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  • Events

Keeta Karnival in the UAE arrives across all seven emirates this month

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  • Mall of the Emirates
  • Fashion
  • Events
  • Dubai Safari Park

Dubai Safari Park Season 8 opens on October 12, 2026, and for the first time, the park turns its reopening into a week-long welcome. If you have children at home during the mid-term break, the timing is no accident. The park built its first Dubai Safari Park Wildest Opening Week around those exact dates, running from October 12 to 18.

This year’s theme is “Live More Wild Life.” It reads like a slogan, but the idea behind it is plain. Spend less time behind a screen, more time close to animals, plants, and open air. For many Dubai families, a day out with the kids is hard to plan around the heat and the school calendar, so an opening week that lands right at the break takes some of that pressure off.

What can families do during the Wildest Opening Week?

Dubai Safari Park Season 8 puts younger visitors at the centre of the celebration. The Little Explorers’ Base Camp is shaped for them. Children can have their faces painted, pick up a temporary tattoo, shape clay models, try arts and crafts, play lawn games and bounce around on safari-themed inflatables. None of it asks much of a tired parent. You can sit, watch, and let them run.

The Dubai Safari Park opening date also marks the return of the park’s wider menu. Across the season, you can walk six Dubai Safari Park themed zones, each built to feel like a different corner of the world. The six are African Village, Asian Village, Explorer Village, the Arabian Desert, Kids Farm and Al Wadi.

Safari tours and the animals you will meet

Every ticket comes with the Arabian Desert Safari. For a closer look, the Explorer Safari Tour carries you through open-range habitats where lions, giraffes and rhinos live with room to roam. The Dubai Safari Park animals number more than 3,000 across 300-plus species, and a 24-hour veterinary facility cares for them.

Want more than a standard visit? Premium experiences include King of Safari, Behind the Scenes, Dine in the Wild and Jungle Capture, with private tours, access most visitors never see, and meals served near the wildlife. Live shows run through the season too, among them Bird’s Kingdom, Echoes of the Wild and Birds of Prey, each one folding animal behaviour and conservation into the entertainment.

Tickets, timings and planning your visit

Dubai Safari Park tickets start at AED 50 for the Safari Park Pass, which covers all six zones and the free daily presentations. The park sits in Al Warqa 5 and opens daily from 9 in the morning to 6 in the evening, with last entry at 5. Air-conditioned shuttles connect the zones. You will also find wheelchairs, strollers, lockers and prayer rooms on site, which makes a long day with small children far easier to manage.

What Dubai Safari Park Season 8 offers families

Dubai Safari Park Season 8 is built around one quiet promise: time together in front of something real. The animals, the shows and the open habitats give children a reason to look up and ask questions. For parents, the opening week turns a single outing into a stretch of options that fit the school break. Because the season carries on into the cooler months, there is no rush to see everything in one go.

  • Music

‘Run BTS 2.0’ is back, and its next two episodes take BTS to Toronto for picnic games and a pickleball tournament. On September 30, the group posted a preview to BANGTANTV, its official YouTube channel, under the title ‘Run BTS! Toronto Edition’. The channel takes its name from Bangtan Sonyeondan, the group’s full Korean name.

Episode one premieres on Tuesday, October 6, at 8 p.m. Korea Standard Time (KST). Part two follows on Sunday, October 11, at the same hour. Both will stream for free on BANGTANTV and on Weverse, a fan community platform where the members also post updates and live streams.

All seven members appear in the clip: RM, Jin, Suga, J-Hope, Jimin, V, and Jung Kook. The group is partway through the BTS ARIRANG World Tour, which continues into 2027. Toronto was the only Canadian city on the route, and BTS played two sold-out shows there in late August.

Run BTS is a separate project with its own format. It is a web variety series, meaning a show in which the members compete in games and missions on camera instead of performing music. BTS produces it in-house and releases it online at no charge.

What the Toronto preview shows

The clip opens in a park. Sitting together outdoors, the members recall games from past picnics, then try some of them again. A speed walk comes first. Red Light, Green Light follows.

In this children’s game, one player turns away while the others move forward. Anyone caught moving when the player looks back is out. In Korea, players call it by its chant, “mugunghwa kkochi pieotseumnida,” which means “the rose of Sharon has bloomed.” South Korea’s national flower is the rose of Sharon. The Korean version reached viewers worldwide through the 2021 Netflix drama Squid Game.

