Dubai’s leading weekend of sport, music, and entertainment will return as the Emirates Dubai 7s 2025 takes place from November 28 to 30 at The Sevens Stadium. Arriving just ahead of the Eid Al Etihad public holiday, the event will offer three days of rugby, cricket, fitness competitions, family activities, and live performances.
This year marks the opening leg of the HSBC SVNS 2025/26 series, bringing eight international teams to Dubai to compete across the men’s and women’s tournaments. Fiji, Australia, France, Argentina, South Africa, and New Zealand are among the teams launching their season in the UAE. Australia will aim for a sixth consecutive women’s title, with strong challenges expected from Canada, Great Britain, Japan, the USA, and others. The world’s largest invitational rugby tournament also returns, this time featuring a record 243 teams, with matches broadcast live on the Emirates Dubai 7s YouTube channel.
Beyond rugby, the festival will host competitions and experiences across cricket, netball, padel, and fitness, including the expanded WODON3 programme, which now features a new “Super Social” category created for casual participants.
The music lineup brings international artists to the festival grounds once again. On Saturday, November 29, Tinie Tempah headlines Beats on 2, while Sean Paul and Shaggy lead the evening at Frequency on 8. On Sunday, DJ EZ takes over before FISHER closes the festival with a headline DJ set.
Families can enjoy a full programme of activities throughout the weekend, including the Kids’ Zone operating from 10am to 6pm with themed games, inflatables, workshops, arcade favourites, trampolines, and more. Each evening from 6pm to 9pm, an outdoor cinema will screen family-friendly films. New attractions for 2025 include a zipline experience created with Arabian Adventures, a free-fall jump activity, and a 15-minute quad bike adventure track. The traditional Saturday fancy dress theme returns with a “Heroes & Villains” concept supported by Dubai 92 radio.
Visitors will find a wide selection of food and beverage outlets onsite. Alongside returning favourites such as Pickl, Costa Coffee, Pret A Manger, Giraffe, and Papa Johns, this year’s festival welcomes Tortilla, Vietnamese Foodies, Boost, Slim Chickens, and Science in Sport. A Sensory Room developed in partnership with Sensory4You and onsite medical support provided by Mediclinic Middle East ensure that the festival remains accessible and safe for all attendees.
Guests will also have the chance to meet notable athletes across rugby and cricket. Rugby names including Ben Youngs, Dan Cole, Tom Mitchell, and Emily Scarratt will host sessions, while cricket greats James Anderson, Mahela Jayawardene, Kate Cross, and Jacques Kallis will take part in appearances and conversations. The podcast “For The Love Of Rugby” will record live from the Sunroom hospitality suite.
