The Contemporary Culture Festival returns to Dubai.
Leave it to Sole DXB 2025 to outdo itself year after year. This time around, the region’s ultimate youth and contemporary culture festival is returning to d3 with an even bigger musical lineup than ever before. Brace yourselves, because it’s about to get sole-ful from 12 to 14 December 2025.
For the uninitiated, Sole DXB is a Dubai-based festival owned and developed by Sole, the leading voice in the region’s contemporary culture scene. Its multi-format programming encompasses three nights and two days of live music, DJ sets, fashion, film screenings, talks, workshops and sports tournaments. Over the weekend, visitors can expect exclusive previews, new drops, and only-at-sole experiences across music, fashion, art, sport, and food.
Artists
Kaytranada will kick off Sole DXB 2025 on a musical note on Friday, 12 December. Born Louis Kevin Celestin, the Haitian-Canadian DJ and producer broke through with a viral remix of Janet Jackson’s “If” and never looked back. His debut album, 99.9% won the Polaris Music Prize and a Juno Award. Follow-up BUBBA debuted at number one on Billboard’s Electronic Albums chart and earned two GRAMMY Awards, including Best Dance Album. Renowned for collaborative alchemy, he has worked with Aminé, H.E.R., Kali Uchis and Tinashe on the 2023 Kaytraminé project.
On Saturday, 13 December, Tyla will take to the stage, bringing her amapiano pop fusion to Sole DXB 2025. The South African singer broke out globally with “Water,” which became a worldwide phenomenon, topping charts, surpassing one billion streams, and winning the first-ever GRAMMY for Best African Music Performance. In 2024, her self-titled debut album delivered hits and collaborations with Tems and Travis Scott, including “Push 2 Start” and “Truth Or Dare.”
Black Star, the influential Brooklyn hip-hop duo of Yasiin Bey and Talib Kweli, whose sharp lyricism and jazz-soul production helped define the late-90s conscious rap movement, will perform on Saturday, 13 December. Their 1998 debut, Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star, became a cult classic and launched their respective solo careers: Bey’s Black on Both Sides and The Ecstatic; Kweli’s Quality and Eardrum. Essential tracks include “Definition,” “Respiration” featuring Common, “RE:DEFinition,” “Thieves in the Night” and “Brown Skin Lady,” pairing nimble wordplay with head-nodding beats.
Indian hip-hop heavyweights KR$NA and Raftaar are set to light up Sole DXB’s Main Stage at Dubai Design District on Saturday, 13 December 2025. The duo appears on the official festival bill alongside global names across the weekend, underscoring Sole DXB’s cross-cultural pull. Expect razor-sharp wordplay, Hindi-English flows and arena-level energy as two Delhi-bred stars bring subcontinental rap to one of Dubai’s most influential culture platforms.
Tinariwen are the Tuareg desert blues collective from Mali, founded by guitarist Ibrahim Ag Alhabib. Their pentatonic riffs and call-and-response vocals turned Saharan poetry into counterculture, earning a Grammy for Best World Music Album with Tassili in 2011. Recorded in dunes and desert camps, their albums carry stories of exile, resistance and resilience. Essential tracks include “Cler Achel,” “Sastanàqqàm”, and “Tenere Taq Chegghen.” The collective will perform at Sole DXB on Saturday, 13 December.
To close Sole DXB 2025, R&B icon Miguel will perform on Sunday, 14 December. Known for the Grammy Award-winning “Adorn” plus the singles “Coffee,” “How Many Drinks,” “Simple Things” and “Sky Walker”, he promises to close the event in superb style. His debut album, All I Want Is You, introduced “Sure Thing,” a track that continues to resonate more than a decade on. Now entering a new chapter with his fifth studio album CAOS, he explores grief, love, identity, and rebirth in his most vulnerable and experimental work to date.
Atlanta’s Lil Yachty rose from 2015’s viral “One Night” and his 2016 Lil Boat mixtape to become rap’s cheerful disruptor. In 2023, he swerved into psychedelic territory with Let’s Start Here, a guitar-leaning studio album that reframed him beyond “bubblegum trap” and drew broader critical notice. In 2024, he doubled down on experimentation with Bad Cameo, a collaborative LP with James Blake blending wistful electronica and Yachty’s sing-rap instincts. The rapper will perform at Sole DXB on Sunday, 14 December.
