Abu Dhabi’s cultural calendar is set for a busy final stretch of 2026, with major exhibitions, art fairs, biennials and museum openings taking place across the emirate.
Highlights include the debut of Frieze Abu Dhabi, the return of the Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial and the opening of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Here are nine events to look out for before the end of the year.
Middle East Film and Comic Con (September 11 to 13)
Middle East Film and Comic Con returns to Adnec for its 14th run after attracting more than 46,000 visitors last year.
This year’s celebrity line-up includes John Cena, One Piece stars Mackenyu and Jacob Romero, Guardians of the Galaxy and Mission: Impossible actor Pom Klementieff and Star Wars actor Joonas Suotamo. The programme also includes Artist Alley, cosplay, gaming and trading card tournaments, alongside comic creators including Jim Cheung, Federico Vicentini, Brett Breeding, Dexter Soy and Ken Lashley.
Spices and Wonders: Sailing the Indian Ocean (October 14 to February 14)
Louvre Abu Dhabi will trace more than 1,000 years of movement across the Indian Ocean in Spices and Wonders: Sailing the Indian Ocean, developed with France’s National Museum of Asian Arts – Guimet.
The exhibition follows maritime networks linking Africa, the Middle East and Europe with South and South-East Asia from antiquity to the 17th century. Spices, textiles, ceramics and other objects will show how trade also carried people, technology, artistic traditions and ideas between regions.
Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial (October 23 in Al Ain; November 15 in Abu Dhabi)
The second Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial will spread new commissions and installations across public spaces in Al Ain and Abu Dhabi. Led by artistic director Elvira Dyangani Ose, the 2026-27 edition is themed Home: A Glossary for a Communal Sense of Place, exploring home through communities, shared experiences and everyday interactions.
The first incarnation ran from November 2024 to April 2025 and included works such as Wael Al Awar’s Barzakh on the Corniche and Pawel Althamer’s cat-shaped Tentarium at Lake Park. Some works were later retained as long-term installations.
Children's Biennale (November 6 to December 6)
Umm Al Emarat Park will host what Abu Dhabi Festival describes as the Arab world’s first dedicated outdoor children’s art biennale.
Curated by Dana Al Mazrouei, the exhibition is designed around works experienced through touch, sound, movement and light. Nine artists are taking part, including Alia AlShamsi, Aya Afaneh, Hana El-Sagini, Moza Almatrooshi, Moza Almazrouei, Mira Almazrooei, Nada Almosa, Sarah Afaneh and Indonesian artist Eko Nugroho.
Art Here 2026: Confluences (November 11 to February 28)
The sixth Art Here exhibition at Louvre Abu Dhabi will bring together contemporary artists from the Gulf Co-operation Council area and, for the first time, from India. Guest curator Kamini Sawhney has developed the theme Confluences around centuries of migration, trade and cultural exchange across the Indian Ocean.
Works will extend through the museum’s outdoor spaces beneath Jean Nouvel’s dome, with artists encouraged to respond to its architecture, water and shifting light. The exhibition is again presented alongside the Richard Mille Art Prize.
Frieze Abu Dhabi (November 19 to 22)
Frieze Abu Dhabi will make its debut at Manarat Al Saadiyat, succeeding Abu Dhabi Art after almost two decades as the capital’s flagship art fair. Abu Dhabi Art had been held annually since 2007 and had developed into one of the region’s leading events.
The partnership brings the fair into Frieze’s international network, which also includes London, New York, Los Angeles and Seoul. The inaugural Abu Dhabi staging will bring together galleries from the Middle East and abroad, extending the global reach built by Abu Dhabi Art.
Living Legacies: Protecting Heritage, Building Hope (November 25 to April 25)
Louvre Abu Dhabi’s last major exhibition opening of 2026 will examine the protection of cultural heritage during conflict and other crises.
Organised with the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage, or Aliph, Living Legacies focuses on the people and communities working to safeguard, restore and preserve endangered cultural sites and objects. Loans from international institutions and Aliph partners will be presented alongside projections and personal testimonies, highlighting the practical and human work involved in preserving heritage.
Ain Al Thuraya (November 27 to December 6)
Al Thuraya expands to Al Ain for the first time, with its programme taking place across Al Ain Museum and Al Ain Oasis.
The event brings together culture, creativity and entrepreneurship through exhibitions, interactive activities and projects highlighting national talent. It will also provide a platform for artists, cultural organisations, entrepreneurs and businesses to connect and present their work. The Al Ain edition follows previous runs in Abu Dhabi and broadens the programme’s reach across the emirate.
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi (opens December 11)
Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will open in Saadiyat Cultural District on December 11, adding another major institution to the capital’s museum landscape.
Designed by the late architect Frank Gehry, the museum will focus on modern and contemporary art, with a collection examining developments from around 1960 onwards through interconnected global histories. The building includes 30 galleries linked by a central atrium, with 11,600 square metres of indoor gallery space and a further 23,000 square metres dedicated to outdoor exhibition areas.
