Good beats, great eats
Dubai’s favourite weekend of music, fashion, art, and sport is about to get a lot tastier. This year, Sole DXB is giving food its moment in the spotlight — turning Dubai Design District (d3) into a playground for flavour from 12 – 14 December 2025.
The region’s most influential culture festival has always been about discovery, but this year, it’s the dining that takes centre stage. Expect a mix of elevated plates, neighbourhood gems, and cult-favourite comfort food, all dished out with the festival’s signature creative edge.
The Elevated Edit
Leading the charge in Sole DXB’s new dining zone is The Maine, serving up its classics with a twist — think tuna and salmon bowls made just for the festival and the return of its famed fried chicken and caviar combo. Varak will sweeten things up with its modern Middle Eastern desserts, while Eleven Green flips its award-winning Bull Burgers straight off the grill.
For something fresh, MamaFri is introducing a “Mitsu”-inspired Japanese menu built around three stations — wok, fry, and steam — all celebrating Asian-style comfort food with a street vibe.
Neighbourhood Finds and Indie Favourites
Sole DXB has always championed local talent, and this year’s food line-up does just that. Mihbash brings a taste of Emirati street eats, Soil goes plant-powered, and Mirzam serves up handcrafted bean-to-bar chocolate. Cooling things down are Pop Culture’s natural ice pops, Club Ocha’s Thai iced teas, and MyGovindas’ vegetarian Sattvic bites.
Festival-goers can also look forward to dishes from Miss Lily’s, the Caribbean hotspot returning to the festival, along with Neo Temaki by Dubai chefs Neha Mishra and Panchali Mahendra, Camino, Barrad, Piehaus, Yava x Tonton, and more — creating a food map as diverse as the city itself.
The Return of the Crowd-Pleasers
Of course, it wouldn’t be Sole without some familiar favourites. Shake Shack is back, this time teaming up with Sole DXB for its Ball For All basketball activation. Al Mallah will keep the shawarmas spinning, Bigface brings the caffeine, and Noon will once again push the boundaries of dessert with ice cream flavours like 98 Petrol, Colgate, and Lurpak Butter (yes, really).
Add Bonbird’s fried chicken, One Life’s fresh doner concept, and PDL’s vibrant salads to the mix, and you’ve got a line-up that caters to every craving.
A Culinary Experience
For the first time, Sole DXB brings together fine dining, indie kitchens, and everyday favourites under one roof — or rather, under the open skies of d3. It’s a celebration of what makes Dubai’s food scene so unique: its creativity, diversity, and boldness.
With support from Visit Dubai and Dubai Design District (d3), Sole DXB 2025 promises a weekend of discovery — where great music meets great taste.
Image credit: Supplied
Curious, expressive, and always chasing new ideas, Zainab sees creativity as a way of life. She thrives on discovering new perspectives, connecting with people, and turning inspiration into something tangible. Her work and her world reflect a balance of intuition, imagination, and authenticity.
