To celebrate the 31st edition of the Dubai Shopping Festival, DSF and Skydive Dubai partnered to create one of the most daring aerial moments ever attempted in a major city — a world-first airship swing stunt performed by elite skydiver Magali Folkner Braff. The stunt also marks 15 Years of Skydive Dubai, honouring the organisation’s legacy of pioneering aerial achievements.
Magali isn’t just a skydiver; she’s one of the most accomplished athletes in the sport worldwide. With 3,478 jumps, 88 hot-air balloon jumps, 149 BASE jumps, and 200+ hours of tunnel time, plus a portfolio of World, European, South American, and UAE records spanning more than a decade, she brings the rare technical precision, creative vision, and calm under pressure needed to execute a feat like this.
For this DSF × Skydive Dubai stunt, Magali spent 6 hours suspended 25 metres beneath a powered airship, flying over Dubai’s most iconic landmarks in a visually stunning red dress as they come together to celebrate DSF — from Palm Jumeirah to Burj Al Arab — and completing a 14 km endurance route across Nad Al Sheba, Downtown Dubai, Dubai Canal, and Kite Beach, before executing a precision landing on a seven-star beach.
To bring the moment to life:
Designed personally by Magali, the dress balanced elegance with engineering: double lining to conceal the parachute, asymmetrical sleeves for safe deployment, reinforced arm straps for gripping the swing, aerodynamic shaping, and four identical versions prepared for testing. The vibrant red was deliberately chosen to echo the signature red of the DSF bag — a bold visual link to the festival.
With one of the world’s few pilots capable of maneuvering a powered airship through a dense urban skyline — while an athlete swings 25 meters below — Skydive Dubai’s technical proficiency made this stunt possible, reflecting the depth of experience built over Skydive Dubai’s 15-year journey.
What started as a harness concept evolved into a simple wooden swing — chosen for its universal familiarity but elevated into a once-in-history aerial platform.
Swing-based jumps have happened from hot-air balloons in remote wilderness.
But never before from a powered airship, above a global city, during its flagship festival — and in celebration of Skydive Dubai’s 15-year milestone.
This achievement demonstrates DSF’s continued commitment to bringing world-class experiences to the city through ambitious partnerships and out of this world executions. In working with Skydive Dubai and an athlete of Magali’s expertise, DSF reinforces its position as a platform for moments that elevate Dubai’s global stage. DSF has begun, and the sky is the limit.
Strategic Partners
DSF 2025-2026 is supported by Key Sponsor Commercial Bank of Dubai, and Strategic Partners, including: Al-Futtaim Malls (Dubai Festival City Mall and Festival Plaza), Al Zarooni Group (Mercato Shopping Mall), AW Rostamani Group, DHAM (Souq Al Seef, Bluewaters, Ibn Battuta Mall, Nad Al Sheba Mall, Palm Jumeirah Mall, and The Outlet Village), Emirates airline, ENOC, e&, Majid Al Futtaim (Mall of the Emirates, City Centre Mirdif, City Centre Deira), Merex Investment (City Walk and The Beach, JBR), talabat plus more to be revealed.
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