Competition galore as Dubai Food Carnival tickets go on sale 14.01.2015: UAE’s Leading Family-Friendly Culinary Event Returns with Expanded Roster of Exciting Competitions and Mega

UAE’s Leading Family-Friendly Culinary Event Returns with Expanded Roster of Exciting Competitions and Mega Prizes



With less than a month to go until the second annual Dubai Food Carnival presented by Etisalat opens at Dubai International Marine Club, tickets for the UAE’s leading international culinary and entertainment event will go on sale on Thursday 15 January at 12 noon.


After last year’s inaugural Dubai Food Carnival attracted 17,588 visitors from more than 90 countries and trumped a host of other world-class regional events to land the prestigious ‘Best Exhibition’ accolade at the Middle East Event Awards 2014, the exciting line-up for this year’s event - which runs 12-14 February – will cement the family-friendly extravaganza’s credentials as an international culinary food event befitting the diverse and culturally-rich population of Dubai.


“With an appealing fusion of global cuisines, celebrated international and regional chefs, engaging entertainment, and a diverse blend of established and new-to-market restaurants and food retailers, the second Dubai Food Carnival will solidify its standing as one of the region’s largest consumer food events and a fun, family day out for UAE residents and visitors alike,” said Trixie LohMirmand, Senior Vice President, Exhibitions & Events Management, Dubai World Trade Centre, the Carnival organiser. 


Extended to three days due to popular demand, Dubai Food Carnival 2015, a headline event of the second Dubai Food Festival, will feature a plethora of interactive competitions across its new 15,869m² venue - the equivalent of more than two full-size football pitches. Heading the bill is ‘The Great Yalla BBQ’, a mega grill-off concept which returns with an exciting new format.


Elsewhere, event newcomer SoHo Grill, Dubai’s home-grown New York-themed steakhouse, will host a ‘Ribs n Bibs’ eating contest on the Main Stage, while Hummingbird Bakery, the home of quality American baking in Dubai, will stage a ‘Little Bakers’ competition for kids at its stand.


Held in association with Weber Grills and Meat & Livestock Australia (MLA), and hosted by Chef Tarek Ibrahim, the multi-talented star of Fatafeat TV, ‘The Great Yalla BBQ’ will consist of three distinct competitions this year. On Thursday 12 February, local and international businesses face-off in the Corporate Cook-Off Relay, before So You Think You Can Grill - a hotly-contested man versus woman head-to-head – entertains crowds on Friday 13 February.


The final day on Saturday 14 February will see a range of sports teams from local football, rugby, netball and cricket leagues battle for honours in the BBQ Playoffs. Entry for all teams is completely free and registration is open now on the Dubai Food Carnival website (www.dubaifoodcarnival.com).


On the Main Stage, Carnival newcomers Soho Grill will host five sessions of the epic ‘Ribs n’ Bibs’ eat-off - where eight contestants per session will be required to eat one kilogramme of SoHo Grill’s barbequed back ribs in only eight minutes.


If no winner emerges during the five eat-offs, the contestants’ remaining ribs will be weighed to find the ‘King of the Ribs’, with each of the five winners receiving an AED500 voucher to spend at any SoHo Grill outlet in Dubai, as well as a ‘King of the Ribs’ medal and t-shirt.


Again, entry for contestants is completely free and registration is open now on the Dubai Food Carnival website (www.dubaifoodcarnival.com). While the ‘Ribs n’ Bibs’ back ribs are purely barbeque-based, SoHo Grill will spice things up at its dedicated restaurant stand with the launch of its new ‘Fireball’ Atomic Hot Sauce.


It’s not all about grilling and eating as Hummingbird Bakery, one of the world’s most loved bakeries, will hold a special competition for children and budding bakers dubbed ‘Little Bakers’. Open to boys and girls between the ages of five-to-12-years-old, the competition will see kids try to emulate intricate cupcake designs crafted on-site by a master baker.


Six sessions are planned throughout the Carnival - 6pm and 8pm on Thursday, 4pm and 8pm on Friday and 3pm and 6pm on Saturday – with the winners receiving delicious Hummingbird Bakery prizes.


With more than 80 local, regional and international culinary brands participating at Dubai Food Carnival, many of the exhibitors and event partners will also hold exclusive competitions on their stands with great prizes on offer for winners.


Three popular Jumeirah Group restaurants - Tortuga, the noodle house and Madinat Jumeirah newcomer Perry and Blackwelder’s Original Smokehouse - will accompany their delicious on-site menus with Instagram and Twitter-based competitions.




By simply uploading their favourite festival pictures using the relevant hashtag participants will be entered into one of three separate grand prize draws, with the noodle house offering a whopping one year’s worth of free home delivery, Perry and Blackwelder’s Original Smokehouse offering a chance to ‘win your weight in meat’, and authentic Mexican restaurant Tortuga offering free tacos for a year.


With a host of public transport options available to and from Dubai International Marine Club, Dubai Food Carnival organisers have arranged shuttle buses from Nakheel Metro Station and DAMAC Properties Metro Station to the event venue. The public are also recommended to use the new Dubai Tram service.


In addition, the Carnival’s partnership with Uber will see new subscribers to the world’s leading transport service app rewarded with a promotional code worth AED100 of complimentary travel either to or from the event.


Dubai Food Carnival is open 3pm to 10pm on Thursday 12 February, 12pm to 10pm on Friday 13 February and 12pm to 10pm on Saturday 14 February.


One-day tickets for the Dubai Food Carnival are available for only AED30 per person, while customers of the event’s Official Bank Partner, Emirates NBD, can take advantage of an AED10 discount to purchase tickets for only AED20. To ensure the second annual Carnival remains true to its family-friendly roots, children under 12 can enter for free.


All tickets are available from Time Out Tickets (www.timeouttickets.com).

For more information visit: www.dubaifoodcarnival.com


- Katie Johnston, Total Communications Dubai - also photos