Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) hosted over 87 non-trade events in 2015, welcoming over 686,192 visitors.
The line-up of events contained a mix of theatrical productions, music festivals, family entertainment, sporting events and more.
Theatre and Music
Hosting 36 entertainment events over the course of 2015, DWTC attracted more than 173,000 visitors. Key experiences included the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra during the annual Dubai Classics. Cirkopolis swiftly followed, wowing 3,800 visitors with stunning performances, complemented by a state-of-the-art stage design. Dubai Music Week brought together over 14,000 music enthusiasts with international and regional superstars gracing the stage, while DWTC was also abuzz at the end of the year with more than 7,000 visitors roaring for Masters of Dirt.
Dubai Sports World
The 10-week schedule of sports, tournaments, and academies at DSW 2015, the Middle East’s largest indoor sporting venue, set new records with attendance up by 13 per cent on 2014, with 198,625 sports fans beating the summer heat. The multi-purpose arena covered more than 22,000m² of air-conditioned, indoor space and featured a vast array of activities for serious athletes and sporting novices of all ages.
Family entertainment
DWTC once again hosted Modesh World, offering games, experiences and rides including its unique Mirror Maze and 5D motion-theatre X-Rider, attracting 189,861 visitors. In addition, DWTC’s annual Ramadan Majlis and Night Market saw a total of 22,283 attendees enjoy the spirit of the Holy Month.
Commenting on DWTC’s focus on hosting non-trade events, Ahmed Alkhaja, senior vice president – venues, DWTC, said: “In line with our commitment to supporting Dubai to achieve its target of 20 million visitors by 2020, DWTC has made a strategic decision to expand our offerings to make DWTC the venue of choice for organising events of any scale and type.”
Alkhaja continued: “To accelerate this area in 2016 and beyond, we will continue to invest in home-grown events, further attract international event organisers from across Europe, Asia, and the USA, as well as regional talent – ensuring a thrilling and diverse events calendar.”