Planning an event often starts with the venue. And more and more, planners are choosing spaces that are empty or unfurnished. These “blank canvas” venues offer a level of flexibility that fully furnished spaces simply can’t. You’re not tied to a set layout or style. Instead, you can build the event from the ground up, shaping it to fit your brand, your message, or the experience you want to create.
With the right combination of furniture, lighting, and decor, any space, no matter how bare, can become unforgettable.
In this guide, we’ve rounded up 20 versatile venues in Dubai that are ideal for custom setups. These locations don’t come with fixed furniture or themes, giving you the freedom to design the event exactly the way you want.
20 Blank Canvas Event Venues for Customised Experiences
1. Museum of the Future
Location: Trade Centre
The Museum of the Future is one of Dubai’s most striking landmarks. Its curved, stainless steel structure and large, open interior spaces give it a futuristic feel that stands out. Inside, you’ll find smooth, neutral finishes and flexible layouts designed to host a range of events.
It’s a natural choice for tech showcases, innovation conferences, or brand launches that want a modern and forward-thinking setting.
2. TODA (Theatre of Digital Art)
Location: Souk Madinat Jumeirah
TODA is a fully immersive digital venue built inside a traditional-style building. It combines digital projections with theatre-style seating and open space. It’s best suited for product reveals, private showings, creative talks, and gallery-style launches.
Because the projections are constantly changing, the space works best with low-profile, flexible furniture that doesn’t block sightlines. Modular lounge seating, simple café tables, and portable bar counters help shape the space while letting the content take centre stage.
3. Alserkal Avenue Warehouses
Location: Al Quoz
Alserkal Avenue is a collection of converted warehouses in Dubai’s art district. The spaces feature high ceilings, white or concrete walls, and polished concrete floors, providing a raw, industrial aesthetic. These venues are often used for pop-up exhibitions, fashion events, talks, and contemporary brand activations.
With so much open space, there’s room to get creative. You might bring in large lounge areas with fabric seating, high bar tables for standing events, or parasols and rugs for outdoor courtyards.
4. Warehouse Four
Location: Al Quoz
The space is renowned for its clean lines, high ceilings, and exposed roof trusses, making it a versatile setting for both casual and upscale events. It’s a good fit for corporate mixers, music nights, pop-up dinners, or creative workshops.
The layout can be divided into zones using rugs, lighting, or custom seating areas. Industrial-style bar units, lounge clusters with soft fabric seating, and ambient string lighting can help define the atmosphere while keeping the setup simple and welcoming.
5. The Fridge Warehouse
Location: Alserkal Avenue
The Fridge is a warehouse-style venue often used for live music, brand launches, and art-based events. The space has a raw, urban feel, characterised by its exposed brick and expansive floor area. It’s ideal for informal events or anything that benefits from a relaxed and edgy backdrop.
The right seating, such as foldable benches or low lounge setups, can offer both comfort and flexibility. A portable bar and uplighting around the stage area help shift the space from a studio look to something more atmospheric without a complete redesign.
6. Jameel Arts Centre
Location: Jaddaf Waterfront
The outdoor garden at Jameel Arts Centre offers a calm and open space surrounded by water features and native plants. It’s well-suited for cultural evenings, private dinners, or creative workshops that work best in a relaxed, natural setting.
Low dining tables, poufs, woven rugs, and parasols can create a welcoming environment that blends with the surrounding landscape. Subtle lighting can also help carry the event into the evening without overpowering the space's simplicity.
7. XVA Gallery Courtyard
Location: Al Fahidi Historical District
Tucked inside one of Dubai’s oldest neighbourhoods, the courtyard at XVA Gallery has a traditional wind tower, shaded walls, and a quiet, intimate feel. The space is compact and well-suited for smaller events, such as talks, screenings, poetry nights, or pop-up dining experiences.
The ground is simple stone, and there’s no built-in furniture. Foldable café chairs, small round tables, and soft lantern lighting complement each other well here. A vintage drinks trolley or mobile bar can also add function without changing the atmosphere of this heritage space.
8. Infinity des Lumières
Location: The Dubai Mall
Infinity des Lumières is a digital art space situated within the mall, featuring expansive projection walls and immersive audio. It’s often used for private screenings, brand showcases, or intimate presentations. The space features smooth floors and no built-in furniture, allowing for complete control over the setup.
Seating should stay low and clean-lined to avoid blocking the digital visuals. Simple benches, cube stools, and standing cocktail tables all work well. If you’re dividing the space for networking, soft partitions and minimalist bar units can help create smaller zones without interfering with the projection.
9. Dubai Opera Rooftop Garden
Location: Downtown Dubai
On top of one of the city’s most iconic venues, the Dubai Opera rooftop garden offers skyline views and a flat, open surface with no permanent installations. It’s ideal for sunset receptions, brand launches, or seated dinners with the Burj Khalifa in sight.
Since the rooftop is a blank slate, you can shape it however you like. Lightweight lounge furniture, high bar tables, and strings of festoon lights work exceptionally well in this setting. Shade is limited, so parasols or canopies may also be useful, depending on the time of day.
10. Etihad Museum Event Hall
Location: Jumeirah 1
The event hall at the Etihad Museum is modern, clean, and minimalist in design. It’s built with events in mind but doesn’t include fixed decor or furniture, which makes it easy to adapt. The space suits are worn to corporate events, award nights, panel discussions, and national or heritage-themed events.
Due to the museum’s theme, many planners opt for a neutral, respectful look that allows the content to take center stage. You can also incorporate a central bar or lounge area to enhance the overall comfort of the experience.
