This week is all about design — it is going to be everywhere.

Mostly because, of course, Dubai Design Week is taking over d3. Installations, artworks, ideas — get ready for a visual overload (in the best way).

But it is not just DDW. Leila Heller Gallery opened new shows, Kito Jempere brings the full Sandy Times sound to Gaba, and there is a new interiors spot to check out — and grab a latte — at Modora Home. Plus, Chef Kelvin Cheung’s 852 Bakery is pretty much where your weekend plans begin.

Where? d3

Once a year, Dubai becomes the meeting place for everyone who is in love with design — from designers and architects to curious visitors wandering through installations and pop-ups. This year’s Dubai Design Week (November 4–9) revolves around the theme of community, reflecting how design connects people and shapes the spaces we share.

Across d3, you’ll find large-scale outdoor installations, open studios, talks, workshops, and the region’s biggest design fair, Downtown Design (November 5–9), alongside Editions, its boutique offshoot for collectable design. The festival also features the annual Abwab pavilion — this year exploring “In the Details” — and new projects reimagining how we gather and interact in public spaces.

The whole district turns into a living showcase of ideas — part exhibition, part gathering, part creative energy that runs through the city for one week only.

Where? The Summer Garden, Level 1, ICD Brookfield Place

Opening on November 5, Saudi artist Nasser Almulhim presents his new body of work, High Spirits. Expanding his exploration of abstraction beyond the canvas, Almulhim invites viewers into vibrant, living fields of colour and rhythm — a choreography of structure and release that feels both meditative and full of energy.

Where? Leila Heller Gallery, Warehouse 86/87

Crowns & Leaves: The Blue Season is a solo exhibition by Reza Derakshani, marking his first presentation in New York in more than five years. The show features eleven paintings from three of the artist’s major series — Day and Night / Fig Leaf, Rain / Day, and Crowns.

The colour blue lies at the heart of this exhibition — a hue deeply rooted in Persian culture, long associated with divinity, nobility, and the vastness of nature, from the Caspian Sea to the domes of ancient minarets. In The Blue Season, Derakshani invites viewers to immerse themselves in this meditative world — to experience its shifting tones, layered meanings, and quiet transformations.

Where? Gaba, M Level — Marina Promenade — Dubai Marina

The Sandy Times presents STR IN FULL — a night to experience the vibe of Sandy Times Radio in real life.

Behind the decks: Kito Jempere — our creative director, artist, and the guy who somehow knows everything about music (we still don’t get how). He’ll be taking over the night with sounds across the whole STR spectrum.

Where? Modora, Al Barsha 2, Umm Suqeim - Dubai

Modora Home opened its doors on October 30, 2025 — a new UAE-born interiors brand that brings emotion and storytelling into home design. The two-floor showroom in Umm Suqeim features a curated mix of modern furniture, rugs, and décor pieces designed to bring warmth, balance, and effortless style to any space.

And it is more than just a store: Modora Home teamed up with Mokha 1450 to open an in-house coffee corner — a place to pause, get inspired, and design in comfort. The space also includes cozy work areas and a private room with full material samples, created as a hub for designers and homeowners to collaborate and create freely.

Where? Jun’s, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Blvd — Downtown Dubai

Chef Kelvin Cheung — the mind behind Jun’s, Little Jun’s, and Jooksing — is adding something new to his line-up this season: 852 Bakery, a weekend pop-up inside Jun’s.

Think inventive bagel sandwiches, Hong Kong milk tea, matcha and hojicha drinks, and loaves of fresh bread — all in a relaxed, sunny setting just in time for patio season.

Note: pop-up runs from Friday to Sunday, 12:00 pm–6:00 pm

So just lean into it — it is Monday.