Flying cars, saxophonists in the pool, private villas and a sunset to die for – Wayne Lineker’s new venture is a major step up into the world of luxury.
Having seen him previously compare Ocean Beach Ibiza to an “adult Disneyland”, I visited its new “lavish” sister branch with high expectations.
Branded as a ‘beachfront haven’, O Beach Dubai opened its doors last month, and I can comfortably say that it exceeded all expectations.
“It’s stunning. As much as I love ocean Ibiza, this is the most beautiful beach club I have ever seen in my life. It’s incredible,” says Wayne – and I have to say, I do agree.
Describing how O Beach Dubai is “more lavish”, the concept remains the same as Ibiza – “if it’s not broken, there’s no need to fix it”, he says.
Having met with Wayne outside of the club before a full day of golden sun, Grey Goose and ‘world-renowned entertainment’, we entered into the reception where 10 members of staff in matching swimsuits stood lined up ready to greet visitors.
Stepping into Ocean Beach Dubai is a spectacle in itself. A stage with multiple levels to my left, private villas to my right, sunbeds and sofas behind the shimmering pool and loungers stretching across the golden beach to watch the sunset casting a glow over the city.
Wayne explains how O Beach is merely “happy doing [their] own little thing in [their] own little way,” yet O Beach Dubai is anything but “little”.
After being assigned a host to escort me to my private sofa, I laid out the O Beach towel and took a sip from one of the iconic orange glasses. With a personal waiter service, the only reason I had to move from my chair all day was to take a dip in the pool.
“I think we’re a different type of beach club with our production and our shows. We’re a party beach club. We want people to go mad and have a great time,” Wayne said to me, sparking my curiosity as to what productions would be in store for that day.
Table service spans to their delicious variety of food too, which after a day of hard work lounging by the pool, was very well earned. A selection of cuisines are available, from sushi platters to classic pasta dishes – in true Brit style, I opted for a pizza and chips.
For club of its kind, the prices were extremely reasonable – a large pizza cost just £16. Even the price of general entry cost just £21. However, depending on the experience you are after, the VIP beds can set you back £813.
As the sun began to set, I noticed a crane swing over the top of the pool. Attached to it was a bright pink car with an acrobatic dancer in the middle. The show had started.
Dancers in pink leotards synchronised around the pool as confetti poured over the club – it truly was a spectacle. Beach club entertainment can often hover near the line of tacky, yet O Beach Dubai retained its position firmly on the luxurious side.
A saxophonist and guitarist appeared on a stage in a pool, playing live music as the sun set on the horizon.
The journey to opening O Beach’s newest club was far from straightforward. Wayne describes how “it’s been a long journey”, with a change in venue along the way.
“We first got a venue in West Palm but we had some complications regarding the government side of things,
“We posted it on social media and it went quite viral but all the residents got together and decided they didn’t want us in that area and then Covid came and destroyed any plans we had so we eventually pulled out,
“It took us at least another year to find this venue but we’re very happy as it’s in a much better place. Regarding position wise it can’t get much better than this.”