Your guide to the Abu Dhabi Festival 2026

A programme of music, performance and cultural dialogue.

The Abu Dhabi Festival 2026 main programme ran from 10 October to 19 December 2026 and has now concluded. The Children's Biennale at Umm Al Emarat Park continues in October 2026, details below.

What is the Abu Dhabi Festival? 

The Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF) presented the headline programme for the 23rd edition of the Abu Dhabi Festival, which ran from 10 October to 19 December 2026.

Held under the theme The Wisdom of Culture, celebrating culture as a guiding light that unites Abu Dhabi and the world. The 2026 edition brought together over 1,000 artists from 19 countries across a programme that spanned music, performance, visual art and education.

“Abu Dhabi Festival 2026 adopts ‘The Wisdom of Culture’ as its theme, reflecting the richness of Abu Dhabi’s cultural heritage and reaffirming our commitment to ensuring that this vibrant culture serves as a lasting bridge for dialogue, exchange and the meeting of civilisations.”, said H.E. Sheikh Nahyan Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and patron of Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF).

For more arts and culture events across the UAE, explore our art exhibitions guide.

Opening the Festival on 12 April, Grammy Award–winning musician Jon Batiste performed at Emirates Palace Auditorium, followed by a large-scale concert by cellist HAUSER at Etihad Arena on 2 May.

Between 10 October and 19 December 2026, the programme will feature orchestras, ballet, opera, recitals and concerts at key cultural venues, including Emirates Palace, Etihad Arena, The Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi and Louvre Abu Dhabi.

The 23rd edition opens on 10 October with the UAE National Orchestra at Etihad Arena, and includes Hans Zimmer: The Next Level at the same venue on 13 November. Further highlights include the American Ballet Theatre (21 November) and the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra's Verdi 125th Anniversary Gala (29 November), both at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, alongside a series of recitals by internationally recognised soloists. ADMAF will also present world and regional premieres, including Algarabía, a multidisciplinary production blending flamenco and Arab poetic traditions, first premiering in Spain before arriving in Abu Dhabi (26 November). The festival closes on 19 December with Dhafer Youssef & Quintet at Louvre Abu Dhabi.

Alongside the Abu Dhabi Festival's home programme, ADMAF's international arm, Abu Dhabi Festival Abroad, has continued its expansion this year. Earlier in 2026, the initiative presented Proximities, a major group exhibition of Emirati contemporary art at the Seoul Museum of Art, marking one of the most comprehensive presentations of UAE contemporary art in Korea to date.

A key milestone this edition is the launch of the Children's Biennale at Umm Al Emarat Park, running 6 November to 6 December 2026 — the first outdoor biennale of its kind in the Arab world. Developed in celebration of the UAE's Year of the Family, the initiative centres on creative participation, sustainability and intergenerational engagement.

Missed this edition? Read our coverage of the Diriyah Contemporary Art Biennale for more of the region's landmark cultural events.

When is the Abu Dhabi Festival?

10 October to 19 December 2026. Children's Biennale: 6 November to 6 December 2026.

Where is the Abu Dhabi Arts Festival? 

Multiple venues across Abu Dhabi, including Emirates Palace, Etihad Arena, The Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi, Umm Al Emarat Park and international venues through Abu Dhabi Festival Abroad.

Visit: abudhabifestival.ae 

Explore more of our guides across the UAE and GCC.