Street food, emerging designers, live beats and immersive experiences
Love the foodie pop-ups in Dubai? Everyone’s favourite e& MOTB (Market Outside The Box) has returned for a new edition running for a limited time only until January 11, 2026.
The experience is part of the Dubai Shopping Festival. The 13th edition is taking place at the iconic Dubai Design District (d3) Waterfront with a redesigned layout, immersive futuristic activations, food and beverage offerings, shopping opportunities, and plenty of fun entertainment.
The best news? It’s free entry.
Here’s everything you need to know about e& MOTB
Dining and retail
As with every edition, e& MOTB shines a spotlight on Dubai’s thriving SME landscape alongside international newcomers.
Expect over 90 brands spanning fashion, beauty, wellness, lifestyle, collectibles, and street-food concepts.
For food, the options span The Yard, Slice 45, Oma Bakery, RHRN, Bond Matcha, Eat BTWN, TRD Tacos, Wok The Wok, Mihbash, Dizi Café, Bar Baar, Noodle Box, Amoodi’s Creamery, Misto Café, Roll’d, Little Pinch, The Cut by Maitha and much more.
For retail options, there’s Terribly Real, Sugar Lab, Hype Selection, Cre8, Oud Cady, Kool Kaos, Ashri Skin, By Farida & Co, Office Thirteen, Shabab Edition, Tuffy Cosmetics, Ryoko, Unshown DXB, Palmeira, Komusta, Jonquille, Naksha, Not Friends, Gateway Collection, Swirly Wirly, Lamita Jewels, Elise Wear, Razfa, Sxill Lab, SNGLZ, Ego Sustainable, Ryoko and others.
Beauty fans will be thrilled to know The Glow Bloc is returning, with Kayali, MAC, NARS, and Dyson offering glow-up activations and bespoke beauty experiences.
Entertainment
While you’re there, you can be entertained by an array of performances spanning DJs, talented live bands, energetic dance troupes, and more.
As part of the lineup, e& MOTB is hosting two major free-to-attend headline concerts. On January 2, Belgian-Moroccan superstar DYSTINCT takes over the main stage with his global Afrobeats and R&B sound, and on January 10 we will be entertained by Turkish rap sensation Lvbel C5.
*Marsa Boulevard returns to Dubai Creek*
Immersive experiences
Looking for ‘Grammable content? Head to the immersive space – Journey to 2126 – where there’s an interactive doodle room, an upside-down train cabin, a futuristic sampling lounge, and an infinity mirror room.
At the Emarat Station, you can see what a reimagined future petrol station could look, complete with a 360° video booth, a gamified loyalty activation, and stylised fuel-dispenser installations.
Want to get creative? There are a number of hands-on workshops to participate in, including tote bag customisation, slime workshops, lip gloss making, embroidery, and much more.
Important details
Location: Dubai Design District (d3) Waterfront
Date/Times: Until January 11, Mon to Thurs 4pm to 10pm, Fri 4pm to 12am, Sat and Sun 12pm to 12am
Tickets: Free entry
Contact: @dubaifestivals
Images: Supplied and Instagram
