Looking for some long weekend inspiration?

The UAE celebrates the start of the Islamic Hijri new year 1441 with a public holiday on Sunday, September 1, making it a long weekend. Basically, we all get an extra day off to recharge those drained batteries.

Take your pick from our list of refreshers brewing around the emirates this weekend.

Gigs around town

The celebrated Irish boyband Westlife is returning to Dubai after 19 years for their highly anticipated The Twenty Tour. Catch them live on Thursday, the 29^th of August at the Coca-Cola Arena.

If revisiting good boyband music has triggered some sort of craving, head down to Theatre by QE2 for The Ultimate Boyband Reunion concert. Catch four incredibly talented singers in a jam session featuring chart toppers by Boyzone, Backstreet Boys, Take That, NSYNC, One Direction and many more. There will be three performances on the the 28^th, 29^th and 30^th of August with a special Supper Club option on the final day.

Something for the kids

If you still haven’t grabbed your Motiongate and Legoland summer pass yet, do so now! Available for the price of one ticket, the summer pass guarantees unlimited visits to the parks until 14^th of September.

You can also buy Legoland and Legoland Waterpark one day tickets for just AED 100 at their End of Summer sale until the 31^st of August.

Fancy a road trip?

If you seek your adventures al fresco, you can practically hear the picturesque Hatta Pools calling out your name. With the weather getting bearable, we all deserve a relaxing weekend road trip to either Jabal Hafeet in Al Ain, Liwa Oasis or Sir Bani Yas Island in Abu Dhabi or the Jabal Jais in Ras Al Khaimah. Or for the truly outdoorsy types, one for each day of the long weekend.

Staycay getaways

If you’re looking to celebrate the end of summer in style, lying on a sun-bed with an ice-cold drink in hand, look no further. JA Hatta Fort Hotel and Atlantis The Palm in Dubai, Rixos Bab Al Bahr, Cove Rotana and Waldorf Astoria in Ras Al Khaimah, Radisson Blu Resort in Fujairah and Anantara Eastern Mangroves in Abu Dhabi are some top of the chart staycation destinations in the UAE that you can book for the weekend.

You can also check out group buying websites like Groupon and Cobone for some weekend exclusive discounted packages and budget staycation deals.

If food is your first love

You can spend an entire afternoon brunching on the weekend. Some new additions to the brunch scene that you can try out this weekend are Junipers at Vida Emirates Hills, Distillery at Souk Al Manzil, La Carnita at InterContinental Dubai Marina and Taikun at Vida Downtown, Dubai.

Catch up on some shopping

Everywhere you look these days, you are sure to see Back to School offers. From school supplies to clothing to accessories, this is your chance to grab some incredible deals before the schools reopen and the offers die down.

Planning to stay in?

If you are not feeling up to braving the crowds this weekend, Netflix has some new treats for you. Binge watch August releases like the new seasons of Sacred Games, Dear White People, Mindhunter and GLOW. Also catch movies like Otherhood and Falling Inn Love.

While you’re at it, get your food delivered from Zomato, Deliveroo, Uber Eats or Talabat. And make sure to take advantage of happy hours, flash deals and other ongoing offers on their apps.