Play then moves indoors, where the members split into teams for a pickleball tournament. Pickleball is a paddle sport played on a small court with a light plastic ball full of holes. It borrows elements of tennis, badminton, and table tennis.

The park games serve as a warm-up for the main event. Higher stakes arrive with the tournament, because the losing team must take a penalty. The BTS pickleball contest also draws on a hobby the members already share. In earlier remarks, they said they had taken up the sport recently and grown fond of it. The teaser closes on a ‘Run BTS 2.0’ title card.

How ‘Run BTS 2.0’ is back alongside the ARIRANG tour

‘Run BTS 2.0’ is back while BTS is still on the road. The tour supports ARIRANG, the album the group released on March 20, 2026. Its title comes from ‘Arirang’, a traditional Korean folk song. ARIRANG is the group’s first studio album of new material since 2020 and its first release since every member completed military service. Both the album and its lead single, ‘Swim’, opened at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and Hot 100 charts dated April 4.

Concerts began at Goyang Stadium in South Korea on April 9. The North American leg reached Toronto in late August, with stops in Chicago and Los Angeles after it. In total, the schedule covers 34 cities in 23 countries and runs until March 2027.

Toronto hosted its two shows at Rogers Stadium on August 22 and 23. The venue is a temporary concert site with space for about 50,000 people. It is separate from the Rogers Centre, home of the Toronto Blue Jays.

With the Toronto edition, ‘Run BTS 2.0’ is back in a city where BTS performed in August. The Run BTS Toronto episodes show the group in a park and on an indoor court rather than on a stage.

How the series works and how it returned

Run BTS first aired on August 1, 2015. Its Korean title, ‘Dallyeora Bangtan’, translates as ‘Run, Bangtan’. Early episodes lasted 8 to 15 minutes. Each episode hands the members a theme, usually built around games or missions. Success can earn a prize. Failure tends to bring a punishment. During the regular run, new episodes went up every Tuesday.

The original run produced 155 episodes between 2015 and 2021 and drew roughly 140 million views. A special season started in August 2022, after a 10-month break. That year, the group also released a song called ‘Run BTS’ on its anthology album, Proof. The track became the opening theme for the specials. All seven members then served in the military, and group activity paused. After his discharge, Jin launched a solo spin-off called ‘Run Jin’, which ended in May 2025. By June 2025, every member had completed his service.

In April 2026, the main series came back under the 2.0 name after a three-year gap. A prologue episode on April 7 showed the members planning the new format. Regular episodes followed from April 23. News that ‘Run BTS 2.0’ is back with a Toronto edition carries the run into the autumn.

Where to watch Run BTS and when

Now that ‘Run BTS 2.0’ is back, fans checking where to watch Run BTS have two official options. BANGTANTV on YouTube carries every episode, and Weverse does too. Neither charges viewers. The show has moved platforms before. V Live hosted it from 2015, Weverse added it in 2020, and YouTube followed in 2022.

The two new Run BTS episodes arrive five days apart. Release times follow Korean time, which runs nine hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). An 8 p.m. KST start therefore lands at 11 a.m. UTC. UAE viewers can watch from 3 p.m., and the release reaches India at 4:30 p.m. and Toronto at 7 a.m.

Earlier 2.0 episodes and the ‘Run Jin’ spin-off sit on the same two services for viewers who want to catch up first.

  • Wellness

Dubai’s coastal strip is filled with places designed to be seen. Tucked off Jumeirah Beach Road, this multi-stage boutique club was built for those who value quiet precision over noise.

In a city defined by grand architectural statements, true luxury is rarely about scale. It is about control—specifically, the obsessive, invisible curation of space, sound, and service.

At Villa 705 on Jumeirah Beach Road in Umm Suqeim 2, HALM Collective has quietly established itself as one of the coolest addresses along the coastline. To call it merely a gym or a café misses the point. HALM is a hybrid private enclave: equal parts high-performance wellness club, architectural lounge, and discreet executive salon.

photo_2026-10-01_03-09-46ee (1)

The Evolution: Changing Functions, Uncompromised Codes

Having frequented HALM over the course of several years, what stands out most is not just what the space is today, but how seamlessly it got here. Most lifestyle concepts that pivot end up looking fragmented—a layer of new paint over old ideas. HALM did the opposite.