11. Coca-Cola Arena
Location: City Walk
Inside the Coca-Cola Arena, there are several private lounges and rooms that can be hired separately from the main stage area. These spaces are mostly bare, with neutral flooring and minimal built-in features, making them flexible for smaller corporate gatherings, media previews, or closed-door networking events.
They’re well suited to a mix of standing and seated setups. Bringing in modular sofas, high-top tables, and mobile bar units can help create a relaxed environment that feels both professional and comfortable.
12. Dubai Design District (d3) Rooftops
Location: d3
The rooftops in Dubai Design District are modern, flat spaces with views over the creative hub and parts of the skyline. They’re often used for design launches, brand dinners, or evening mixers.
Lightweight furniture such as woven lounge chairs, moveable bar counters, and café tables work well, especially when combined with parasols or shade sails during the day. At night, battery-powered lanterns or festoon lights help set the right tone without needing complex rigging.
13. Mina Rashid Quayside
Location: Port Rashid
This outdoor quayside space offers views of docked ships and Dubai’s coastline. It’s an industrial, open-air venue that can be adapted to host a wide variety of events, from pop-up markets to gala dinners.
There’s no built-in structure, which makes it easy to scale the setup depending on the number of guests. You can create defined zones using long tables, outdoor lounge furniture, and accent pieces such as planters or fire pits.
14. Al Marmoom Desert Reserve
Location: Outskirts of Dubai
For a natural and peaceful setting, Al Marmoom Desert Reserve offers ample open land with views across the dunes. It’s a good fit for private gatherings, retreats, cultural events, or wellness programmes that benefit from quiet surroundings.
Since the reserve doesn’t have permanent structures, every item must be brought in. Low seating, cushions, rugs, and shaded tents blend exceptionally well into the desert landscape. Simple lantern lighting and fire features can help set the mood once the sun goes down.
15. Green Art Gallery
Location: Al Quoz
Next to the main gallery, this outdoor area has a clean, white wall backdrop and gravel ground. It’s compact yet flexible, making it suitable for evening talks, screenings, and art-related launches.
Folding chairs or cushioned benches, standing lamps, and a simple bar setup can help shape the environment. String lights or uplighting against the wall provide warmth and visibility without overcomplicating the space.
16. Souk Madinat Amphitheatre
Location: Jumeirah
This outdoor amphitheatre sits in the heart of Souk Madinat, with a backdrop of traditional architecture and waterways. The space is tiered and open, with no fixed furniture in the stage area, allowing for full freedom to create your own layout.
Low lounge seating works well here, especially when paired with patterned rugs or floor cushions. For evening events, soft flood lighting and decorative lanterns can help define the stage or create quiet corners along the steps for relaxed seating.
17. Dubai Creek Harbour Promenade
Location: Ras Al Khor
Overlooking the creek with city views in the distance, this long, paved promenade is ideal for events that require a natural backdrop and ample space to move. It works well for wellness mornings, food markets, public exhibitions, or open-air receptions.
Shade can be added with parasols or light canopy frames, and you can build out seating zones with benches, soft poufs, or bar tables. Mobile food trucks or self-serve stations can also be parked along the edge to add movement and interest.
18. The Yard by Meraas
Location: Al Khawaneej
The Yard blends urban and rural themes with broad gravel areas, murals, and repurposed containers. It’s a casual setting often used for lifestyle markets, pop-ups, and youth-focused events.
Colourful café seating, simple lounge setups, and decorative lighting can make the space feel welcoming without taking away from its character. This venue suits a more relaxed approach with wooden counters, bean bags, and hanging lights all working well here to support an informal, creative tone.
19. Warehouse 421 (pop-up zones)
Location: Satellite Locations in Dubai
While based in Abu Dhabi, Warehouse 421 also supports pop-up events in Dubai; these spaces are often raw, open rooms in temporary or borrowed locations. They are usually clean but empty, making them ideal for community events, artist residencies, or brand storytelling.
Since locations vary, flexibility is crucial. Use furniture that’s easy to move, stack, or repurpose, like stools, folding tables, or compact lounge pieces. Lightweight lighting and mobile décor help set the tone while maintaining a practical and functional approach.
20. Dubai Safari Park
Location: Al Warqa
At Dubai Safari Park, certain areas can be rented out for private events. These zones are set within landscaped grounds, offering open-air spaces with minimal fixed infrastructure. It’s a unique venue choice for team days, school functions, or evening gatherings with a natural theme.
Since the setting already includes trees, pathways, and views of the park, the setup can stay simple. For a relaxed atmosphere, consider lounge furniture with cushions and a mobile bar to serve refreshments as guests explore the space.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why choose a non-furnished venue over a hotel ballroom or banquet hall?
Non-furnished venues offer creative freedom to design an event that aligns exactly with your brand or vision, without being limited by in-house décor or furniture themes.
What should I bring into a bare venue to make it ready for an event?
Seating, tables, lighting, bar units, lounge setups, and decorative accents, such as rugs, cushions, and plants. Everything from functional to aesthetic can be tailored.
Can I use food trucks or mobile bar setups in these venues?
Most of the listed venues allow external catering and mobile setups. Always double-check permissions, power supply, and access.
Do I need a permit to bring furniture and décor into these venues?
Most venues allow it, but some require pre-approval or vendor registration. At Desert River, we’ve worked with most venues across the city and can help ensure our setup meets each location’s specific guidelines.
Is outdoor event planning in Dubai affected by the weather?
Yes, especially during the warmer months. From May to September, evening events are more manageable, but still require shading or cooling in some areas. From October to April, the weather is much more comfortable. If you're planning an outdoor event, we recommend adding parasols, fans, or misting systems to keep guests comfortable. We can help advise on what works best based on your location and time of day.