Anantara Dubai New Year’s Eve plans come in two very different flavours this year. On Palm Jumeirah, The Beach House is going full Greek island for the countdown, bougainvillea and all, a week after a Christmas Eve buffet with a choir and a visit from Santa. Over in Business Bay, Anantara Downtown Dubai keeps it city-slick with an open-air gala from AED 499 and a staycation that spares you the 1am taxi hunt. Here’s what each one costs and who it suits.
Anantara Dubai New Year’s Eve and Christmas 2026 at a glance
| Celebration | Where | When | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas Eve by the Shore | The Beach House, Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort | Thursday 24 December, 6pm-9.30pm | AED 500 |
| A Mediterranean New Year | The Beach House, Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort | Thursday 31 December, 8pm-2am | AED 2,800 |
| New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner | Ziya and The Courtyard, Anantara Downtown Dubai Hotel | Thursday 31 December, 8pm until late | AED 499 |
| Festive Staycation and Gala Dinner | Anantara Downtown Dubai Hotel | 31 December | AED 2,500++ per night for two |
Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort: Santa on the sand and a Greek New Year
Tucked away on the East Crescent of Palm Jumeirah, Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort is the one with the Thai-inspired gardens, the lagoon-access rooms and the overwater villas that still make first-time visitors do a double take. Both of its headline festive nights happen at The Beach House, so you get the sea breeze whichever date you pick.
Christmas Eve by the Shore
A generous buffet of seasonal favourites and international dishes, live entertainment, the Anantara Choir and a special appearance from Santa. It wraps up at 9.30pm, which is exactly the kind of bedtime-friendly timing parents of small children dream about in December. The kids’ pricing is refreshingly sane too.
| Christmas Eve package | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult, soft beverages | AED 500 |
| Adult, house beverages | AED 600 |
| Child aged 6-11, soft beverages | AED 250 |
| Child under 6, soft beverages | AED 70 |
Want to weigh it up against the rest of the city first? Our round-up of Christmas Eve dinners in Dubai has plenty to compare.
How much is New Year’s Eve at The Beach House?
New Year’s Eve at The Beach House, Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort, costs AED 2,800 per person with soft drinks or AED 3,600 with premium beverages and Prosecco. Guests aged 5 to 20 pay AED 1,800 with soft drinks. The party runs from 8pm to 2am on Thursday 31 December 2026.
For that, The Beach House gets a Greek coastal makeover: blue-and-white accents, bougainvillea and, in the resort’s own words, a touch of disco glamour. Expect dinner, music and a proper build-up to the countdown. Think Mykonos, minus the ferry and the sunburn.
| New Year’s Eve package | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult, soft beverages | AED 2,800 |
| Adult, premium beverages and Prosecco | AED 3,600 |
| Guest aged 5-20, soft beverages | AED 1,800 |
Note that unusually wide age band. Your 19-year-old pays the junior rate, which is either a bargain or a very good negotiating chip for a family night out. The announcement doesn’t mention a price for under-5s, so ask when you book if you’re bringing a little one.
More festive plans at the resort
The resort’s festive page also lists a Christmas Day brunch at The Beach House from AED 700, a Boxing Day brunch by the shore and a New Year’s Eve party at Mekong from AED 1,800 with a sharing-style feast and live entertainment. Full inclusions for these weren’t part of the announcement, so check the details before you commit.
💡 WOW Expert Tip: The resort starts a phased renovation of selected spaces from 16 November 2026. If you’re turning your celebration into an overnight stay, ask which areas will be open over the festive period before you book, so there are no surprises at the pool.
Book: through the resort’s festive offers page or email dubaipalm@anantara.com.
Anantara Downtown Dubai Hotel: an open-air gala in Business Bay
Anantara Downtown Dubai Hotel sits in Business Bay, a short hop from Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall. Its New Year’s Eve gala starts with a buffet at Ziya, the hotel’s newer signature restaurant, and spills out into The Courtyard under the open sky. Expect live cooking stations, pop-up bars and a live DJ from 8pm until late.
| New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner | Price |
|---|---|
| Adult, soft beverages | AED 499 |
| Adult, house beverages | AED 549 |
| Adult, free-flowing house beverages and bubbly | AED 649 |
| Child aged 6-11, soft beverages | AED 295 |
By Dubai New Year’s Eve standards, AED 649 for free-flowing bubbly is a genuinely good number. Better still, the hotel is offering 15% off when you confirm your booking by 1 December 2026.
One thing to be clear on: the hotel doesn’t promise a view of the Burj Khalifa fireworks from The Courtyard. If watching the midnight show is non-negotiable in your house, ask about sightlines when you book.
Festive staycation with the gala dinner
Rates start from AED 2,500++ per night, including accommodation for two and places at the New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner. The “++” means service charge and taxes are added on top, so budget a little more than the headline figure.
💡 WOW Expert Tip: Roads around Burj Khalifa traditionally close for the fireworks and traffic out of the area crawls well past midnight. Having a room upstairs turns that into someone else’s problem. If you’d spend most of the AED 2,500 on taxis and patience anyway, the staycation starts to look like the sensible choice.
Book: call +971 4 444 1407 or email restaurants.adtd@anantara.com.
Which Anantara should you book?
- Young family at Christmas: Christmas Eve at The Beach House. Santa, a choir, AED 70 for under-6s and home in time for stockings.
- Big beach party, money no object: the Mediterranean New Year at The Beach House, ideally with the teenagers on the junior rate.
- City buzz on a sensible budget: the Downtown gala, especially if you lock in the 15% saving before 1 December.
- Couples who hate the post-midnight scramble: the Downtown staycation package.
Still shopping around? Our guide to places to celebrate New Year’s Eve in Dubai covers the wider field, our list of the best staycations in Dubai has more overnight ideas and our Christmas events for kids round-up will keep the little ones busy in the run-up.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Mediterranean New Year at The Beach House costs AED 2,800 per person with soft drinks or AED 3,600 with premium beverages and Prosecco. Guests aged 5 to 20 pay AED 1,800. The resort’s festive page also lists a New Year’s Eve party at Mekong from AED 1,800.
The gala at Ziya and The Courtyard starts at AED 499 with soft drinks, rising to AED 549 with house beverages and AED 649 with free-flowing house beverages and bubbly. Children aged 6-11 pay AED 295.
Yes. The hotel is offering 15% off when you confirm your booking by 1 December 2026.
Santa drops in at Christmas Eve by the Shore at The Beach House on Thursday 24 December, from 6pm to 9.30pm. Adults pay from AED 500, children aged 6-11 AED 250 and under-6s AED 70.
The hotel is in Business Bay, a short drive from Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall. The gala takes place across its Ziya restaurant and open-air Courtyard.
For Anantara The Palm Dubai Resort, use the resort’s festive offers page or email dubaipalm@anantara.com. For Anantara Downtown Dubai Hotel, call +971 4 444 1407 or email restaurants.adtd@anantara.com.