Those who have tracked its trajectory remember its earlier iterations:

  • The Ground Threshold: A curated floral boutique framed the arrival, setting an earthy, botanical tone before you even stepped across the threshold.
  • The First Floor: A series of dedicated executive rooms. These ranged from intimate, hyper-private 4-to-5-person meeting suites to a full 10-to-12-seat boardroom equipped with flush presentation displays.
  • The Rooftop Terrace: An open-air, low-slung lounge tailored for sunset meetups, brand previews, and private gatherings of around 30 guests.

Over the past few seasons, the villa adapted. It integrated professional podcast and media facilities, and ultimately crystallized its current identity: an ultra-exclusive wellness boutique club.

Yet, for long-time regulars, what is striking is the total absence of compromise. The DNA never wavered. The exotic, Mediterranean-meets-Nordic warmth, the bespoke millwork, the sculptural art pieces, and the tactile materials remain entirely cohesive. The functions evolved, but the standard never budged.

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The “Invisible Eye”: Detail as an Art Form

Walk in at 10:00 AM, 4:00 PM, or 9:00 PM. The experience does not fluctuate:

  • Zero friction: No dust, no stray lint on the upholstery, no scuffed baseboards, and no burned-out accent lights.
  • Tactile consistency: The leather goods, the brass accents, and nothing is chipped. Nothing is out of order.
  • Operational rhythm: There is an unmistakable sense that someone is continuously watching the details. Glasses are cleared without asking; sound levels in the courtyard café are calibrated to let conversation breathe; the scent profile remains steady and understated.

In high-end hospitality, consistency across different hours of the day is the hardest benchmark to maintain. HALM operates with the discipline of a private family office rather than a commercial venue.

The Hardware: Where Serious Training Meets Executive Ease

The current wellness floor avoids the cavernous, high-decibel atmosphere of typical commercial gyms. HALM’s private gym is intentionally capped—offering a “more-than-enough” footprint engineered around space, privacy, and biomechanical precision.

  • Bespoke Biomechanics: Rather than filling the floor with standard commercial lines, the club features strength equipment engineered to match natural human resistance profiles (including RTS-aligned mechanics), designed to protect joint longevity while maximizing tension.
  • Clinical Tracking: Progress isn’t left to guesswork; one-to-one coaching integrates medical-grade Seca body-composition analytics and in-house nutrition architecture.
  • Reformer Conditioning: The upper-level Reformer Pilates studio delivers private and semi-private sessions against natural linen shades and leafy courtyard backdrops.
  • The Hybrid Lifestyle: You can finish a demanding 1:1 training block, shower in hotel-grade facilities, walk down to the shaded garden courtyard, and host an hour-long strategy session or friendly conversation over ceremonial matcha and specialty single-origin coffee.

It is one of the few places in Jumeirah where pulling out a laptop or hosting an investor feels entirely natural next to someone arriving post-workout.

The HALM Index: Editorial Scorecard

Category Score (out of 10) The Breakdown
Accessibility 9.4 Seamless arrival directly off Jumeirah Beach Road with complimentary valet parking that handles turnarounds instantly.
Location 9.6 Prime Umm Suqeim 2. Walking distance to Kite Beach, central to both Downtown and Dubai Marina executives.
First Impression 9.8 Understated villa exterior opening into a sunlit courtyard; immediately feels like a private residential compound.
Last Impression 9.5 Effortless departure; valet is quick, iced drinks come packaged cleanly, and the staff remembers individual preferences.
Cleanliness 10.0 Flawless. No dust, no visual clutter, pristine locker facilities, and continuous housekeeping regardless of hour.
Personal Touch 9.7 Highly attentive concierge and coaching staff; service is quiet, personalized, and never overbearing.
Material Quality 9.9 Architectural-grade finishes, premium leather detailing, custom joinery, and rare strength machinery.
Atmosphere 9.8 Calm, unhurried, and refined. A true “third space” that shields members from Dubai’s outer volume.
Overall Rating 9.7 / 10 Benchmark Elite.

The Takeaway

HALM Collective proves that longevity in Dubai doesn’t require chasing every passing design trend. By anchoring itself in uncompromising maintenance, quiet architecture, and genuine utility for both personal health and business dialogue, it remains a gold standard for what a modern coastal sanctuary should feel like.

