DP World ILT20 Cricket Festival transforms Dubai into a celebration of sport
The festival arrives in Dubai on 13 and 14 November with two days of cricket, entertainment and family activities. Entry is free.
AI-assisted voice playback. Starts only when you choose Play.
The DP World ILT20 Cricket Festival brings together sport, spectacle and genuine family entertainment across two days at the ICC Academy in Dubai Sports City on 13 and 14 November, from noon until nine in the evening. What distinguishes this gathering is the generosity of access: free entry extends to everyone, whether devoted cricket enthusiasts or those seeking a weekend of entertainment beyond the matches themselves.
The festival’s design acknowledges that modern sport exists within a broader cultural space. Alongside the cricket, the grounds host face painting stations, food stalls offering sustenance for all tastes, and activities designed for younger visitors. Entertainment performers circulate throughout the grounds, creating moments of spontaneity and delight. The atmosphere shifts deliberately away from the intensity of professional cricket into something more inclusive and festive, a quality captured in the festival’s tagline: Where The World Plays.
The ICC Academy location provides the venue with particular significance. Positioned within Dubai Sports City, it offers the infrastructure of professional cricket whilst maintaining the accessibility that transforms a sporting fixture into an event for the neighbourhood. The two day duration allows for a more relaxed pace than a single evening match might permit, inviting visitors to stay, explore the various attractions, sample different food offerings and experience the festival according to their own rhythm.
For those planning to attend, the festival runs from noon to nine in the evening on 13 and 14 November at the ICC Academy, Dubai Sports City, with no entry charge.
Imagery courtesy of DP World ILT20 (@ilt20official).