Sole DXB 2026 in Dubai

Sole DXB 2026 in Dubai returns from Friday 11 to Sunday 13 December 2026 for its 14th edition, and for the first time in years it has a new address: The Square at Nad Al Sheba. Over three days the festival brings together music, fashion, art, sport, food and talks, and it remains one of the dates Dubai’s creative crowd marks early in the calendar.

Sole DXB in Dubai: from sneaker meet-up to culture festival

Sole DXB began as a meet-up for sneakerheads and grew, edition by edition, into a broader celebration of the street culture around it: music, design, fashion and sport. For most of its life it was closely tied to Dubai Design District (d3), its long-time home. The 2026 edition marks a clear break, with the festival leaving d3 and moving to The Square in Nad Al Sheba, an open-air site in the Nad Al Sheba district.

The spirit of the event stays the same. The organisers promise immersive installations, exclusive product drops from international and regional brands, the return of the talks programme and a run of basketball tournaments. They also say more programming is still to be announced, so the full schedule is likely to grow as December approaches.

The music line-up

Music sits at the centre of the weekend, and the line-up on the ticket page spans electronic music, Afrobeats, jazz, soul and rap. Names listed include Overmono, Lola Young, Rema, Fatoumata Diawara, Gia Fu, Hajaj, Maii and Zeid, Masego, Matthew Herbert, Naisha, Nia Archives, Odeal, Peter Cat Recording Co., Smino and Yussef Dayes.

Lola Young is one of the most recognisable names on that list. Her single “Messy” reached number one in the UK in January 2025 after an 11-week climb, giving her a first chart-topper, and it also hit number one in Australia, Ireland and several other countries. The song comes from her album This Wasn’t Meant for You Anyway and later topped Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart in the US. Elsewhere the bill moves from Rema’s Afrobeats to the dance-floor sound of Overmono and Nia Archives, the Malian songwriter Fatoumata Diawara, and the jazz-leaning drumming of Yussef Dayes. Some press coverage published earlier in the year said the official line-up had not yet been confirmed, and line-ups can change, so check the latest version on the ticket page before planning your days around one set.

Drops, talks and basketball

Away from the stages, Sole DXB is still about the culture it grew from. Brands from the region and further afield use the festival to launch limited releases, and these product drops are often the first thing regulars head for when the gates open. The talks programme returns for 2026, offering a break from the music and a chance to hear from people working across creativity and culture.

Sport is part of the identity too, with basketball tournaments on the programme, and immersive art installations and food spots are spread across the site between sets.

Choosing a ticket and the age rules

Ticket options include General Admission, Golden Circle and a VIP Grandstand, with some areas split into All Ages and 21+ sections. On General Admission, children aged 10 and under go in without a ticket, and children 14 and under must be with an adult. The Golden Circle All Ages area also requires under-15s to be accompanied. The VIP Grandstand 21+ and Golden Circle 21+ areas are strictly for guests aged 21 and over, with zero tolerance for underage drinking.

Bring photo ID (passport, national ID or driving licence) and the card you used to buy your ticket, as both are checked at entry. Tickets admit one person each and there is no re-entry. Professional cameras, including SLR, mirrorless and video cameras, are not allowed. The site opens at 4pm each day.

Getting to The Square at Nad Al Sheba

The Square sits in Nad Al Sheba 1, off 34th Street, close to Al Ain Road (E66) and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311). Follow signs for Nad Al Sheba, then head for 34th Street. The listing says paid parking at the venue is limited and encourages car pooling, taxis or public transport, and ride-hailing drop-offs are often the simplest option for a late finish.

Who it suits

Sole DXB suits sneaker collectors, music fans who like a varied bill, and anyone interested in the overlap between fashion, design and sport in the region. With an all-ages General Admission option and free entry for children 10 and under, families can come too, while the 21+ areas cater for adults who want a more grown-up corner of the weekend.

For more live music this month, browse our concerts in Dubai, find more art and culture events, see the full list of things to do in December, or plan the rest of your weekend with things to do in Dubai.