, hampers and delivery bundles dominate the month.
• Valentine's Day: Sunday 14 February. Set menus, cakes and gift boxes.
• Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships: the WTA calendar lists the women's week for 14 to 20 February, followed by the men's ATP week. Check the tournament's site for the full schedule.
• Sharjah Ramadan Festival: 2027 dates not yet announced. In 2026 it ran from 15 February to 25 March, combining shopping promotions with Ramadan events across Sharjah.
• Taste of Dubai: 2027 dates not yet announced. The 2026 edition ran from 6 to 8 February at the Dubai Media City Amphitheatre.

March

• Eid Al Fitr: expected on Tuesday 9 or Wednesday 10 March. Family dining, sweets, gifting and brunches.
• Gulfood: 15 to 19 March across Dubai World Trade Centre and the Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai. The biggest food and beverage trade show in the region, for producers, brands, distributors and exporters.
• Mother's Day: Sunday 21 March, the date it is celebrated in the UAE and much of the Arab world. Brunches, cakes and flowers-and-dessert gift sets.
• Easter: Sunday 28 March. Brunches, chocolate and hot cross buns for hotels, cafés and bakeries.
• Dubai World Cup: Saturday 27 March at Meydan Racecourse, the 31st edition and the biggest race night of the year. Race-day brunches, hospitality packages and dress-up dining make it a strong weekend for hotels and restaurants.

April

• What's On Dubai Awards: a ticketing listing shows the 2027 awards night on Thursday 1 April. Treat that as provisional until the organiser confirms it.
• Dubai Food Festival: 2027 dates not yet announced. Dubai Restaurant Week, part of the festival, ran in May in 2026 (see May below).
• End of the outdoor season: April is usually the last month of comfortable evening weather before summer, so it is a good time for terrace and beach venues to push outdoor offers.

May

• Ripe Market closes its season on 2 May, and Global Village closes in May.
• Arabian Travel Market: 3 to 6 May at Dubai World Trade Centre. A travel and tourism show, relevant to hotels and hospitality brands.
• Dubai Restaurant Week: 2027 dates not yet announced. In 2026 it ran from 1 to 17 May with more than 125 restaurants taking part.
• Eid Al Adha: expected around Sunday 16 May, with the public holiday expected from 15 to 18 May. Family feasts, catering and hampers.

June

• The Hotel Show Dubai: 1 to 3 June at Dubai World Trade Centre, co-located with INDEX and WORKSPACE. For hotel F&B teams and hospitality suppliers.
• Father's Day: Sunday 20 June. Steak, burger and brunch offers.
• Islamic New Year: expected on Sunday 6 June (1 Muharram 1449), subject to the moon sighting. A public holiday and a quieter family occasion.
• Summer menus: June is when cafés and dessert brands launch iced drinks and summer specials, so shoot them in May.

July and August

• Dubai Summer Surprises: 2027 dates not yet announced. The 2026 edition ran from 2 July to 30 August, with dining offers alongside retail.
• World Chocolate Day: 7 July. An easy content hook for dessert, bakery and chocolate brands.
• Liwa Date Festival: 2027 dates not yet announced. The 2026 edition ran from 14 to 23 July in Liwa, Al Dhafra, celebrating the UAE's date harvest.
• Back to school: late August. Lunchbox, breakfast and family meal deals.
• Emirati Women's Day: 28 August. A chance to feature women chefs, founders and team members.

September

• Yummex Middle East: 2027 dates not yet announced. The sweets and snacks trade show was held at Dubai World Trade Centre in mid-September in 2026.
• The new season: September is when restaurants plan autumn menus and the October to December festive season, so it is the month to book shoots.

October

• International Coffee Day: Friday 1 October. A natural content day for cafés and roasters.
• World Food Day: Saturday 16 October, the United Nations' annual food day. A good hook for sustainability and local sourcing stories.
• Diwali: Friday 29 October (local observance can shift by a day). Sweets boxes, thalis and festive menus for Indian restaurants and sweet shops.
• Halloween: Sunday 31 October. Themed desserts and kids' menus.
• The new outdoor season: Global Village and Ripe Market both reopened in October in 2026. Their 2027 to 2028 dates will be announced closer to the time.

