Christmas Day Brunch at McGettigan’s Souk Madinat Jumeirah

The Christmas Day Brunch at McGettigan’s Souk Madinat Jumeirah brings a traditional festive feast to Dubai’s canalside Irish pub on Friday 25 December 2026. Running between 12.30pm and 4.30pm, it pairs roast turkey, glazed ham and all the trimmings with live festive entertainment, served against the Madinat waterways with the Burj Al Arab as a backdrop.

McGettigan’s itself bills this as its most sought-after festive brunch, and it is easy to see why: you get the comforting Christmas lunch many people grew up with, delivered with the noise and warmth of an Irish pub, and then step outside onto one of the city’s most photographed waterfronts.

McGettigan’s Madinat Christmas brunch: the feast

According to McGettigan’s official event page, the Christmas Day Brunch features a festive feast built around roast turkey, glazed ham and traditional trimmings. It is a classic Christmas lunch rather than a fusion menu, which is exactly what most people booking an Irish pub on 25 December are looking for.

Live festive entertainment runs throughout the afternoon, keeping the mood sociable from the first course to the last round. The venue describes the brunch as family-friendly, and the packages reflect that, with dedicated options for children as well as adults.

Choosing your package and table

McGettigan’s sells the brunch in several tiers, and the choice you make shapes where you sit as much as what you drink:

• Soft Package: the feast with soft drinks, suited to drivers and anyone not drinking alcohol.
• Premium Indoor: the feast with a premium drinks package, seated inside the pub.
• Premium Outdoor: the same premium package, seated outside on the terrace.
• Under 12 and Under 6 packages: separate children’s tiers for younger guests.

There is also a waterside table supplement per person, subject to availability. If the view of the Burj Al Arab across the water is the reason you are booking, the Premium Outdoor package combined with the waterside supplement is the one to request, and it is worth asking for it at the time of booking. Current rates for every tier are shown in the booking box on this page. Alcohol is served only to guests aged 21 and over, so bring valid ID if you choose a premium package.

The setting at Souk Madinat Jumeirah

McGettigan’s Souk Madinat sits on the Madinat canals and combines traditional Irish pub charm with a waterfront setting. Its terrace faces the Burj Al Arab and is the stage for much of the venue’s live music, alongside a large outdoor LED screen used for sport during the rest of the year. On Christmas Day, that terrace becomes the most sought-after part of the pub.

The wider souk adds to the occasion. Each December, Madinat Jumeirah stages its Festive Market on Fort Island inside the souk, and in 2025 it ran between 5 and 31 December with free entry, festively decorated abra rides through the waterways and family attractions such as a North Pole train ride and a Venetian carousel. The 2026 dates had not been announced at the time of writing, but if the market returns on a similar schedule, it makes a natural post-brunch stroll. It also means the souk gets busy, so allow time to arrive and park.

Who the brunch suits

This brunch is a good fit for families who want a traditional Christmas lunch without the cooking and washing up; the Under 12 and Under 6 packages make it much easier for parents to bring the whole family. It also suits groups of friends and colleagues spending Christmas in Dubai who want a classic roast with a lively atmosphere, and visitors in the city for the holidays who want a Christmas Day with a view they will remember.

If you prefer something quieter, the indoor tables offer the same feast and entertainment away from the busiest part of the terrace. They also suit anyone who would rather avoid the afternoon sun, since the brunch spans the brightest hours of the day.

How to book

Bookings are made online through the Book Here link on McGettigan’s official Souk Madinat Jumeirah event page at mcgettigans.com, linked from this listing, which takes you to the venue’s reservation system. Choose your package when booking and request the waterside supplement at the same time if you want a canal-front table. The 2025 edition of this brunch sold out, so leaving it late is a risk.

McGettigan’s is also running a Christmas Day brunch at Brasserie by McGettigan’s in Expo City for anyone based further south. For a different style of festive lunch, see the Irish Village Christmas Day Lunch, browse our dinner and brunch listings, or check what else is on in things to do in December and across things to do in Dubai.

Roast turkey, live entertainment and a terrace facing the Burj Al Arab: McGettigan’s Souk Madinat Jumeirah makes Christmas Day feel both traditional and unmistakably Dubai.