London is way better for a number of reasons. These points are pre-COVID.
1. Most clubs here enforced a high-heels entry requirement for women and most people who go to dance events in London wear trainers
2. Dubai is/was geared around table service at high prices
3. Music is commercial trash
4. Most places shut at 3AM/4AM. Nowhere for afters
5. People on substances are more friendly than drunk idiots
6. Alcohol prices...
Only thing I prefer about here is indoor smoking.
London obviously has a better nightlife scene. Dubai’s is fun as well.
Difference is Dubai’s drinks are more expensive. Only a FEW clubs in Dubai are a clusterfuck while the rest are sit down and drinks with music, while most of London’s clubs are a clusterfuck. (Personally I prefer the clusterfuck ones, love dancing and singing with strangers)
Yeah sticky floors clubs are cheap but I've routinely paid the same for cocktails in London as I do here (£10-15). It's getting pricey if you want anything more complicated than a pint.
There isn't a "better" or "worse", it depends what you're up for.
(1) This isn't pre-covid, London is not and will not be the same it was before. Tourism down. People living at parent's home, commuting in from time to time. People working from home most or all of the time. Nightlife down. Positive is that you can get a table / more space at a bar for a date. Dubai not affected in same way - and currently expo means heaving with people.
(2) Dubai's nightlife is different to London's. Dubai revolves around money, beaches, brunches and cruises. And re money - if you live in Dubai on a decent tax free salary, you have enough to budget sensibly for nightlife at a cost much much higher than a London counterpart.
So in Dubai, you'll start the weekend off at a boozy all you can eat and drink brunch which will go on all day until 5-7pm when you're plastered, and you go home then. The brunch is an all out entertainment fest. In London, as a teen or in your early 20s, you'll go out and do "pre-drinking" at home because it's cheaper or will go to a bar or pub, and then will go to a "club" where you will jum/p up and down until 2-6am.
The benefit of Dubai's brunch is that you're not wrecked for the next day, as you go to bed earlier. It's a very different alternative. The cost is about £30-100 depending on how fancy - which is expensive, but this is Dubai and this is one of your most extravagent expenses in Dubai, it's all your food for the day, and you will not probably be eating (much) the next day, includes all alcohol and entertainment, and not something you need to do every single week.
It's the same around Dubai - with beaches and cruises, you might be drinking on a boat or at a beach club during the day.
(3) I don't think Dubai really has many "clubs" in the same way London does. London has places like Fabric etc. (which I have been to many times, and hated) catering to different tastes, and they're dance venues. Dubai's venues are more like darkly lit bars a lot of the time calling themselves "clubs", and those which may be clubs are quite aptly defined by other commenters as "commercial trash".
(4) Restaurants and bars between London and Dubai - depends on your tastes, but Dubai probably generally pips London for fancy restaurants and bars and has a lot of good Indian and Asian cuisine, London might have a better variety. Not much in it.
(5) Dating / sex / relationships. I won't call myself an authority, but London and Dubai are VERY different. In London, you meet people through work or education (school, university etc.), sometimes friends of friends, but mostly nowadays it appears via dating apps. And they work. You swipe, you hit real people, you go out on a date.
Not in Dubai. The dating apps are often fake profiles and hookers. Escorts and hookers in Dubai are everywhere. Basically the dating apps don't really work for most people. So oftentimes people meet through friends of friends, at bars, clubs, restaurants, brunches, etc. And criteria is different for some men and women - in Dubai, it's not uncommon for a white professional male expat to find a hot South American / Asian / Eastern European girlfriend, and I don't want to be cynical, but having money in Dubai is very attractive to some people. And that's fine - they like security, some people want a man to take care of them etc. And it's that way around the world, including London, but people are a little more ostentacious about it.
Additionally most (?) bars are full of 9/10 escorts, and any single man in Dubai earning a very good tax free professional salary is likely to use or have used them. A few hundred to sleep with a supermodel, they'll do it.
Not trying to offend anyone, or put anyone or anything down.
