Global Village is so popular, it's coming back earlier this year

The family attraction in Dubai, which closed on April 30, will open on October 18

Global Village reopened for its 27th season on October 25, 2022. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National

The family-friendly destination returned with various new attractions

Drum group Aainjaa perform at the reopening of Global Village

The first of many visitors for the new season

The team behind Global Village said they worked all summer to improve existing attractions and dream up new ones

Global Village is one of Dubai's longest-running and most popular attractions.

Global Village season 27 ran until April 30, 2023

Confetti rains on visitors at the opening of season 27

Global Village opened from 4pm to midnight from Sunday to Wednesday and 4pm to 1am from Thursday to Saturday.

The attraction is hugely popular with residents and tourists — especially families with young children.

The attraction comes alive at night

Entry to the new Road to Asia.

Afghan music is played in the country's pavilion

Joan Capers sells her Vietnamese gifts along the Road to Asia

Mohammed Ayan sells jackets at his stall in the Afghanistan pavilion

There are plenty of sights and sounds to take in

The amusement park at Global Village is popular with people of all ages

Dancers at the China pavilion

Preparing halwa, a traditional dessert, at the Oman pavilion

The fair features performances by singers, dancers, acrobats and many others

The House of Fear is a fixture for thrill-seekers

Many pavilions are given makeovers each season

Preparing traditional Emirati food

Due to overwhelming public demand, popular family attraction Global Village will now open on October 18, a week earlier than previous years.

The 27th season of open-air entertainment attracted nine million visitors during its last stint, from October 25 to April 30, according to a Global Village representative.

The attraction shuts down for summer each year, and season 28 is scheduled to run from October 18 to April 28, 2024.

One of the main attractions of Global Village are the country and regional pavilions where guests can experience various cultures through food and shopping.

There were 27 pavilions in the latest season, with Qatar and Oman joining the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Afghanistan, Africa, the Americas, China, Egypt, Europe, India, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Lebanon, Morocco, Pakistan, Palestine, Syria, Thailand, Turkey, Yemen and Russia.

Several new attractions were also added, including a 660-square-metre House of Fear, Big Balloon observation experience, Diggers Lab for children to play at construction work and Heroes Gallery, a movie memorabilia exhibition. An eco-friendly ice rink also made its debut last season.

Also new was Road of Asia, a pedestrian street with 43 kiosks that offer food and products from countries not represented in the pavilions. The 13 destinations featured along the street include Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Brunei, Laos, Vietnam, Nepal, Bhutan and the Philippines.

Ripley's Believe It or Not! Odditorium, the section showcasing weird and wonderful oddities, also added more than 50 new exhibits, including a 14-foot-long killer crocodile, a model containing more than one million matchsticks and even a Cristiano Ronaldo-inspired display. The attraction is the first of its kind in the region.

Meanwhile, the popular carnival section featured more than 170 rides and games.

Global Village is also known for its extensive food offerings and there were more than 200 restaurants, cafes and culinary kiosks for visitors to try.

Performances in the latest season included shows by Michael Flatley's Lord of the Dance, Yemeni singer Balqees, Egyptian singer Mahmoud El Esseily, Bollywood singer Neha Kakkar, and Lebanese singers Myriam Fares and Nancy Ajram.