Fashion Friday To Free Prediction Contest: How Dubai Racing Carnival Draws New Crowds

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times)

French couple Ophelie and Adrien have never watched horse racing and knew nothing about the sport prior to this year. However, when they heard of the Fashion Friday events at Meydan racecourse, they decided to try it out along with their seven-month-old Marceau.

On Friday, they attended their second race this year where they were joined by Ophelie's father Patrice, who was visiting Dubai for just a week.

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“We love the ambience and the energy,” said Adrien.“It is clean, there are lots of restaurant stalls to choose from and it is close to our house. We attended for the first time last week and it was a lot of fun, so we decided to come back with Patrice this week. I am sure that we will keep coming until the end of the season.”

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One of the biggest draws of the event was the opportunity to participate in the free-to-enter prediction competition.“Last week and this week, my predictions were off the mark,” he admitted.“I just fed the details to ChatGPT and picked our choices. Next week, I am going to read articles and make an educated guess. I want to win the competition.”

With ticket prices starting at just Dh10, the Dubai Racing Carnival events have managed to attract a whole new crowd to race. Many have never watched a race before but enjoy the atmosphere and keep coming back for it.

“What we're seeing with Fashion Friday, and our whole season, is the power of experience,” said Sophie Ryan, Head of Corporate Communications, Marketing and Brand at Dubai Racing Club. Guests aren't just coming for the racing - they're coming for the social atmosphere, the fashion moments, the music, and the food. By investing in activations and raising the bar on hospitality, we've created an environment that people actively plan their week around, which has translated into exceptional attendance growth.”

First-time visitors

For Kallesh and Savita, it was their very first experience attending a horse race. They arrived at Meydan with their sons Srujan and Satvik.“Our friends have been talking about the Fashion Friday and other races,” said Kallesh.“We decided to check it out today. We are really enjoying ourselves here.”

“The horse race was so cool,” quipped Satvik.“I watched it and they were all equally good. I am excited to tell my friends about it.”

Savita walked around the Millinery exhibition and tried on some of the head pieces excitedly. It is the first time she has worn such elaborate head pieces. The Millinery exhibition at the Concourse 3 saw several women trying out the creations of some of the best global designers.

At the lawn, there were popups of several leading UAE restaurants, and a free play area to the side keep the kids busy.

Friends reunion

While for some, the races were a great way to spend time with their families, for others it was an opportunity to have a reunion with friends. Karishma Joshi and her college friends decided to pick the Fashion Friday event to meet their friends who recently moved here.

“We all wanted to have a reunion to welcome our friends Sagar and Ronit who moved to Dubai three days ago,” she said.“So, all of us including Swapnil, Gautam, Mohit and Juhi decided to meet here. It is such a fun environment. We all get to dress up, have great food, watch the horses which by and have a lot of fun.”

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