Five Stand-Out Moments From This Year’s e& MOTB Festival

Last month, e& MOTB hit Dubai Design District to host its 12th annual open-air festival along with local and international brands as well as renowned artists.

While the festival has been known for its diverse retail market, this year’s edition saw the organizers level up the offering in light of Dubai Shopping Festival’s landmark 30th anniversary. Over the two-weekend-long event, new experiences took place to cater to different ages and festival goers as popular brands made their debut with new season collections and previews of upcoming drops.

For those who didn’t make it to e& MOTB, Hypebeast rounded up five activations that came out top with attendees.

Immersing guests in a retro backdrop

Every year, e& MOTB selects a unique theme that informs the curation of sellers and design installations. Having previously assembled a popular New York-style event, the latest edition was designed around a retro-futuristic theme with ‘60s diner-inspired architecture spanning the breadth of the outdoor space.

Over 50 independent retailers set up shop

What makes e& MOTB a one-of-a-kind event is the wide array of independent brands. For the 12th annual festival, organizers stayed true to their commitment to platforming these sellers, inviting over 50 names including eco-friendly label Nineteen Ninety Two and local brand Socks Up.

A dedicated beauty and wellness space

Titled “Beauty Bloc,” this space gave attendees the chance to test out various limited-edition releases and best-selling makeup products from global brands like Fenty Beauty, Huda Beauty, and Benefit Cosmetics. Those in search of skincare were also able to pick up kits of biocompatible products from Drunk Elephant.

Two international food vendors made their UAE debut

Dave’s Hot Chicken, one of Drake’s certified take-out spots, has been going viral over the past few months with restaurants opening in a number of cities. Jumping onto the hype, e& MOTB invited the vendor to its annual event along with Paris’ Homer Lobster which marked their first appearance in the region.

Emerging artists hit the stage on opening weekend

This year’s highlight was the showcase of musicians, singers, and DJs on the main stages. A stand-out performance came from Palestinian-Algerian artist Saint Levant and his partner Naika who serenaded guests on the opening weekend.

To find out more about e& MOTB and other upcoming Dubai Shopping Festival events, head to the dedicated website.