A Christmas Carol Outdoor Movie Night 2026 in Dubai

The A Christmas Carol outdoor movie night brings Charles Dickens’ festive ghost story to the lawn at JLT Park in Dubai on Saturday 26 December 2026. It is part of Cinema Under the Stars, the free weekly open-air film series in Jumeirah Lakes Towers, and the film starts at 7:30pm in Cluster Q, the evening after Christmas Day.

No ticket is needed to watch from the grass, screenings carry English and Arabic subtitles, and you are welcome to bring your own blanket, chair and picnic, as long as you leave your patch of lawn clean.

Dickens’ A Christmas Carol on the big screen

Few stories are as closely tied to the season. Dickens’ novella was first published in London on 19 December 1843 by Chapman & Hall, with illustrations by John Leech, and it was an instant success: the first printing sold six thousand copies within days. Instead of chapters, Dickens divided the book into five “staves”, like the verses of a carol.

The story opens on a cold Christmas Eve in London, seven years after the death of Jacob Marley, business partner of the miserly Ebenezer Scrooge. Marley’s ghost warns Scrooge that he will be visited by three spirits, the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Yet to Come, who show him how his choices have shaped his own life and the lives of the people around him, from his loyal clerk Bob Cratchit and young Tiny Tim to his cheerful nephew Fred. It is a tale about kindness and second chances, and seeing it the day after Christmas suits it well.

Which version of A Christmas Carol is showing?

JLT has not said which screen version will play, and there are plenty to choose from. The 1951 British film starring Alastair Sim, released as Scrooge in the UK and as A Christmas Carol in the US, is the version many critics rank first. The 1992 Muppet Christmas Carol, directed by Brian Henson with Michael Caine as Scrooge alongside the Muppets, is a long-standing family favourite. Disney’s 2009 A Christmas Carol, directed by Robert Zemeckis, uses computer-animated motion capture, with Jim Carrey playing Scrooge and the three ghosts.

The tone varies a lot between them, and some versions have genuinely spooky ghost scenes. If you are bringing younger children, check the title with JLT closer to the date: films in the series are announced about two weeks in advance.

How the A Christmas Carol outdoor movie night in Dubai works

The screen goes up in JLT Park, Cluster Q, between Splendour Fields and the children’s playground. Watching from the lawn is free and open to everyone, so most people spread out a blanket or set up a folding chair. Food and drinks are allowed, which makes it easy to turn the evening into a post-Christmas picnic with leftovers from the day before.

If you would rather not sit on the grass, a limited number of reserved beanbag spots near the front of the screen come with a large popcorn. They are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, so they tend to go to those who book quickly.

One rule worth knowing: pets are not allowed at the screenings, even though JLT Park is popular with dog owners during the day.

JLT Park and Cinema Under the Stars

Jumeirah Lakes Towers is the mixed-use district run by DMCC on Sheikh Zayed Road, opposite Dubai Marina, with its towers grouped in lettered clusters. JLT Park sits at the centre of the community, on land created when one of the original man-made lakes was drained, and it has a children’s playground, a jogging track and a basketball court. The clusters around it, including Q, are among the most family-focused parts of JLT, which is why the cinema feels like a neighbourhood gathering as much as a film night.

Cinema Under the Stars has become a fixture of the cooler months. The 2024 to 2025 season ran on Saturdays between 16 November 2024 and 22 February 2025, and the 2025 to 2026 season continued every Saturday until 14 February 2026, with a mix of animated and family titles such as Wall-E and The Greatest Showman. This season the screenings run every Saturday until 30 January 2027. Earlier in December you can catch the Detective Pikachu outdoor movie night, and the series returns in the new year with Elio at JLT Park on 2 January.

Getting to Cluster Q

According to JLT, the park is about a five-minute walk from Sobha Realty Metro Station on the Red Line, using Exit 1 and walking through Cluster R. Paid parking is available in Clusters Q and R and at JLT Park itself, and taxis can drop off at Cluster Q, Cluster R or the park. There is level access from the promenade, which helps with pushchairs and wheelchairs, and accessible toilets are located in Cluster Q.

The cafés and restaurants around the JLT lakes are a short walk away if you would rather eat before the film than bring a picnic.

Who will enjoy it

This screening suits families who want a relaxed outing in the quiet days between Christmas and New Year, couples and friends who grew up with one version of Scrooge or another, and JLT residents who simply want to stroll down to the park. Because it is free and outdoors, it is an easy plan for visitors staying nearby in Dubai Marina or JLT too.

For more festive plans, browse our guide to things to do in December, see what is on for children on the kids’ events in Dubai page, or explore more things to do in Dubai.