Global Village opens its doors to visitors for its 26 season in Dubai
- 26 Oct 2021
Gulf Today, Staff Reporter
Global Village, the region's leading multicultural family destination for culture, shopping, attractions, and entertainment, is now open for Season 26, offering new attractions, 15 brand new stage shows, exceptional food concepts and unique shopping experiences.
Bader Anwahi, Chief Executive Officer, Global Village, said: “We are excited to open the doors for our new season. Every season we take guest and partner feedback very seriously, using advanced data analytics to improve infrastructure and raise the bar for guest experience. Whether it is enhancements in guest flow or improvements to behind-the-scenes IoT and AI technology, every season we build on our robust foundations to set new standards and grow our reputation across the world.”
“Working closely with our partners from around the globe, we have taken major steps to enrich our retail, dining and entertainment experiences. In partnership with major international brands, we will be introducing the first Peter Rabbit Adventure Zone attraction in the world and have added a 4D moving theatre to the Ripley’s ‘Believe It Or Not!’ experience. This season will be a significant one as we introduce strong new original content and concepts that will be key for future growth. Global Village is a home-grown brand and I am proud that we are able to play a part in making Dubai a global destination for entertainment and tourism in this very special year for our nation, Year of the 50th,” Anwahi added
Global Village has significantly improved guest flow adding 2,500 sq metres of new streets, plenty of seating, spectacular new street food areas and new landmarks and photo ops. It has introduced no less than 15 new stage shows created by the in-house entertainment team, which has also put together the region’s first water stunt show, Harbour Force. Global Village will be welcoming partners and exhibitors from no less than 80 different cultures this season. The 26 pavilions all have incredible new facades and will once again be alive with cultural performances, including the brand-new Iraq pavilion. Guests will be able to explore a treasure trove of unique products across more than 3,500 boutiques and stalls.
New-look Carnaval
Back with a colourful new look, the hugely popular Carnaval is home to more than 170 rides, games and attractions for the entire family. From exhilarating thrill rides to the much-loved kids’ zone, Carnaval brings “all the fun of the fair” to new levels. The massive new inflatable kids experience, Arabian Nights Bounce Palace is the perfect way to unleash the energy of younger guests.
Memorable dining experiences from across the world
Season 26 of Global Village offers the finest and rarest flavours and dishes from every continent. Guests are spoilt for choice with more than 200 restaurants, cafes and the most culturally diverse street food offering in the region. Alongside Global Village favourites, Fiesta and Happiness Streets, the newly named Firework Avenue is now home to a fountain feature, lots of seating and great street food options.
Inspired by Thailand's world-famous “Umbrella Market,” the new Railway Market is a dessert lover’s paradise. The 14 train carriages will host more than 30 vendors of sweets, ice-cream, pastries, beverages and confectionary from across Asia and around the world.
With more space and the stunning new Dragon Lake backdrop, the Floating Market now overlooks an extravagant new fire fountain show featuring a 20-metre long fire-breathing dragon. Here guests can enjoy authentic recipes of Thailand, captivating tastes from Korea, Spicy Far East-Asian grills, Asian seafood, flavours from Myanmar, delicacies from the Philippines and Indonesian treats.
Great entertainment at the heart of wonder
The Global Village entertainment team has created a unique line up of unforgettable shows, with over 200 shows every day featuring more than 400 artists from around the world.
The Main Stage has had an audio video makeover ready for spectacular new productions including Puttin’ on the Glitz, Here Comes the Boom! by Urban Crew, After Dark, SLAM!, The Scatty Chapati, Clowns to the Rescue, and Absolute Bollywood.
Global Village has also confirmed that they will be hosting international award-winning shows and entertainers such as Burn The Floor, Swing Latino and AAINJA. Harbour Force – a brand new enhanced stunt show experience is the Middle East’s first-ever water-based stunt show, which includes jet skis, fly-boards and a 27m high dive tower. The world record holding LED cars and drivers are also back this season for what is simply an awe-inspiring experience.
A slew of Street Show performers will be live across the Park including Pirate Peril, Living Lamp-Posts, The Tallest Old Man, Wheelie-clean, Speak-car, Robo-XXL, The Gift That Keeps on… Running, Jolly Jousting Knights, Brilliant Bubble Bike, The Living Hedge, Clown Car Capers, Runaway Gingerbread Men, Too Many Pizzas, Retro Rocket, and Clowns on stilts on bikes.
A spectacular fireworks display will light the sky every Thursday and Friday evening at 9:00pm throughout the season.
World-class edutainment
Capturing and inspiring the imagination of children is a very important part of the Global Village DNA. For Season 26, the world’s first Peter Rabbit Adventure Zone attraction is making its way to the park with a series of fun and interactive activity areas based on the instantly recognisable world of Peter Rabbit and his friends featured in the hit animated television series produced by Silvergate Media.
The Ripley’s Believe It or Not!® Odditorium is back to take guests on a journey around the world and through the ages where fact is stranger than fiction. Over 100 new exhibits are on show and a new “Dark Gallery” is also introduced this season where guests can see hard to believe yet real tools of ancient prison punishment. Ripley’s Marvelous Mirror Maze — boasting over 250 mirrors, LED lighting, and digital sound — is upgraded with immersive features for newfound levels of illusion. Season 26 also sees the addition of the 4D Moving Theatre featuring the magical mayhem of the Happy Family movie.
Internationally acclaimed safety measures
Global Village remains the only park to have been awarded the British Safety Council’s Sword of Honour, which is testament to the commitment Global Village demonstrates with regards to the wellbeing and comfort of guests. This season, working closely with local and international authorities, the team at Global Village will continue to elevate and set new industry standards.
Best in class digital experiences
Global Village has announced a new pricing as part of its digital transformation strategy. The ticket price will remain Dhs15 online and will be Dhs20 at the gate to encourage guests to purchase park tickets on its award-winning mobile application and user-friendly website. Buying tickets from the mobile app and website is quick, easy and environmentally friendly.
In addition to the features which allow guests to purchase tickets, pay for parking, top up their Wonder Pass and easily navigate the Park, Global Village’s mobile app will also introduce innovative features to highlight parking availability, easily find the products directory, see guest ratings for all the offerings, a new AR experience and more to be announced in coming weeks.
GVPay the branded e-wallet is also back to offer guests convenient cashless payment at all outlets across the Park.
For Season 26, Global Village is welcoming guests daily from Saturday to Wednesday from 4:00pm until 12:00am. On Thursday, Friday, and all public holidays, opening hours are 4:00pm until 1:00am. Entry gates are closed half an hour before Global Village’s closing time. Mondays are exclusively reserved for ladies and families except on public holidays.
There are even more surprises to share, with more details on the all-new shopping, dining, entertainment and other family-first experiences to be released. For more information, please visit: www.globalvillage.ae or download the Global Village App.