The Gambian-British rapper Pa Salieu is known for the 2020 breakout “Frontline”, which became BBC 1Xtra’s most-played track, leading into his sharp, scene-defining mixtape, Send Them to Coventry. He won the BBC’s Sound of 2021, signalling mainstream recognition for a sound that fuses UK drill and afroswing, while collaborations span left-field pop and rap, notably with FKA twigs on “honda.” He will headline the Sole DXB Main Stage on Sunday, 14 December.
Palestinian rap duo Shabjdeed & Al Nather bring raw, bass-driven energy to Sole DXB with a Main Stage appearance on Sunday, 14 December. Expect fantastic flows and rugged, club-leaning production that has taken them from Ramallah studios to global festival stages. Their set is expected to lean on fan favourites and cult releases such as the single “Amrikkka” and the breakout era around Sindibad El Ward.
Exhibitions
Fred Perry and Sole celebrate their longstanding partnership with the launch of SOLE x Fred Perry: Racquet Club – a three-day fusion of sport and culture featuring open table tennis sessions, registration-only padel tournaments, exclusive giveaways, and a curated retail space. The activation culminates at Sole DXB, honouring individuality, style, and community.
Fujifilm and TA’YO unveil a powerful collaborative study on street photography, memory, and craft. Their space blends Fujifilm’s X-Series technology with TA’YO’s design language, and debuts an exclusive, festival-only apparel and accessories collection that examines image-making as a cultural archive.
Japanese sports brand ASICS is bringing its Sound Mind, Sound Body philosophy to life with a SportStyle playground inspired by the elements of Earth, Wind and Fire. Festivalgoers can create one-off Japanese block-print designs, customise and fly their own kites, and personalise hot-sauce bottles and matcha moments that nod to the brand’s roots.
Fashion
Spotlight by d3 is a pop-up for fashionistas featuring various independent fashion and lifestyle brands that champion cutting-edge practices and underline their dedication to the community. Immerse yourself in the original, culturally rich collections crafted by emerging designers from Palestine, South Africa, the UAE, the United Kingdom, and beyond.
Highlighted brands include 5ivepillars, A.P.C., Adaye, Amongst Few, AOTA, ASICS, Atlal From Galbi, Badibanga, BLANK, Champion, Congo Clothing Company, DJI, F5, Fauré Le Page, Finchitua, Fred Perry, G-Shock, Hoka, Kayali, Leaf Apparel, Midnight Sports, Mqaaar, No Borders, Precious Trust, Prince Politique, Qasimi, Retropia, SN3 Studio, SWEY Collective, Tasado and Umbro.
Sports
Similarly, several sports events and activations are expected to be a big part of Sole DXB; however, the agenda for this year is yet to be announced. Previous versions saw Sole Ball Above All (SBAA), SKATE by Vice and many more.
In a nod to Dubai’s skateboarding heritage, Sole DXB will bring back the specially crafted 374-square-meter flat land street-style skate area, replicating iconic local spots like the Deira Fountain and Sparks. This communal hangout features a Vert Wall, Fun Box, and grind ledges.
Food
Anchoring the elevated dining space at Sole DXB 2025 is The Maine, the city’s well-known New England brasserie. Varak, known for reinterpreting Middle Eastern desserts through contemporary technique, will present single-serve cakes. Eleven Green, known for its Bull Burger, will serve its signature smashed patties and house sauces. Mama Fri will introduce a Mitsu-inspired menu, and the FACT award-winning Miss Lily’s also returns.
This year’s food line-up also draws from neighbourhood kitchens shaped by the city’s everyday dining culture. Mihbash brings Emirati street food influences, Soil presents its plant-forward bowls, Mirzam showcases handcrafted bean-to-bar chocolate, Pop Culture offers natural ice pops, Club Ocha introduces Thai iced teas, and MyGovindas serves vegetarian dishes rooted in Sattvic cooking.
Prices for the three-day event start at AED 449 per person. If you don’t want to miss out on the action, you can grab these right away.
We’ll see you there.
GO: Visit https://dubai.platinumlist.net for more information.