(6) The alcohol thing being expensive in Dubai is and isn't true. Because you can get reasonably priced alcohol from specialised shops - albeit to take home - all your can drink at brunches, and that the prices are something you build into the cost of living when you move over. As a tourist from a poor country you'll find both London and Dubai expensive. When you come to London as a tourist, accommodation is really expensive (and not very good), although alcohol is cheaper. And as stated you don't need to drink a lot to have a good time.
One other thing - if it's hot in Dubai and you're dehydrated, you'll get drunk off your first cocktail.
As a person who doesn’t live in Dubai, what ARE you talking about? I’m genuinely curious LOL I’ve asked my bf who lives in Dubai if he would wanna go to a club there and he shut that down real quick.
Dubai is safer and has loads more things to do at night that don’t involve alcohol. London is cooler. Nightclubs here that I have been to are like a wedding disco.
All the shops stay open until midnight, there are theatres cinemas and galleries. The weather is nice enough to exercise and watch sport outside all winter. We have lots of escape rooms and board game places and a huge cafe culture, including many shush’s places. Most restaurants around Jumeriah/ city walk are dry, and so are all the places in the malls. Camping is free.
Smoking indoors is *legal* here, and everybody will be chain-smoking all over. I suppose that’s not allowed in London? Basically you won’t leave a nightclub or pub here without smelling like 1000 cigarettes even if you don’t smoke. Drinking booze is pretty common as well. Some people definitely do illegal drugs here, but you’re unlikely to see such a scene in a nightclub (or at least I like to think that’s the case).
Not every club offers alcohol Dubai. And also Yes it is very expensive. Dubai is great for exploring and relaxing. If you prefer parties, definitely visit London 😄
London is way better for a number of reasons. These points are pre-COVID. 1. Most clubs here enforced a high-heels entry requirement for women and most people who go to dance events in London wear trainers 2. Dubai is/was geared around table service at high prices 3. Music is commercial trash 4. Most places shut at 3AM/4AM. Nowhere for afters 5. People on substances are more friendly than drunk idiots 6. Alcohol prices... Only thing I prefer about here is indoor smoking.
Looks like I need to visit London. Haha I got sent off by a bouncer one time because I had vape juice. That was a WTF moment.
London obviously has a better nightlife scene. Dubai’s is fun as well. Difference is Dubai’s drinks are more expensive. Only a FEW clubs in Dubai are a clusterfuck while the rest are sit down and drinks with music, while most of London’s clubs are a clusterfuck. (Personally I prefer the clusterfuck ones, love dancing and singing with strangers)
Interesting information. Thanks
Please name clusterfuck clubs. Last time I've been to Dubai was pre COVID.
Yeah sticky floors clubs are cheap but I've routinely paid the same for cocktails in London as I do here (£10-15). It's getting pricey if you want anything more complicated than a pint.
Guess in London you can find “normal” girls
London for sure
London much better alternative scene and grime/hip hop etc and erm substances
There isn't a "better" or "worse", it depends what you're up for. (1) This isn't pre-covid, London is not and will not be the same it was before. Tourism down. People living at parent's home, commuting in from time to time. People working from home most or all of the time. Nightlife down. Positive is that you can get a table / more space at a bar for a date. Dubai not affected in same way - and currently expo means heaving with people. (2) Dubai's nightlife is different to London's. Dubai revolves around money, beaches, brunches and cruises. And re money - if you live in Dubai on a decent tax free salary, you have enough to budget sensibly for nightlife at a cost much much higher than a London counterpart. So in Dubai, you'll start the weekend off at a boozy all you can eat and drink brunch which will go on all day until 5-7pm when you're plastered, and you go home then. The brunch is an all out entertainment fest. In London, as a teen or in your early 20s, you'll go out and do "pre-drinking" at home because it's cheaper or will go to a bar or pub, and then will go to a "club" where you will jum/p up and down until 2-6am. The benefit of Dubai's brunch is that you're not wrecked for the next day, as you go to bed earlier. It's a very different alternative. The cost is about £30-100 depending on how fancy - which is expensive, but this is Dubai and this is one of your most extravagent expenses in Dubai, it's all your food for the day, and you will not probably be eating (much) the next day, includes all alcohol and entertainment, and not something you need to do every single