I’ve been here many times, and, honestly, it’s one of my favorite places to come back to whenever I need a premium, silent atmosphere. And, as I am writing this editorial for the Magazine, I am becoming aware of a fact: I really like Halm because of the silence it delivers. It’s just something special about this place that makes you feel special. It elevates your energy and keeps calling you back. Hope you will like it too.

  • Dubai

Dubai Curl Festival 2026 gives the city’s curly hair community one venue, one day, and a clear focus. The event lands on Saturday, October 10, and runs from 10 AM to 6 PM at Cornelia’s Craft Kitchen in Dubai Internet City. There is no fixed schedule, so guests can arrive when they like and stay as long as they want. Organiser Oh My Knots, a Dubai-based platform for curly, coily and kinky hair, calls the day the first family curly hair festival in the UAE and the wider GCC.

The format is practical. Rather than another evening spent reading routines online, attendees can meet specialists in person and test formulas before they buy.

Why curly hair care UAE routines break in Gulf conditions

Curly hair behaves differently in the Gulf, and three factors explain most of the trouble. Heat pulls moisture from the strand, which leaves curls dry. Humidity swells the hair cuticle, the outer layer of each strand, and that swelling shows up as frizz and lost definition. Hard water, meaning water high in calcium and magnesium, coats the hair and blocks moisture from getting in.

Most curly hair care advice was written for other climates, so it often fails here. Curly hair humidity in Dubai is a familiar struggle for residents, and closing that gap is what the festival sets out to do. Local guidance helps people stop guessing.

What visitors can do at Dubai Curl Festival 2026

The programme centres on hands-on help. Live styling demonstrations show technique in real time. Short talks cover curl care and how to adjust a routine as the seasons change. Brand stands let people try curly hair products that Dubai shoppers usually buy on trust alone, and expert sessions walk through how to match a formula to a specific curl type.

Oh My Knots caters to curl types from 2B to 4C, so the advice spans loose waves through tight coils. Product samples come from participating brands, and wellness sessions and interactive activities fill out the day.

A family curly hair festival with room for kids

The event is built for families, not adults alone. A dedicated Kids’ Curl Corner gives younger attendees a place to learn simple haircare steps of their own. For straight-haired parents raising curly-haired children, the day doubles as a short course in a hair texture they may not share.

Every ticket includes a welcome drink and a goodie bag stocked with treats from participating brands. Adults start at Dh100 and children at Dh50, while family passes covering two adults and two children start at Dh280. Children under four enter free.

Ticket details and what comes next

Early-bird pricing is limited, and tickets are on sale now. I heard some rumors that they are already sold out, but nothing is confirmed. Beyond the products and demonstrations, Dubai Curl Festival 2026 works as a meeting point for a family curly hair festival audience that has mostly connected online until now.

Oh My Knots expects the festival to become an annual fixture, with more participating brands and a special guest still to be announced. The hard water curly hair problem will not disappear, and neither will the appeal of one place to sort out what works in practice.

I don’t have curly hair, but honestly, this is a dream for every single girl or woman. There is something about these curls. It just gives you a sort of personality and attractiveness that we normally don’t have. And maybe that’s the entire mystery around it. One thing is clear: curly hair is a thing.

  • Dubai Safari Park

Dubai Safari Park Season 8 opens on October 12, 2026, and for the first time, the park turns its reopening into a week-long welcome. If you have children at home during the mid-term break, the timing is no accident. The park built its first Dubai Safari Park Wildest Opening Week around those exact dates, running […]

  • Music

‘Run BTS 2.0’ is back, and its next two episodes take BTS to Toronto for picnic games and a pickleball tournament. On September 30, the group posted a preview to BANGTANTV, its official YouTube channel, under the title ‘Run BTS! Toronto Edition’. The channel takes its name from Bangtan Sonyeondan, the group’s full Korean name. […]

  • Wellness

Dubai’s coastal strip is filled with places designed to be seen. Tucked off Jumeirah Beach Road, this multi-stage boutique club was built for those who value quiet precision over noise. In a city defined by grand architectural statements, true luxury is rarely about scale. It is about control—specifically, the obsessive, invisible curation of space, sound, […]

  • Dubai

Dubai Curl Festival 2026 gives the city’s curly hair community one venue, one day, and a clear focus. The event lands on Saturday, October 10, and runs from 10 AM to 6 PM at Cornelia’s Craft Kitchen in Dubai Internet City. There is no fixed schedule, so guests can arrive when they like and stay […]

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