5 Days to Go: Pink Ladies Games is Sold Out!
Five days. That's all that stands between you and Saturday 31 October at The Sevens Stadium. And here is the news we've been super proud of: Pink Ladies Games Dubai is sold out. Every team spot is taken, there is a waiting list, and 500 women will walk onto that field together.
We want to say it plainly before anything else: thank you.
When we decided to bring Pink Ladies Games back to Dubai, it was a real leap. It is our 5th UAE edition, and the 1st since the pandemic, after a period that has been hard on so many people in this region. We hoped you would come. We did not expect you to come quite like this.
Sold out, and we are still a little speechless
A full field is a number, but to us it means something bigger. Teams have signed up from offices, sports clubs, communities and groups of friends. Big international companies are standing next to local ones. Some of you are coming with colleagues you sit beside every day. Some of you signed up solo and have been matched into a team of women you have never met.
If that last one is you, here's a promise: you don't have to walk in with friends, because you'll walk out with them. Some of the closest friendships we have seen over the years started with five strangers in matching T-shirts.
Then there is everything you have been sending us. The messages, the questions, the team names, the outfit sneak peeks, the countdown posts on Tornea and Instagram. We have had a wave of support from women who clearly feel what this day stands for, and from people who simply wanted to tell us they are glad it's back. We read all of it. Honestly, it has kept us going through some very early mornings.
A few things stood out:
The team names. Pure creativity. The jury for the Social Media Challenge has its work cut out.
The outfits. We have seen tutus, capes, horse outfits and colour schemes planned like military operations. Best Dressed is going to be a battle in itself.
The women who told us they "don't do sport". You are exactly who this day is for. No elite fitness, zero judgment, and the best teamwork wins, not the fittest.
We built Pink Ladies Games on one belief: women deserve a day that is joyful as well as meaningful. Your response tells us that belief is shared.
25 local founders, one Marketplace
The teams aren't the only thing that filled up. All 25 Marketplace spots are taken too. That means 25 homegrown brands and founders, many of them women-led, will set up at The Sevens on Saturday.
Why does a games day have a marketplace? Because it has been a tough year for small businesses in this region, and backing local founders matters more now than ever. Giving back to the community we are part of is at the heart of what we do. For these founders, Saturday is a real stage in front of hundreds of women and their families, the exact people they want to reach.
For you, it is the best excuse for a wander between battles. Our ask is simple: go and say hello. Ask them how they started. Buy something if you love it. Follow them afterwards. A quick browse is nice, but what we really hope for is connections that last long after the day: women finding new favourite brands, founders finding new customers, and sometimes even new friends.
Julietta said it best: if you're sitting on an idea yourself, start now, smaller than you think you're allowed to. Saturday is full of people who did exactly that.
Meet our brother: the Hercules Trophy
On the same morning, at the same stadium, our brother event is happening too: the Hercules Trophy.
If Pink Ladies Games is the little sister, the Hercules Trophy is the older brother who has been around the world. Before the pandemic, the Hercules Trophy concept travelled to around 10 countries. It comes from the same family and the same idea: teams, play, and connection over competition, especially for corporates. The difference is who is on the field. On Saturday, mixed teams of men and women take part in a separate Hercules Trophy track.
This is good news for a few reasons:
Your partner, brother, dad or colleague asked how they can join? Pink Ladies Games stays a women's field, but mixed teams can still sign up for the Hercules track. We'll be sharing the exact same lovely village on Saturday.
On the waiting list of Pink Ladies Games? Grab some friends, make it mixed, and you can still be on the field on Saturday, but instead on the Hercules Trophy track.
The atmosphere. Two events, one stadium, one morning. Expect double the noise.
Why keep Pink Ladies Games for women only? Because something special happens when women compete and cheer each other on at the same time, and we want to protect that space. But the door is wide open. Men are warmly welcome to cheer from the sidelines, and now they can play alongside us too.
Your game day, from 07:00 to 12:30
Saturday 31 October, The Sevens Stadium, Dubai. It's the last day of Pinktober and the first day of the Dubai Fitness Challenge, in the Year of the Family. The timing couldn't be better.
The six battles
Each battle is 15 minutes, and each one is a wink at everything women juggle every day.
In Her Shoes. A full day of running a household, squeezed into 15 minutes. Odd socks, rogue Lego bricks and toys that multiply when you look away.
Order Up! Take the order, remember the order, then carry it all across the field without spilling a drop. You will never look at a waiter the same way again.
Mic Drop. Pick a power ballad and give it everything. It's judged by a very honest app and a crowd fully on your side.
Pull It Together. Something big needs moving, and only teamwork will get it over the line. We're keeping it a surprise, but let's just say you might hear a jingle.
Bounce Back. The sporty one, with obstacles, inflatables and one rule: you always get back up.
Ocean's Five. Five women, one mission, and a puzzle that only brains, instinct and teamwork can crack.
Can you train for it?
Here's the secret: you can't, and that's the beauty of it! What makes the difference is a team that really talks to each other. There's a line we always come back to: you learn more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. So if you want to prepare this week, skip the gym. Get your five together for a coffee, agree who does what, and practise cheering for each other.
And if one battle really isn't your thing? It's over before you know it, and the next one might be your moment.
More than one way to win
The podium is only part of it. On Saturday we also hand out Best Dressed, Smartest Team, the Social Media Challenge award, and the Pink Battle of the Companies and of the Communities. There's something for every team to go home proud of.
Most special of all is the Pink Survivor of the Year. Breast cancer awareness is the reason this day exists, and the women who have been through it are at the heart of it.
Free breast checks on site
Our partners Pink Caravan and Allied Medical will be at the stadium offering screenings. We know how easy it is to put your own check-up at the bottom of the list, behind the kids, the parents and work. On Saturday, with your team right beside you, it can be the most normal thing in the world. If you've been putting it off, this is your sign.
Your checklist for this week
Check your team page on Tornea and make sure every teammate is registered
Lock in your outfit (Best Dressed jury, we're looking at you)
Post your team countdown and tag us for the Social Media Challenge
Plan to arrive by 07:00 for registration and the welcome
Pack comfortable shoes, water and sun protection
Ask your supporters to register for free at pinkladiesgames.ae, so they can see the schedule in the app
Bring the family: there's a kids' zone, entertainment and a raffle
See you on the field
Pink Ladies Games is a family business, in every sense. It started as Yves's idea. Inge built it into what it is, and Julietta, their daughter, paused her studies to carry it into its next chapter. Amaury, their son, rebuilt Tornea, the platform your team lives on and handles Hercules Trophy. Behind the scenes, many more hands are helping. Over ten years, the event has brought together more than 10,000 women in over 20 cities across Belgium and the UAE. But none of that matters as much as the 500 of you showing up on Saturday.
There is a lot of heavy news in the world right now. We don't think the answer is to dwell on it. We think it's to move, to play, to laugh at something slightly ridiculous with people who have your back. In a city where many of us live far from where we grew up, real connection is precious. For one morning, nobody is performing for a camera. We're just together.
If Saturday moves even a few of you to book a screening, support a local founder, or make a new friend, then the day is already more than a success.
Five days to go. Charge your phones, plan your outfits, warm up your vocal cords for Mic Drop, and bring your loudest cheer.
We can't wait to see you.
Pink Ladies Games, for active women who care. Saturday 31 October, The Sevens Stadium, Dubai, 07:00 to 12:30. Everything you need is at pinkladiesgames.ae.