DSF offers amazing shopping discounts, attracting holiday makers from around the globe keen on grabbing a bargain. The festival began in 1996 as an initiative of the Dubai government to promote trade, and it gets bigger and better every year. DSF is not only a retail festival, but also a family festival with a large focus on mall-based entertainment and early evening shows. Its continued success is proven by the large number of tourists from not only the GCC but also the rest of the world. Traditionally, the festival runs from mid-January to the end of February and it kicks off with a huge opening night that features light shows and fireworks across the Dubai Creek, which are then continued throughout the entire festival. Other events associated with DSF range from in-mall fashion shows, musicians, street performers, jugglers and other entertainers. Shoppers not only have the opportunity to grab the latest designer threads or high street must-haves at rock bottom prizes, but they also have a chance to win money, cars and holidays through amazing raffles and competitions.