November

• Gulfood Manufacturing: 1 to 3 November, moving to the Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai. For food manufacturers, ingredients, packaging and processing.
• UAE Flag Day: 3 November. The start of the National Day build-up, when many venues add flag-coloured specials and displays.
• GulfHost, the Middle East Organic and Natural Product Expo and the Dubai International Food Safety Conference: 2027 dates not yet announced. In recent years they have all been held in November.
• Dubai Fitness Challenge: 2027 dates not yet announced. The 2026 edition ran from 31 October to 29 November, a good fit for healthy menus and smoothie and protein bowl offers.
• Emirates Dubai 7s: 2027 dates not yet announced. The 2026 edition runs from 27 to 29 November at The Sevens Stadium, three days of rugby, music and food.
• Commemoration Day: 30 November, a day of remembrance. Keep marketing respectful and pause promotional posts on the day.
• Taste of Abu Dhabi: 2027 dates not yet announced. The 2026 edition runs from 13 to 15 November at Gateway Park North on Yas Island.

December

• UAE National Day: Thursday 2 December. Emirati flavours, red, green, white and black themed specials, and family offers.
• Abu Dhabi Grand Prix: 10 to 12 December at Yas Marina Circuit, the Formula 1 season finale and a Sprint weekend in 2027, and one of the biggest hospitality weekends in the UAE. Reports note that the Middle East races depend on the regional situation, so watch for updates.
• Christmas: 25 December. Festive menus, brunches, cakes and gift boxes.
• New Year's Eve: 31 December. Packages, set menus and drinks.
• Dubai Shopping Festival 2027 to 2028: the 2026 to 2027 edition started on 4 December. The 2027 to 2028 dates will be announced later in 2027.

Sport and entertainment events that fill restaurants

Some of the busiest nights for Dubai's restaurants have nothing to do with food. Big sporting events bring visitors, corporate hospitality and watch parties, and the venues that plan for them benefit.

For each one, plan a themed menu or package, photograph it two to three weeks before, and post it when tickets go on sale, which is when people start planning their weekend.

Awards to watch in 2027

Restaurant awards are small events with a big effect on bookings. Being shortlisted or winning gives you strong content for months, as long as you have the photography to back it up.

• The 50 Best Restaurants Middle East & North Africa: reported for January 2027 in Abu Dhabi.
• What's On Dubai Awards: listed for 1 April 2027 (provisional).
• MICHELIN Guide Dubai: 2027 date not yet announced. The 2026 selection was revealed on 6 October 2026 at Atlantis The Royal.
• Time Out Dubai Restaurant Awards: 2027 date not yet announced.

Two kinds of event, two kinds of preparation

The calendar mixes trade shows, where brands sell to buyers, distributors and other businesses, with consumer moments, where restaurants and cafés sell to diners. They need different content.

• Trade shows (World of Coffee, Gulfood, Arabian Travel Market, The Hotel Show, Gulfood Manufacturing, Yummex) need clean product photography, catalogue and price-list layouts, stand graphics, a short brand film for the stand screen, and social content during the show.
• Consumer moments (Ramadan, Eid, festivals, markets, food days, cultural celebrations) need a well-designed menu or offer, appetising food photography, short reels and delivery-app images, all ready before the offer goes live.
• Markets and pop-ups (Ripe Market, Global Village, Beach Canteen) need strong signage and menu boards, packaging that photographs well, and content that tells people where to find you that weekend.

How to prepare for the big 2027 dates

World of Coffee Dubai, 26 to 28 January

Coffee is hard to photograph well: crema fades and milk foam collapses within minutes. Roasters and cafés exhibiting or launching around the show should shoot in early January with drinks made on set, and plan pour and latte-art clips for reels. Bag and packaging shots on a clean background work for both the stand and online listings. See our beverage and drink photography.

Ramadan, expected from around 8 February

Ramadan is the most important consumer season of the first half of 2027. Iftar and suhoor menus, hampers and delivery bundles need photographing before the month starts, which means shooting in early to mid January. Plan one hero image per offer, a short reel for each, and menu artwork that matches the photos. Our work for Oma Bakery's Ramadan campaign shows the kind of product and campaign content we produce.

