Summer, after all, is the season of balance. The pace isn't frenzied, but the opportunities are there if you wish to stretch your mind, your body, or simply your tolerance for air conditioning. The final week of it arrives carrying a lesson: that wellness, work, late nights, and sheer relaxation can all happily coexist, provided you schedule wisely (and perhaps have a very good nap in between). From sound healing to cocktails, movie premieres to staycations, here is your perfectly balanced guide for the week beginning August 26.

If your idea of relaxation is a scented candle and an STR playlist titled “Zen on the loop”, brace yourself. Sacred Soundspace at TODA is sound healing turned on its head: ancient instruments meet beatboxing, flutes meet live looping, and the result is less spa music, more cosmic rave for the soul.

Gongs, crystal bowls, hang drums, kalimbas, didgeridoos — it is basically a Noah’s Ark of instruments, all designed to rattle your chakras into alignment. Musicians Vlad and Anna layer sound and visuals until you are floating in a 360° sensory cloud. It is immersive, experimental, and possibly the only time a jaw harp solo will feel life-changing.

Note: bring your own mats, blankets, and eye masks if you want the full cocooning experience. Think wellness festival, but horizontal.

Midweek motivation, but make it liquid. For one night only, GABA welcomes Simone Caporale, co-founder of SIPS Barcelona, the bar that has topped (and nearly topped) the World’s 50 Best list like it is a competitive sport. Expect award-winning cocktails so inventive you will briefly forget you live in a city that regularly feels hotter than the surface of the sun.

Details: GABA, Dubai Marina, from 7 PM

For those who think their life is dramatic, Darwish is here to recalibrate. Con artists, espionage, resistance fighters — this Egyptian thriller is a swirl of betrayal, redemption, and heists glamorous enough to make your office politics look tame. Starring Amr Youssef, Dina El Sherbiny, and Tara Emad, the film promises both high-stakes chaos and just enough romance to keep things interesting.

Catch it at VOX Cinemas across the UAE and beyond from August 28. Perfect for date night, or simply for enjoying the air conditioning while pretending you too could pull off a revolutionary disguise.

She tried to say goodbye — but fortunately for us, Macy Gray is very much still here. The soul and R&B icon celebrates 25 years since her triple-platinum debut, bringing hits, nostalgia, and that raspy, unforgettable voice to the Coca-Cola Arena.

If you have ever screamed “Why Didn’t You Call Me” into a hairbrush (and you absolutely have), this is your chance to do it with thousands of strangers, legally. A concert that will be equal parts emotional catharsis and cardio workout.

Tickets are available here.

Before the school run takes over and your Google Calendar becomes your enemy, sneak in one last mini-holiday. The First Group Hospitality is offering 36-hour staycations across six hotels — and our choice is The First Collection Waterfront. Think early check-in (from 6 am), late check-out (at 6 pm), spa discounts, and enough family perks to trick you into believing relaxation and parenting can exist in the same sentence.

It is summer’s final fling, and frankly, you deserve to be horizontal by a pool with a mocktail in hand.

The official itinerary: nothing. Stay home, read by the pool, or nap with zero guilt. You are not missing out — FOMO is cancelled today. It is the last day of summer; you have earned the right to press pause.

September arrives, and suddenly you feel like colour-coordinating your spreadsheets. Luckily, piehaus at Alserkal Avenue has arrived just in time. A minimalist wonderland of concrete, steel, and wood, it is part café, part Instagram backdrop, part excuse to eat phyllo pies that will undo every gym session you ever pretended to enjoy.

The coffee is excellent, the elderflower matcha cloud is a conversation starter, and the pies — flaky, buttery, filled with all things glorious — are worth every treadmill confession. Come for a work meeting, stay because you are “networking” (with carbs).

Great news! Our radio now has its very own app — your gateway to exclusive mixes, curated playlists for every mood, and podcasts featuring the most inspiring stories from the worlds of art, fashion, and beyond. Don’t miss out — download the STR app today and take the sound with you wherever you go!

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