If you thought this week in Dubai would be a little quieter — think again. There is a lot happening, and once again, we have picked the events we’d genuinely go to ourselves.

Start by getting lost in John Dilg’s "Found and Lost", then make time for the newly opened Daniel’s Room by Daniel Arsham (where coffee, design, and every detail just hit right) and finish with a stop at Cocina Tres for bold Mexican flavours.

On the agenda too: Reel Palestine at Cinema Akil, Secta Garage Open Air (doing something unreal every single time), and Vinyl Souk’s Mini Festival, drifting between vinyl sessions, live music, talks, screenings, and dancefloors across the city.

Where? Taymour Grahne Projects — Dubai, Alserkal Avenue, Warehouse 31A

American artist John Dilg transforms familiar landscapes into contemplative, dreamlike worlds charged with memory and meaning. Rooted in abstraction, his earth-toned paintings explore seascapes, forests, waterfalls and solitary figures, balancing solitude and recognition within nature’s vastness.

"Found and Lost", Dilg’s latest body of work, reflects his awe at the natural world and his concern for its fragile future. Drawing inspiration from found images, the artist reimagines fragments of reality into symbolic landscapes where water, trees and moons become vessels of memory. These works invite reflection on our relationship with nature, time and loss.

Where? Dubai Mall, Daniel’s Room

Just opened at Dubai Mall on January 25, Daniel’s Room is a café by artist Daniel Arsham, offering specialty coffee, light bites, and pastries in a design-forward space.

Daniel Arsham writes: “I designed every detail of the space, from the furniture to the plates, glasses, and spoons. I spent months developing and testing the menu as well, from the coffee to every pastry and cake. Nothing here is by accident.”

Beyond the food, the café also offers limited editions of Arsham’s work, including books, plates, glasses, and objects created specifically for the space.

Where? Pullman Downtown Level 2

The same team behind Dubai favourites Miss Lily’s and Honeycomb Hi-Fi (VKD Hospitality) has opened a new spot — this time Mexican — called Cocina Tres.

Get ready for plenty of handmade tortillas, tacos, and all the authentic flavours of Mexican cuisine.

Where? Cinema Akil, Alserkal Avenue, Warehouse 68

Reel Palestine returns to Cinema Akil for its 12th edition, running from January 23 to February 1, with a programme featuring 11 feature films and 29 screenings, including two Academy Award–nominated titles. The festival offers a powerful look at contemporary Palestinian cinema across fiction and documentary.

On Friday, January 30, the festival presents two documentary screenings.

At 7:00 pm, With Hasan in Gaza by Kamal Aljafari unfolds as an intimate portrait of nine-year-old Hasan growing up amid the ruins of Gaza. Blending lived reality with cinematic memory, the film reflects on childhood, war, and resilience through a deeply personal lens.

At 9:15 pm, Who Is Still Alive by Nicolas Wadimoff brings together nine voices from Gaza, each recounting life before and during the war. As they redraw their neighbourhoods in chalk — Jabaliya, Nuseirat, Khan Younis — the film becomes a fragile yet powerful act of remembrance, reclaiming humanity, dreams, and presence in the face of erasure.

Full programme and schedule are here.

Where? Jebel Ali, The Garage

These guys are at it again — and, as usual, it is something unreal.

Secta kicks off the 2026 season with a multi-room edition, taking over the Garage area from their last Open Air.

This capsule mini-festival will unfold across three areas inside a unique abandoned industrial space, featuring an extensive line-up and a dedicated art hub. Expect Secta’s signature high-quality production and curation, exclusive art and design collaborations, special Secta merch, and a vinyl listening corner in collaboration with Killacuts Amsterdam.

10 hours of music, fun, and pure joy, across an indoor/outdoor setting made for the dancefloor.

Line-up: Lacchesi; Dea b2b Ju Lovett (Groove Stage); Kirill Zhan b2b Cyrill Reaidy; Baby B b2b Shellwell; KA$HEW (Ghetto Stage)

Grab your tickets here.

Where? 25hours Hotel One Central

Vinyl Souk is back with its Mini Festival — third edition and still all about music, community, and regional voices.

On February 1, the festival takes over 25hours Hotel One Central from 4 PM till late, turning the hotel into a place to move through all day — from vinyl sessions and talks to live shows and late-night dance floors.

The day kicks off at Nomad Day Bar with vinyl at the centre, featuring Unfamiliar Familiar by Disc Jockey, the DMC Middle East Showcase, a deep-digging set by Vik Sohonie, and a soulful close by Somalie. Cinema Akil hosts a DJ workshop, a talk on the future of music, and the Dubai premiere of Mixtape.

Elsewhere, Monkey Bar leans into experimental club sounds with the Jugaar Records Showcase, the Terrace brings groove-led energy via Feedasoul Records, while Room #3 and the Secret Garden carry the live acts and tropical rhythms into the night.

No extra plans on Mondays. Just ease into the week and don’t overload yourself.