Gulfood, 15 to 19 March

Gulfood falls shortly after Ramadan is expected to end, so exhibitors who are also busy with Ramadan should shoot their Gulfood content in January or early February. Buyers judge a brand fast, so the essentials are:

• Consistent product photography for the catalogue, stand graphics and online listings.
• A 30 to 60 second brand or product film that works silently on a stand screen.
• Pre-show social posts that tell buyers where to find you, and daily content during the show.
• A follow-up pack after the show: product sheets and images buyers can use straight away.

Our product photography and food video production cover all four.

Ripe Market, Global Village and pop-ups

Small brands at weekend markets compete with dozens of stalls. A clear menu board, packaging that looks good on camera and a few strong product photos for Instagram stories make the difference. Post on Friday so people plan their weekend visit, and reuse the same images on delivery apps if you sell online.

Dubai Food Festival and Restaurant Week

Restaurants that want to take part should have a clear set menu, photographed dish by dish, and a short reel ready as soon as the dates and participation details are published.

The Hotel Show, 1 to 3 June

For hotel F&B teams and hospitality suppliers, this is a chance to show outlets, menus and products to the wider industry. Restaurant interiors, plated signature dishes and chef portraits work best. See our hotel and fine dining photography.

Gulfood Manufacturing, 1 to 3 November

Manufacturers, packaging and ingredient brands need product and packshot photography, process video from the production line, and technical sheets designed to match. Start in September to leave time for approvals.

Food days and cultural dates

Days such as International Coffee Day, World Chocolate Day, Chinese New Year and Diwali are small, but they give you a reason to post and a reason for customers to visit. Plan a simple offer or a special for each relevant date, and shoot several at once to keep costs down.

The winter season: National Day, Christmas and New Year's Eve

Our guides on UAE National Day marketing, Christmas promotions and New Year's Eve bookings cover these in detail.

When to shoot for each event

Event playbook: what each event is worth and how to measure it

Not every event suits every brand. Use this to decide where to spend your time and budget, and set a simple measure for each one before you start, so you can tell next year whether it was worth it.

A sample 12-month content plan for a Dubai restaurant

Here is how the calendar turns into a content plan. The key is to shoot a month or two ahead, so each row shows what you should be producing or posting in that month.

Grouping shoots saves money: one January shoot can cover Valentine's Day, Chinese New Year, Ramadan and Eid, and one September shoot can cover Diwali, National Day and Christmas.

Common mistakes around big events

• Leaving the shoot too late. Editing, approvals and printing all take time, and studios and stylists get booked up before Ramadan and Gulfood.
• Ignoring the small dates. One food day or cultural date a month keeps your social feed active between the big events.
• Using phone photos on a trade stand. A stand is judged in seconds, and buyers compare you with the stand next door.
• Different visuals everywhere. The menu, the delivery app, the stand and Instagram should all use the same photography so the brand is recognisable.
• No follow-up. Leads from trade shows go cold quickly without a product pack and images to send straight after.

How Food On Focus can help you make the most of 2027

Food On Focus Media is a food and beverage creative agency in Dubai. We plan, shoot and design the content that event moments depend on, and we can plan a full year of shoots around the dates that matter to your brand:

• Food photography for menus, campaigns and delivery apps, with in-house food styling.
• Product and packshot photography for Gulfood catalogues, stands, market stalls and online listings.
• Food video and reels, from short social clips to stand-screen brand films.
• Menu design for Ramadan, Eid, Restaurant Week, festive set menus and market menu boards.
• Social media management to plan and run a year-round posting calendar built around these dates.
• Branding and design for stand graphics, catalogues, packaging and launch materials.

Tell us which 2027 events matter to your brand and we will put together a content plan and timeline for each. Get a quote or message us on WhatsApp. For the wider business calendar, our sister company Zarak Events lists the events in Dubai and the UAE in 2027.

Related reading: New Year’s Eve restaurant marketing in the UAE, Christmas marketing for restaurants in the UAE, Diwali celebrations in Dubai: a guide for F&B brands, how to market a beverage brand in the UAE and Dubai restaurant industry statistics.

Frequently asked questions

Which sports events in Dubai are good for restaurants in 2027?

The Hero Dubai Desert Classic (21 to 24 January), the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (from 14 February), the Dubai World Cup (27 March) and the Emirates Dubai 7s (late in the year) all bring visitors and corporate hospitality. The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (10 to 12 December) is one of the biggest hospitality weekends in the UAE.

