News
The region’s leading community-driven culture festival is returning to Dubai’s Design District for its 12th anniversary, and there’s a lot of exciting stuff to look forward to.
The multi-format festival owned and developed by Sole, the leading voice of the region’s youth and contemporary culture scene, has celebrated all things fashion, music and entertainment for over a decade. Last year, the festival joined forces with entertainment company Mass Appeal as the official partner for Hip Hop 50 in the Arab world and saw over 30,000 people attend and interact with more than 100 speakers, designers, and performers – including headliner Busta Rhymes – during three eventful nights.
This year, Sole DXB pledges to be even bigger. With an events schedule encompassing three nights of enthralling DJ sets, film screenings, workshops, sports tournaments, as well as live music from some of the world’s biggest artists, the weekend commencing December 13 is set to be one of the year’s most exhilarating.
With a selection of sets from globally renowned hip-hop artists, talks from enterprising personalities, and pop-up collaboration events to choose from, there might just be too much on offer at Sole DXB 2024 to indulge in it all.
We’ve picked out 5 things you absolutely must do at Sole DXB 2024.
Sole DXB x Dazed Talks Programme
Featuring thought-provoking conversations across the world of music, fashion, architecture, and cultural narratives, Sole DXB and Dazed MENA are collaborating to offer a transformative dialogue platform and spotlight creatives and visionaries alike.
This collaborative programme will run across all three days of the festival. It will include presentations by trailblazing Palestinian architect Sara Bokr, London-born activist, writer and rapper Akala, and the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN Prize-winning British-Iranian designer Paria Farzaneh, among other creatives making waves in the region and beyond.
Sole DXB x Dazed Talks Programme promises to be illuminating and inspiring and offers a unique opportunity to embolden your own creative spirit.
The Sole DXB Skatepark
The Sole DXB Skatepark has become an iconic, celebrated, and recurring feature of the festival, and it makes a return this year to offer registered skaters the opportunity and space to showcase their talents and build community.
The skatepark includes competitive, obstacle-ridden contests, allowing participating skaters to showcase the extent of their talents, as well as open sessions to refine their skills and engage in friendly competition with members of the skating community.
Although participation is only limited to registered skaters, all spectators are welcome – and if you like what you see, you may just be emboldened to pick up a new hobby, and you might even be among the participants when Sole DXB 2025 rolls around.
Sneaker Swap & Thrift Market at Sole DXB
A cornerstone of the festival’s legacy, Sole DXB’s Sneaker Swap & Thrift Market offers collectors and sneaker enthusiasts the platform to buy, sell and trade.
2024’s Sneaker Swap & Thrift Market, open throughout the weekend, will feature 13 curated vendors, including Spartans Sneakers, Fashion Rerun, and 80’s Thrift, among others, and will have on display exclusive collections, hidden gems, as well as pieces you won’t find on display anywhere else.
An opportunity to add to your mounting collection, connect with Dubai’s thriving community of sneakerheads and thrifters, and revel in the experience of exploring timeless pieces, the Sneaker Swap & Thrift Market will undoubtedly be among Sole DXB 2024’s most exciting offerings this weekend.
Spotlight by d3
The Dubai Design District (d3) and Sole DXB are coming together to celebrate independent fashion and lifestyle brands with a showcase that will highlight community-focused designers rooted in progressive, next-generation values.
At Spotlight by d3, you will have the chance to discover cross-cultural collections from rising designers across the UAE, UK, US and beyond, which brands including @thisisbarzakh, an avant-garde Sharjah-based jewellery brand, @dastaangoi, Islamabad-rooted fragrance house, @ibyworld, fusing influences from Cardiff and Dubai into streetwear collections, and @parkhillclothingcompany, showcasing the different faces of Staten Island youth culture.
Headline Sets by James Blake, Tems and The Roots
Sole DXB has heralded itself as a pioneer of the region’s perpetually evolving hip-hop culture. Over the years, the festival has welcomed an array of celebrated performers from the world of hip-hop, including Wu-Tang Clan, Nas, Jorja Smith, Bas, Stormzy, and Busta Rhymes. The festival is going to expand this list this time around when some of hip hop’s biggest names take to the stage from the 13th to enthral everyone attending.
After a day of indulging in the plentiful and varied events and offerings on the 13th, you can end the night on a soaring high by experiencing Grammy-winning singer, songwriter and producer James Blake’s headline set. The following night, you can sway along to Tems’ soulful blend of Afrobeats, R&B and pop music as she performs hits like Try Me and Free Mind from the main stage. And, then, to cap off the weekend and festival, you can be captivated by the legendary four-time Grammy-winning hip-hop group The Roots’ headline set on Sunday, the 15th.
Oh, and if that’s not enough, these globally renowned artists are following performances from the likes of J.I.D, Latto, and Hanumankind, whose 2024 hit Big Dawgs has already racked up over 300 million streams on Spotify.
That’s not all that Sole DXB has to offer, either. There is also the opportunity to participate in Diesel’s Street Art Collective and be a small part of history by making a mark in what will be the world’s largest street art collective; and if you still haven’t had the chance to get your hands on FIX’s chocolate bars that have been breaking TikTok, you can head to the Deliveroo x FIX pop-up at d3 to try and (finally) indulge in them.
There’s lots to do, so make sure you get to d3 early on December 13 – you won’t want to miss what the 12th anniversary of Sole DXB has to offer.
You can get your tickets for Sole DXB 2024 here. To learn more, keep an eye on Sole’s website and Instagram page.
Words: Hamza Shehryar
