Dubai has plenty of places to go when you want to do more than simply sit in a café or walk around a mall. Across the city, creative spaces are offering immersive digital art, independent cinema, painting, pottery, contemporary exhibitions, wellness programmes and even fragrance-making workshops.
Several of the city’s best-known creative venues have also changed since older guides were published, with updated locations, opening hours and experiences. Here are seven places worth considering for your next creative day out in Dubai.
1. TODA
Theatre of Digital Art, better known as TODA, combines projection technology, music and performance inside an immersive 360-degree environment. Rather than viewing artwork on conventional gallery walls, visitors are surrounded by large-scale visuals that extend across the venue.
The programme changes regularly and can include digital exhibitions, live music, family shows and wellness sessions. TODA also reopened in 2025 following a renovation of its main auditorium and foyer, adding more space for digital installations.
Where: Central Courtyard, Souk Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai
Time: Daily, 11 am to 11 pm
2. The Mud House Studio
For something more hands-on, The Mud House Studio in Al Quoz focuses on ceramics and clay work.
Sessions are designed for different experience levels, including visitors trying pottery for the first time. Depending on the workshop, participants can explore techniques such as wheel throwing, hand-building, and glazing, while other experiences focus on decorating existing ceramic pieces.
It is a good option if you want an activity that requires concentration and gives you something physical to take away from the experience.
Where: Warehouse No. 2, 4th Street, Al Quoz 3, Dubai
Time: Tuesday, 2 pm to 8 pm; Wednesday to Sunday, 10 am to 8 pm; closed Monday
3. Cinema Akil
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Credit: Photo by Canva.com
Cinema Akil is one of Dubai’s key destinations for independent and arthouse films. It began as a nomadic cinema project in 2014 before establishing a permanent home in Alserkal Avenue in 2018.
Its screenings range from contemporary international films to regional cinema, retrospectives and curated programmes, making it particularly useful for viewers who want something outside the mainstream multiplex schedule.
Project Chaiwala also operates at the cinema, so visitors can stop for chai and food before or after a screening.
Where: Warehouse 68, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz Industrial District, Dubai
Time: Venue hours are 11 am to 11 pm; individual film times vary
4. Oo La Lab
Oo La Lab turns fragrance-making into a creative workshop. Visitors work with a mixologist to explore different scent notes before developing a personalised formula and producing their own fragrance.
The Dubai studio also offers other scent-focused formats, including bukhoor and candle experiences, while longer advanced perfume workshops are available for those wanting to explore formulation in greater depth.
Importantly, the Dubai location is no longer the Alserkal Avenue warehouse listed in some older guides. Oo La Lab now operates from Dubai Design District.
Where: Building 4, Unit 204B, Dubai Design District
Time: Monday to Saturday, 11 am to 8 pm
Price: Signature fragrance-making experiences start from Dhs400
5. Jameel Arts Centre
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Credit: Photo by Canva.com
Jameel Arts Centre is one of the strongest choices on this list if you want to spend a few hours exploring art without booking a workshop.
Located at Jaddaf Waterfront, the centre presents contemporary exhibitions alongside commissions, research initiatives and public programmes. Visitors can also explore Jameel Library, outdoor spaces and the surrounding waterfront area.
General access to the centre is free, making it an easy addition to a cultural day out in Dubai.
Where: Jaddaf Waterfront, Dubai
Time: Generally 10 am to 8 pm; Friday from noon to 8 pm; closed Tuesday
Price: Free admission
6. thejamjar
thejamjar has long been part of Dubai’s community arts scene and remains a practical option for anyone who would rather make art than only look at it.
Its Alserkal Avenue studio runs DIY painting alongside workshops for children and adults, educational programmes and other creative events. The format makes it suitable for beginners because visitors can work independently without needing formal art training.
The studio supplies the setting and materials, while participants can focus on experimenting with paint and developing their own piece.
Where: Unit H74, Alserkal Avenue, Al Quoz 1, Dubai
Time: Monday to Thursday, 10 am to 7 pm; Friday, 10 am to 8 pm; Saturday and Sunday, 10 am to 7 pm
7. Paus
Paus has developed from a neighbourhood wellness café into a much broader community destination combining food, movement, recovery and social programming.
Its current venue includes spaces for activities such as yoga, Pilates and other wellness sessions, alongside a café, treatments and community events. The programme changes, so creative or discussion-based sessions are best checked individually before visiting.
The venue has also moved on from the smaller format featured in older recommendations, with its current Al Wasl Road location offering a substantially wider range of activities.
Where: Al Reef Villas, Al Wasl Road, Umm Suqeim, Dubai
Time: Daily, approximately 7 am to 10 pm
Whether you want to paint a canvas, shape clay, watch an independent film, explore digital art, or design your own perfume, Dubai’s creative scene now extends well beyond conventional galleries. The best choice depends on whether you want to observe, learn, or make something yourself.