How far ahead should F&B brands plan content for events?

Four to eight weeks for most events, and longer for trade shows. Group shoots to save money: one January shoot can cover Valentine's Day, Chinese New Year, Ramadan and Eid.

When is Gulfood 2027?

Gulfood 2027 runs from 15 to 19 March 2027 across two venues: Dubai World Trade Centre and the Dubai Exhibition Centre at Expo City Dubai.

What are the main food and beverage events in Dubai in 2027?

Confirmed trade shows include World of Coffee Dubai (26 to 28 January), Gulfood (15 to 19 March), Arabian Travel Market (3 to 6 May), The Hotel Show (1 to 3 June) and Gulfood Manufacturing (1 to 3 November). Ramadan is expected to begin around 8 February. Ripe Market and Global Village run until May 2027.

Which smaller food events happen in Dubai in 2027?

Ripe Market runs every weekend until 2 May 2027 at Dubai Police Academy Park, Global Village runs until May, and Beach Canteen returns to Nessnass Beach. Award nights such as the What's On Dubai Awards, and dates such as Chinese New Year, Mother's Day, International Coffee Day and Diwali, add more moments through the year.

When does Ramadan start in 2027 in the UAE?

Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin around 8 February 2027, with Eid Al Fitr expected on 9 or 10 March. The exact dates depend on the moon sighting and are confirmed by the UAE authorities shortly before.

When is the Dubai Food Festival in 2027?

The 2027 dates had not been announced at the time of writing. Dubai Restaurant Week, part of the festival, ran from 1 to 17 May in 2026.

When should a restaurant shoot its Ramadan content for 2027?

Early to mid January 2027. That leaves time to edit, design the menu and schedule posts before Ramadan begins around 8 February.

What content does a brand need to exhibit at Gulfood?

Consistent product photography for the catalogue and stand, a short brand or product film for the stand screen, pre-show and live social content, and a follow-up pack of product sheets and images for buyers.

Can Food On Focus help with content for Gulfood and other events?

Yes. Food On Focus Media provides food and product photography, food styling, video and reels, menu design, branding and social media management for F&B brands in Dubai and across the UAE, and can plan a year of shoots around the 2027 calendar.

Sources

Dates were checked against these sources on 11 November 2026. Fixed dates such as Valentine's Day, Easter and international food days are not listed. Always confirm with the organiser before booking.

• Gulfood: exhibitor information for 15 to 19 March 2027
• Comunicaffe: World of Coffee Dubai, 26 to 28 January 2027
• The Hotel Show Dubai: 1 to 3 June 2027
• Gulfood Manufacturing: 1 to 3 November 2027, Dubai Exhibition Centre
• TradeArabia: Arabian Travel Market 2027
• Zawya: Dubai Shopping Festival, 4 December 2026 to 17 January 2027
• Khaleej Times: Global Village Season 31 opens on 14 October
• Khaleej Times: Ripe Market 2026 to 2027 season
• Binayah: Beach Canteen returns to Nessnass Beach in December
• Gulf News: expected Ramadan and Eid dates for 2027
• Khaleej Times: likely Ramadan and Eid dates for 2027
• Farmers' Almanac: Chinese New Year date
• Drik Panchang: Diwali date
• Al Khaleej: 50 Best Restaurants MENA in Abu Dhabi in January 2027
• Platinumlist: What's On Dubai Awards 2027 listing
• Zawya: MICHELIN Guide Dubai fifth edition, 6 October 2026
• Arabian Business: Taste of Dubai 2026
• Curly Tales: Dubai Restaurant Week 2026
• WAM: Dubai Summer Surprises
• WAM: 22nd Liwa Dates Festival
• Abu Dhabi Media Office: Liwa International Festival 2026
• Gulf News: Taste of Abu Dhabi 2026
• WAM: Dubai Fitness Challenge 2026
• Dubai Municipality: Dubai International Food Safety Conference
• WAM: Hero Dubai Desert Classic, January 2027
• AllSportDB: WTA Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships 2027
• WAM: Dubai Racing Carnival and the 31st Dubai World Cup
• Khaleej Times: 2027 Formula 1 calendar
• WAM: Emirates Dubai 7s 2026
• Gulf News: UAE public holidays 2027, including Islamic New Year
• WAM: Sharjah Ramadan Festival 2026