The best exhibitions to see in Sharjah this summer 2026
Explore Sharjah’s summer 2026 art scene with must-see exhibitions featuring contemporary artists, photography, heritage collections and immersive cultural experiences. From Sharjah Art Foundation’s latest shows to permanent displays exploring the Gulf’s visual history, these exhibitions offer the perfect indoor cultural escape.
Image courtesy of Sharjah Art Foundation
Sharjah's cultural calendar keeps rolling through the summer, featuring exhibitions that dive into contemporary art, photography, memory, and the region's rich artistic heritage. Whether you're a regular gallery-goer or just planning a cultural day out, these six exhibitions are definitely worth adding to your plan.
Body Quotidian
Dates: until 20 September 2026
Location: Gallery 6, Al Mureijah Square, Sharjah
One of the season's standout exhibitions brings together artists Laila Majid and Inaam Zafar in a compelling dialogue on materiality and the rituals of everyday life.
Through sculpture, painting and photography, Body Quotidian transforms ordinary objects and familiar forms into poetic reflections on memory, touch and domestic experience. The exhibition rewards slow looking, revealing subtle connections between texture, colour and the overlooked moments that shape daily existence.
Visit: Body Quotidian
Vantage Point 13: A new perspective on photography
Dates: 8 August–29 November 2026
Location: Photography Gallery Al Manakh, Sharjah
Returning for its 13th edition, Vantage Point Sharjah continues to celebrate photography as a powerful form of contemporary artistic expression. This year’s exhibition presents newly commissioned photographic series by six artists selected through an international open call, supported by Sharjah Art Foundation. Moving to the Foundation’s dedicated Photography Gallery in Al Manakh, the exhibition explores diverse approaches to image-making, revealing how photographers capture personal stories, communities, places and changing realities. Since launching in 2013, Vantage Point Sharjah has grown into a leading international platform for lens-based art. Don’t miss the permanent exhibition
Photographic Encounters along the Gulf Coasts, which brings together historic images and archival material exploring the region’s visual heritage.
Visit: Vantage Point Sharjah 13
Photographic Encounters along the Gulf Coasts
Dates: permanent display
Location: Photography Gallery, Al Manakh Sharjah
‘History unfolds through the lens in this fascinating permanent exhibition, presenting 165 photographs alongside archival documents tracing the Gulf's evolving coastal communities.
Drawn from the collection of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, the display offers a rare visual record of everyday life, architecture, commerce and cultural exchange across the region. Rather than presenting photography as simple documentation, the exhibition considers how images construct historical narratives and collective memory.
Visit: Photographic Encounters along the Gulf Coasts