Hope you are feeling energetic — we have lined up an active week. Why not sneak in a midweek workout and then reward yourself with an art-filled weekend? Dubai is buzzing: new menus, openings, gigs, exhibitions — plenty to choose from. We picked the good stuff so you don’t have to doom-scroll.

Where? Dubai Opera Plaza, Downtown Dubai, UAE

Bisou has just launched its new late-night dining concept, Le Grand Bisou. Available daily from 9 PM until late, it offers a refined four-course experience with bold flavours, premium ingredients, and Bisou’s signature sophistication.

The evening begins with a welcome drink and a platter of signature bites, followed by starters ranging from Grande Salade Verte with pistachio sauce to seafood creations and modern takes on classics, like Artichoke Carpaccio with parmesan or Beef Tartare with golden fries.

For the mains, diners can choose dishes that showcase Bisou’s French–Middle Eastern flair: slow-cooked Lamb Shoulder with parsnip mash, fresh Salmon with broccolini and green sauce, or Rigatoni Cacio e Pepe elevated with Comté cheese. Dessert brings indulgent favourites such as Opera Cake, Baked Alaska, Chocolate Cake, or delicate Honey Cake, served with tea or coffee.

Beyond the food, Bisou itself is an experience. Designed by acclaimed architect Tristan Du Plessis, the ultra-chic interior blends French romantic touches — checkered floors, curated bookshelves, art-filled walls — with natural materials and a grand central staircase. Whether it is your first visit or a return, the space promises to captivate.

Drag yourself out of bed and join Jumeirah Jones Running Club at 6:00 AM for a Canal Bridge Hills session. Start your morning strong with intervals, hills, and that midweek push you need to power through the week.

Where? Barre Effect, 114 Al Ferdous 4, Al Wasl Rd

Looking for a way to move, stretch, and reset after summer? Head to Barre Effect, Dubai’s ladies-only barre studio, and get back into your routine.

This week, there are also special offers to make it even better:

— Bring Your Bestie — sign up with a friend and you both get a free class (all through September).

— Back to Barre — enjoy 20% off 5, 10 or 20 class packages from 8–14 September.

Sounds good, doesn’t it? So turn your Thursday into a feel-good barre session.

Where? Honeycomb Hi-Fi, Pullman Dubai Downtown, Marasi Drive, Business Bay Level 2

Kito Jempere, Creative Director at STR, a person who plays sets non-stop around the world (Dubai, Saint Petersburg, Osaka — literally day after day; if you thought he ever takes a break, he doesn’t). And still, he finds time to produce music — his brand-new EP Infinite Azure just dropped on Mule Musiq, the legendary Japanese label that has been at the core of the scene since 2004.

This Friday at Honeycomb Hi-Fi, he is debuting the record live. For Kito, it is also a special Dubai story.

And yes, this night Kito will showcase STR Vision at Honeycomb — a set that fully reflects the music you hear on STR Radio. By the way, STR Radio now has its own app — download it here and keep the music close.

Where? Zawyeh Gallery, Unit 27, Alserkal Avenue

How does one make art in the face of genocide? For Palestinian artist Ruba Salameh, the answer lies in abstraction. Her paintings connect across generations, drawing inspiration from artist and historian Kamal Boullata, and revisiting the persistent symbolism of the Palestinian flag.

By reducing her colour palette, Salameh transforms the flag’s hues into spaces of grief, dissent, and collective identity. Layers of paint — applied, erased, and reapplied over months or years — echo memory, loss, and belonging.

A recurring motif in her work is the ant: fragile yet enduring, scattered yet communal. Crawling across the surface, they embody persistence, rootedness, and everyday survival under the weight of occupation.

Where? Jameel Arts Centre, Jaddaf Waterfront

Zheng Bo’s practice cultivates kinship with plants, working across dance, film, drawing, and installation to explore our relationships with the living world.

During his research in the UAE, he became fascinated by the Samur tree (Umbrella Thorn Acacia) — one of the Arabian Peninsula’s most resilient species, offering food and shelter to humans, animals, and insects, and celebrated in poetry, literature, and religion. For his Artist’s Garden commission, Zheng Bo choreographed a dance between two performers and a Samur tree in the Mleiha desert, paying homage to its strength and vitality. The performance is presented as a film installation, set within a landscape of indigenous desert plants.

Born in Beijing and now based in Hong Kong, Zheng Bo works with “human and more-than-human” collaborators. His projects — from weedy gardens to ecoqueer films — have been shown at major biennials and institutions worldwide, and his works are held in collections including the Power Station of Art (Shanghai), Hong Kong Museum of Art, Singapore Art Museum, and the Hammer Museum (Los Angeles).

No, no — don’t ask us to recommend anything for Monday. Monday is MONDAY. Accept that the workweek has started — that is it. Don’t overwhelm yourself.