Think of it as Dubai’s greatest catch of the year – a month-long party where the sea shows off, the grills get smoky, kids get curious, and you go home with a cooler bag and a grin. Waterfront Market’s Seafood Festival runs from 10 December 2025 to 7 January 2026, and yes – it’s exactly as fresh, fun and slightly indulgent as that sentence promises.
- Where: Waterfront Market, Deira
- When: 10 December 2025 to 7 January 2026
What’s on the menu: bites, boats and belly laughs
Expect a festival that’s equal parts market hustle and waterfront chill. Waterfront restaurants – from Paluto and BOAT Seafood to Yahya and Aylla – are serving up special offers all festival long. If you’re the sort who likes to pick your fish, have it cleaned on the spot and then watch a chef turn it into dinner, the Market-to-Table experience is your culinary soulmate. Choose, clean, cook, eat. Repeat.
Family vibes: tiny explorers, big flavours
This isn’t just for the adults with a refined palate – kiddos get their own passport. The Kids Foodie Explorers Passport and Little Rollers trolleys turn a market visit into a mini food-adventure: collect stamps, learn about ingredients, snag a certificate and a small prize. Weekend roaming entertainment (think bubble shows, live roaming music and face painting) keeps the whole gang smiling. Weekends = full family mode.
The fishy facts (the good kind)
If you like choice, prepare to be dazzled. The Market features 500+ seafood traders offering 260+ varieties, with live seafood sections showcasing catches from the UAE, Australia, Japan, Korea and Canada – everything from hammour and kingfish to tuna, king mackerel and seabream. Freshness is basically the market’s middle name.
Freebies, draws and cooler-bag clout
Shop smart: spend AED 200 or more at the fish market or at participating Waterfront restaurants and you’ll walk away with a complimentary insulated cooler bag – very practical, very Instagram-worthy – and you’ll also be entered into a draw where five lucky winners will get AED 1,000 each in fresh-produce vouchers (total prize pool AED 5,000). Market haul + a chance at free groceries? That’s a winning combo. T&Cs apply, naturally.
How to make the most of Market-to-Table
Pro tip: go early if you want the best pick of the day, or swing by later in the afternoon if you’re after a more relaxed vibe and a seat at the restaurants. Ask vendors about origin and how they recommend cooking your catch – these folks know their stuff. Want it grilled, steamed, curried or fried? Tell the chef. They’ll do the rest.
Final course: why you should go
If you love seafood, people-watching, theatrical live cooking, or just the idea of strolling a breezy waterfront with a cooler bag in hand – this festival does all of that with good humour and better fish. Bring the family, bring your appetite, and bring a reusable tote (and maybe also sunglasses). It’s fresh, festive and very un-basic. See you at the stalls.
Contact & location:
Phone – +971800627538