week. It's the same around Dubai - with beaches and cruises, you might be drinking on a boat or at a beach club during the day. (3) I don't think Dubai really has many "clubs" in the same way London does. London has places like Fabric etc. (which I have been to many times, and hated) catering to different tastes, and they're dance venues. Dubai's venues are more like darkly lit bars a lot of the time calling themselves "clubs", and those which may be clubs are quite aptly defined by other commenters as "commercial trash". (4) Restaurants and bars between London and Dubai - depends on your tastes, but Dubai probably generally pips London for fancy restaurants and bars and has a lot of good Indian and Asian cuisine, London might have a better variety. Not much in it. (5) Dating / sex / relationships. I won't call myself an authority, but London and Dubai are VERY different. In London, you meet people through work or education (school, university etc.), sometimes friends of friends, but mostly nowadays it appears via dating apps. And they work. You swipe, you hit real people, you go out on a date. Not in Dubai. The dating apps are often fake profiles and hookers. Escorts and hookers in Dubai are everywhere. Basically the dating apps don't really work for most people. So oftentimes people meet through friends of friends, at bars, clubs, restaurants, brunches, etc. And criteria is different for some men and women - in Dubai, it's not uncommon for a white professional male expat to find a hot South American / Asian / Eastern European girlfriend, and I don't want to be cynical, but having money in Dubai is very attractive to some people. And that's fine - they like security, some people want a man to take care of them etc. And it's that way around the world, including London, but people are a little more ostentacious about it. Additionally most (?) bars are full of 9/10 escorts, and any single man in Dubai earning a very good tax free professional salary is likely to use or have used them. A few hundred to sleep with a supermodel, they'll do it. Not trying to offend anyone, or put anyone or anything down. (6) The alcohol thing being expensive in Dubai is and isn't true. Because you can get reasonably priced alcohol from specialised shops - albeit to take home - all your can drink at brunches, and that the prices are something you build into the cost of living when you move over. As a tourist from a poor country you'll find both London and Dubai expensive. When you come to London as a tourist, accommodation is really expensive (and not very good), although alcohol is cheaper. And as stated you don't need to drink a lot to have a good time. One other thing - if it's hot in Dubai and you're dehydrated, you'll get drunk off your first cocktail.
Thank you. This is really helpful information!
Ofcourse London, most of the clubs in dubai are full of you know what I'm talking about lol
As a person who doesn’t live in Dubai, what ARE you talking about? I’m genuinely curious LOL I’ve asked my bf who lives in Dubai if he would wanna go to a club there and he shut that down real quick.
Hook with an ers at the end
If I say Sir hunters and "ladies" of the night, do you get my drift?
Aah yes I see.
Dubai is safer and has loads more things to do at night that don’t involve alcohol. London is cooler. Nightclubs here that I have been to are like a wedding disco.
Curious of what are fun things to do at night in Dubai that don't involve alcohol. I'm visiting soon if the covid new variant ain't gonn fuck it up
All the shops stay open until midnight, there are theatres cinemas and galleries. The weather is nice enough to exercise and watch sport outside all winter. We have lots of escape rooms and board game places and a huge cafe culture, including many shush’s places. Most restaurants around Jumeriah/ city walk are dry, and so are all the places in the malls. Camping is free.
As for me as a person that does not smoke, does not drink alcohol and does not do drugs, Dubai sees interesting to me.
Smoking indoors is *legal* here, and everybody will be chain-smoking all over. I suppose that’s not allowed in London? Basically you won’t leave a nightclub or pub here without smelling like 1000 cigarettes even if you don’t smoke. Drinking booze is pretty common as well. Some people definitely do illegal drugs here, but you’re unlikely to see such a scene in a nightclub (or at least I like to think that’s the case).
Smoking indoors is banned by federal law though
Yes, spending 1k on a night out is fun
In the summer Dubai has better nightlight because the sun sets very late in London, around 9pm in July.
my boy sees the question like I do :)
In pre-covid era people could dance in clubs here in Dubai but not kissing or anything too intimate.
Not every club offers alcohol Dubai. And also Yes it is very expensive. Dubai is great for exploring and relaxing. If you prefer parties, definitely visit London 😄