On Tuesday 2 December 2025, Marsa Boulevard at Dubai Festival City will host a dedicated UAE National Day celebration along the Dubai Creek waterfront, turning the promenade into a long evening of cultural shows, live music and family activities. Official event listings describe it as a headline National Day programme for the new seasonal boulevard, running as part of the wider Eid Al Etihad calendar across Dubai. The setting brings together the new waterfront pop-up destination and the city’s patriotic festivities in one place, with food concepts, performances and fireworks layered into a single experience. This is a one day National Day programme on Tuesday 2 December 2025, anchored at Marsa Boulevard in Dubai Festival City. (family-friendly, suitable for couples and solo visitors)
Cultural shows music and National Day programme
According to the official programme description, Marsa Boulevard’s National Day celebration focuses on a “vibrant lineup of special activations and dining experiences” along the promenade. That translates into live music on the waterfront stage, roving performers, heritage themed activities and interactive stations designed to bring families and neighbours together. Meanwhile, the food offering leans on the boulevard’s mix of homegrown cafés and pop ups, with many outlets expected to run themed menus or offers for the evening. Guests can also anticipate a National Day themed fireworks display over the creek as part of the celebrations, timed to enhance the atmosphere after dark. The programme blends cultural shows, live music, interactive family zones and a fireworks display into one continuous National Day experience. (family-friendly, suitable for couples, groups and solo visitors)
Timings for Tuesday celebrations and evening flow
Event listings currently show the UAE National Day Celebration at Marsa Boulevard starting at around 4:00 PM on Tuesday 2 December 2025 and continuing until approximately 1:00 AM. In practice, that means the programme will build gradually, with families likely to arrive from late afternoon to enjoy early entertainment and creekside views. As evening falls, shows and performances are expected to concentrate around the main stage and activation zones, leading into a fireworks moment in the mid evening window. Because the experience is designed as a flexible promenade rather than a fixed seat show, visitors can arrive early, take dining breaks inside Dubai Festival City Mall and then return to the boulevard. Plan your visit around the 4:00 PM to 1:00 AM window, with the busiest period concentrated between early evening and just after the fireworks. (family-friendly, suitable for all age groups)
Ticket prices activities and age guidance
Current ticketing information for the UAE National Day Celebration at Marsa Boulevard lists entry starting from approximately 150 AED, with some platforms highlighting “tickets from AED 150” without detailed category breakdowns. It is reasonable to expect higher price points for closer viewing areas or bundled experiences, although exact tiers may vary as the date approaches. The event is clearly pitched as a family experience, with marketing emphasising interactive activities, dining and fireworks rather than a single main stage concert. However, younger children may find the late hours and holiday crowds tiring, so parents may want to focus on the earlier part of the evening. Budget for tickets starting from approximately 150 AED per person and treat the celebration as a broadly family oriented, all ages event. (family-friendly, suitable for couples, groups and solo visitors)
What to expect around Marsa Boulevard
Marsa Boulevard itself is a seasonal waterfront destination at Dubai Festival City, laid out as a promenade with cafés, restaurants, pop ups and cultural spaces facing the creek. During its 2025–2026 season, guides describe it as “bigger, better and more dynamic,” with new concepts, local brands and immersive experiences. The design encourages strolling, sampling different food stands and discovering small art and retail corners rather than staying in one seat for the whole night. On National Day, this layout should translate into a festival feel, with visitors moving between dining terraces, performance pockets and viewing areas for the fireworks. Because Marsa Boulevard is built as an open waterfront promenade, comfortable walking shoes and a relaxed, exploratory mindset will make the evening much more enjoyable. (family-friendly, suitable for couples, food lovers and culture seekers)
Driving and parking at Dubai Festival City
Drivers heading to Marsa Boulevard will follow signs to Dubai Festival City, then to Festival Centre and the waterfront parking zones closest to the creek. The official event address sits near Al Kheeran in Dubai Festival City, with internal signage leading to Marsa Boulevard entrances and mall car parks. On standard evenings, parking capacity across Dubai Festival City Mall and surrounding structures is substantial, yet National Day programmes and concurrent mall activity can still push the system to its limits. In particular, ramps leading directly to bays near the waterfront may back up from early evening as more visitors aim for the closest access points. Parking capacity feels effectively limited around Marsa Boulevard itself during peak National Day hours, so arriving early or accepting a slightly longer walk from a distant bay is a wise strategy. (family-friendly, suitable for residents driving from Deira, Bur Dubai, Business Bay and Dubai Marina)
Travelling from other Emirates for the event
Visitors from Sharjah will usually approach Dubai Festival City via Al Ittihad Road or Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road, then connect to Business Bay Crossing or Al Garhoud Bridge before following signs to the mall and waterfront. Because Tuesday 2 December 2025 is the heart of the Eid Al Etihad holiday, late afternoon and early evening traffic on these corridors can grow heavy as families head for events and fireworks locations. Guests from Ajman or Umm Al Quwain often follow similar routes, which increases journey times and exposure to congestion, especially near creek crossings. Meanwhile, drivers from Abu Dhabi typically stay on Sheikh Zayed Road, then switch toward Dubai Festival City using major interchanges, with realistic travel times stretching to an hour and a half or more in busy conditions. Adding at least thirty to forty minutes to normal inter emirate estimates will greatly improve the chance of catching both the early cultural shows and the evening fireworks without rushing. (family-friendly, suitable for organised family trips and groups of friends)
Who will enjoy this National Day evening
The UAE National Day Celebration at Marsa Boulevard is designed for visitors who want a flexible, outdoor way to mark Eid Al Etihad without committing to a single seated performance. Families can arrive earlier in the afternoon to let children enjoy open air activities and creekside walks before the late evening crowds build. Couples and groups of friends may prefer to reserve a table at one of the boulevard’s restaurants, using the concert and fireworks as a backdrop to a longer meal. Solo visitors who mainly want to soak up atmosphere can move between the stage area, photo spots and quieter corners of the promenade at their own pace. This is an inclusive, open programme that best suits people who enjoy lively waterfront crowds, varied entertainment and the freedom to shape their own National Day schedule. (family-friendly, suitable for couples, groups and solo visitors)
Weather clothing and practical closing advice
For Tuesday 2 December 2025, the Dubai forecast points to a pleasantly mild winter evening, with daytime highs around 27–29 degrees Celsius and temperatures during event hours near 24–26 degrees, under mostly clear or partly cloudy skies with no rain expected. Light, breathable clothing will feel comfortable during the late afternoon, but a thin jacket, hoodie or shawl is sensible once you spend longer periods standing by the creek or near the water, where a breeze can make it feel cooler. Traffic on roads feeding Dubai Festival City, especially around Business Bay Crossing and internal access ramps, is likely to peak between about 6:00 PM and 8:30 PM, so arriving from 5:00 PM onwards can significantly reduce pressure around parking and entry points. Public transport combinations, such as metro to a nearby Red Line station followed by taxi or ride share, can work well for those who prefer not to drive into holiday congestion. Ticket prices and access policies for the UAE National Day Celebration at Marsa Boulevard are currently advertised as approximately 150 AED and may shift slightly as demand evolves, so checking your booking details close to the date remains important. According to recent National Day roundups prepared by editors at www.few.ae, the most relaxed experiences at Marsa Boulevard belong to visitors who secure their tickets early, plan their transport with extra time and dress for both warm afternoons and cooler creekside evenings. (family-friendly, suitable for anyone who wants a smooth, well prepared National Day celebration in Dubai)
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