Before the gates open and thousands of visitors enter Global Village, Juan is already ready to take the wheel. For the past 10 years, the Colombian entertainer has been among the first people to drive into the destination on opening day.
A Dubai resident for 12 years, he is the driver of the Clown Police vehicle, a blue-and-gold vintage-style car that carries clowns and mascots from Global Village’s entertainment team.
As the doors opened for Season 31 on Wednesday, Juan, who is 33 years old, drove the vehicle into the park with his fellow performers, marking the beginning of another busy season. “It is overwhelming every year,” he told Khaleej Times.
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For Juan, the opening drive is not simply part of the job. It is the moment when weeks of preparation give way to cheering visitors, music, performers and families who have been waiting outside the gates. “I feel like a celebrity entering first,” he said, laughing.
The Clown Police vehicle is one of the first attractions visitors see as they enter Global Village. Juan drives it through the destination with clowns and mascots, who greet families, wave to children and bring the opening-day energy to different areas of the park.
"But the vehicle is not used just only for the opening ceremony. I drive it throughout the season. I take the entertainment team on rides around Global Village, carrying the colourful characters as they interact with visitors. For children, the sight of the mascots arriving in the vehicle is part of the experience," said Juan.
Juan said it is this connection with visitors that has kept him returning year after year. “I love what I do. I prefer driving inside the park more than the roads. I love the traffic inside the Global Village where I keep hitting the brakes. And sometimes, I do come across blocks,” he said.
Post-Covid season
Having worked at Global Village for a decade, Juan has watched the destination grow and each new season bring a different atmosphere. Yet one opening remains particularly close to him: the season that followed the Covid-19 pandemic. “The opening after Covid was very memorable. It felt like a long break,” he said. “It was special to see everyone back.”
He said that the return carried an added emotion after a period when large public gatherings had stopped. Seeing families back, performers in costume and the destination come alive again made the moment stand out from the other opening days he has experienced.
This year, crowds began gathering outside Global Village well before the gates opened. Families lined up at ticket counters, cars filled the parking areas, and visitors waited outside the World Gate for their first entry of the season.
Inside the park, Juan waited in his driver’s uniform, ready for his familiar opening-day role. Once the signal came, he drove the Clown Police vehicle forward, carrying the performers who would welcome the first visitors.
For Juan, it is a short drive. But after 10 years, it has become one of the most meaningful moments of every Global Village season.