Jungle animals and online monsters make new friends at Dubai Festival City Mall

Colourfully costumed roaming performers have always been a delightful part of the celebrations surrounding the popular Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) extravaganza in Dubai. Now in its 17th edition, the summer festival is back with another exciting group of highly skilled artists, who are enhancing the festive atmosphere in the malls across the city. One such group of artists has been entertaining visitors to the Dubai Festival City Mall by staging the Animal Parade and Meet-and-Greet sessions with the Moshi Monsters.

The lively sight of the roaming characters donned in wild animals’ costumes, are bringing a lasting smile to the faces of shoppers of every age group. The Animal Parade comprising a gorilla biking inside a cage, an elephant, a tiger, a hippopotamus and a zebra, are roaming the mall ways and producing animal sounds to grab the attention of their human friends. Visitors, in return, are responding by capturing memories of a one-of-a-kind shopping experience through pictures and videos. 

While the Animal Parade is leaving audiences in awe of these lovable creatures from the wild, the adorable characters from the highest selling online game in the GCC region, Moshi Monsters, are entertaining the little shoppers during a fun Meet-and-Greet opportunity. 

An elated Fahad Hamad, a visitor from Kuwait, who was seen socializing with the animal characters, said: “These roaming performers add fun to the regular shopping that we are used to. Plus, they really look wonderful and different. Not everyone would have the chance to have their photos taken with performers like them, so I took advantage of this opportunity today. I will upload this photo on my Facebook and Instagram accounts so that my friends and family would see how fun it is to be in Dubai during summer.” 

Rana Salama, a resident of Dubai, who was exploring the city with her sister Mira from Palestine, said, “I brought my sister to Dubai Festival City Mall because I know that it’s DSS, and that there will be a lot of shopping promotions and entertainment. Really, it’s great fun to be here and enjoy the entertainment lined up for families and children. It adds life and colour to the regular shopping experience.”

“This is definitely a special moment for me. The photo I took with the characters will be on my social media accounts soon,” added her sister Mira with a smile. 

Another visitor, Mohammad Al Aseeri from Dammam in KSA brought his youngster to the mall for the fun-filled Meet and Greet session with Moshi Monsters. He said: “A lot of shoppers are stopping to watch these characters. It’s nice to see that people are enjoying the show and it’s a great opportunity for my little one to indulge in some fun. It adds to his childhood experiences.” 

The Animal Parade will continue to be at the mall until 8 August at 5:00pm, 7:30pm and 9:30pm daily. The first stage of the Meet-and-Greet with Moshi Monsters concluded on 9 August and will again be held from 15 August to 25 August at 5:00pm, 7:30pm and 9:30pm daily. 

The 17th edition of Dubai Summer Surprises is organized by the Dubai Festivals and Retail Establishment (DFRE), an agency of the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM). DSS will run until 5 September, under the theme, “The Fun Side of Summer.”