Art lovers have probably been waiting for this week for months — Art Dubai officially begins, and the city is packed with gallery openings, exhibitions, and creative pop-ups. But beyond the fair itself, there is also a new café opening in Al Quoz, KLO hosting another Open Decks night at Reunion, free coffee and croissants from Jones the Grocer, wearable art at d3, and intimate showcases spotlighting regional artists and designers. Here is what to add to your calendar this week in Dubai.

Where? Q East, Al Quoz

A new café concept has landed in Al Quoz as The Mark opens in Q East, bringing together comfort food, specialty coffee, and vintage aesthetics in a space designed around modern nostalgia.

The Mark reimagines classic dishes and desserts through a more refined, contemporary lens. The menu ranges from elevated veggie sandwiches and perfectly seared steaks to desserts inspired by global favourites like banoffee, Black Forest cake, and Basque cheesecake.

The café also brings a playful approach to specialty coffee, turning dessert-inspired flavours into signature drinks. One of the standout creations takes cues from the classic French Mont Blanc, blending rich, pastry-like notes into a more contemporary coffee experience.

Inside, restored vintage cars from the 1980s sit alongside minimalist interiors, giving the space a distinct mix of retro character and modern design.

Where? Reunion

Taking over Reunion on Wednesday, May 13, Open Decks by KLO returns with another community-driven night spotlighting the next wave of local DJs.

Created as a platform for emerging artists, Open Decks gives beginner and developing DJs the chance to play live, build confidence behind the decks, and connect with Dubai’s growing music scene in a more accessible environment. The concept is aimed at artists who may not have landed club gigs yet or are still finding their sound and audience.

Hosted by KLO, the night focuses on experimentation and creating space for new talent to step into live performance.

This edition’s lineup includes TØKI, DEEJWL, DJ Strange, The Latina, Saint, Haysam, Deem, and E.LIAS, with sets running throughout the evening at Reunion.

Where? Jones the Grocer

Jones the Grocer is treating its community to complimentary coffee and croissants this Thursday, May 14. After a successful giveaway last week on May 7, the café is bringing the offer back for one more day.

From 11 am until 11 pm, guests can stop by participating locations to grab a free coffee and croissant combo. So if you missed it last week, this is your second chance.

Where? Madinat Jumeirah

Art Dubai returns to Madinat Jumeirah from May 15 to 17 with a reimagined 20th edition bringing together galleries, installations, performances, talks, screenings, and public programming from across the region and beyond.

The fair will feature more than 45 gallery presentations spanning contemporary, modern, and digital art, with a strong focus on galleries that have shaped Dubai and the wider region’s art scene over the years. Around 60% of participating galleries come from the region, alongside international exhibitors and first-time participants.

Beyond the gallery programme, Art Dubai expands across the city through collaborations with institutions including Alserkal Avenue, Art Jameel, Barjeel Art Foundation, Dubai Collection, and Sharjah Art Foundation. Visitors can expect large-scale installations, performances, screenings, talks, and new commissions integrated throughout the fair.

Highlights include the 20th edition of the Global Art Forum titled Before and After Everything, a major presentation from Dubai Collection, an exhibition of modern Arab art from the Barjeel Art Foundation, and a programme of site-specific installations by artists including Khalid Al Banna, Hashel Al Lamki, Kevork Mourad, and Sudarshan Shetty.

Where? Double J Collective Gallery

Opening on May 15 at Double J Collective Gallery in Dubai Design District, RE-FLEKT is a new solo exhibition by artist Armin Najib exploring the space between sculpture, wearable art, and object design.

Working with metal, structure, and form, Najib creates pieces that feel both engineered and instinctive — shaped through experimentation rather than rigid planning. Influenced by his background in mechanical engineering, his practice moves through ideas of magnetism, balance, material tension, and transformation.

The works in RE-FLEKT exist somewhere between jewelry, sculpture, and functional objects. Some can be worn, others simply held or experienced spatially, but all are designed to be encountered up close, where texture, weight, and construction become part of the experience itself.

Where? Cassette Cafe Dubai

On May 16, UAE-born lifestyle brand Made to Muse will host its first-ever pop-up event at Cassette Cafe Dubai, bringing together contemporary art, design, and everyday objects in an intimate one-night format. The event will run from 7 PM to 10 PM.

Blurring the line between collectable art and functional design, Made to Muse collaborates with regional artists — Wissam Shawkat, Ibrahim Zaki, LMNBCK (Naji Al Ali), and Toka Asal — to transform original artworks into pieces meant to be lived with, from apparel and accessories to homeware and printed objects.

For one evening, guests will be able to explore the brand’s full collection in person, including calligraphic apparel, sculptural homeware, graphic wearables, illustrated notebooks, and premium silk shawls. A curated selection of pieces will also be available for purchase during the event.

Where? Tashkeel Nad Al Sheba

Now open at Tashkeel’s Nad Al Sheba gallery, Unfolding is a new solo exhibition by Emirati artist Moza Al Falasi exploring memory, grief, and the emotional traces people and places leave behind. Running until June 26, the exhibition brings together photography, painting, sound, plaster, and fabric in an immersive installation shaped by fragments, textures, and quiet absences.

The exhibition moves through themes of personal and inherited memory, where childhood, family history, and loss overlap in soft, layered ways. Images of women and olive trees appear throughout the works as symbols of resilience and endurance.