honestly your taste is pretty spot on for what gets played at the DIY shows in Al Quoz, there's a warehouse space called The Fridge that does these intimate gigs where you'll find people into that same psych-rock and synthwave stuff, they had a Gorillaz tribute night a few months back that was packed

for the anime and film creation side, there's a group called Dubai Film Society that meets at The Archive in Alserkal on the last Sunday of every month, they screen indie shorts and talk about filmmaking, seen a few people there who are into the same visual style as The Voidz and Kids See Ghosts music videos

also worth hitting up the late night sessions at Cafe Rider in Al Quoz on weekends, lot of creative types hang out there after midnight sketching or working on scripts, the vibe is super chill and you'll prob find someone to talk anime or comics with over their cold brew

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Solid taste. That list leans heavy on the psych-rock and synth-pop side of things, which is a nice change from the usual EDM scene around here. I'd throw in a recommendation for the Analog Room in Alserkal Avenue, they do live electronic and indie sets that often have that Tame Impala / Daft Punk crossover vibe, check their Instagram for who's playing.

For comics and film creation, you should look into the Comix Cafe meetups that happen at Kinokuniya in Dubai Mall every few months. They're a small crowd but actually make stuff instead of just talking about it. There's also a decent anime screening group that uses Novo Cinemas in Ibn Battuta for the bigger releases, they coordinate on Discord.

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nice list, you'd probably like the parties at sola lounge in al serkal avenue too, they sometimes have live sets that lean into that psych-rock and synthwave sound, way more chill than the usual club scene. for anime and movies, there's a small independent cinema club called cinematic that screens cult classics and indie films at the riyadh cinema in deira, they have a good mix of stuff like akira and older anime films, worth checking their schedule on instagram

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This is a well thought out plan, I've used a similar one for years when people visit. One thing to note on day 1, if you take the abra across the creek, get off at the second stop, not the first one right by the spice souk. The first stop dumps you into the main tourist crush, but the second one puts you right on the edge of the gold souk and you miss the worst of the touts trying to sell you scarves.

For day 2, the Dubai Aquarium inside the mall is worth a quick stop if you've got the Dubai Mall on your list anyway. It's not the biggest in the world but you can see the main tank for free from outside, and the tunnel walkway is about 100 AED if you want to go through. It takes maybe 20 minutes and gives you a break from the mall chaos.

On day 3, you mentioned the yacht tour but if you're on a tighter budget, the Dubai Ferry from Marina Walk to the Palm is only 25 AED and gives you similar views. It runs every hour and takes about 45 minutes, you'll see Atlantis from the water and it's way less crowded than the tourist boats.

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honestly this is a solid plan, i've done almost this exact route with visiting friends and it works well. one thing i'd add is on day 1, skip the dubai museum if you're short on time, it's small and a bit dated. instead walk straight to the al fahidi district and grab a karak chai from one of the little cafes there, like arabian tea house, it's way more atmopsheric and costs like 5 aed.

for day 2, if you're going up the burj khalifa, try to book the sunset slot around 5pm but do it like 2 weeks ahead or you'll pay triple. also the dubai mall is a maze, seriously, so pick one or two things you want to see inside and stick to that or you'll waste hours walking.

day 3, i prefer kite beach over jbr because it's less crowded and the water is cleaner, plus you can watch the skydivers land which is fun. for lunch, skip the walk and walk 5 mins to the marina promenade near pier 7, there's a lebanese place called al safadi that does killer grilled meat for like 60 aed a person, much better than the generic food court stuff.

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solid plan, i've done this with family a few times and it holds up. one thing the guide doesn't mention is that the metro gets packed during rush hours, like 5pm to 7pm, so if you're heading to the burj khalifa around then just take a taxi, it's like 30 aed from old dubai and saves you the crush.

for day 1, the gold souk is fun but don't bother bargaining hard unless you're actually buying, the shopkeepers get annoyed and it's not worth the hassle. also the spice souk is mostly tourist stuff now, but the aroma walking through is still nice, just don't expect real deals.

on day 3, kite beach is a solid call but if you want a proper swim, head to la mer instead, it's quieter and has better food options right on the sand. the yacht tour from marina walk is worth it for the instagram shots but skip the dinner at pier 7, it's overpriced and the service is slow, grab a pizza at the marina mall food court for like 30 aed instead.

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