Art Dubai is set to return from 15 to 17 May, at Madinat Jumeirah, Dubai. Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, the 20th edition celebrates two decades of the fair, honouring the past and imagining the future.
Art Dubai 2026 showcases 120 modern, contemporary and digital presentations across five reimagined sections: Art Dubai Galleries, Zamaniyyat, Bawwaba, Art Dubai Digital and the newly launched Bawwaba Extended.
The event will kick off with a Preview Day on Thursday, 14 May, from 2pm to 9pm, which is by invitation only. On Friday, 15 May, VIP hours will run from 2pm to 4pm, followed by public hours from 4pm to 9pm. On Saturday, 16 May, the fair will be open from 2pm to 9pm, while on Sunday, 17 May, VIP hours will be from 10am to 12pm and public hours from noon to 6pm.
What Is Art Dubai?
Founded in 2007, Art Dubai is the Middle East’s leading art fair, with a focus on contemporary, modern, and digital practices, alongside commissions, education, public programming, and longer-term cultural infrastructure building. Each year the show features galleries from over 40 different countries, putting a spotlight on both international names and emerging talent.
This year's edition will foreground the galleries, institutions and communities that have shaped the region’s art scene and will feature around 75 presentations from commercial galleries, institutional participants and partners.
Highlights From Art Dubai 2026
This year, visitors can expect over 75 presentations, and 45 galleries from nearly 20 countries, with 60% representation from the Middle East and neighbouring regions, modern and contemporary art alongside digital practices, and a programme that stretches into performance, film, public conversation and institutional collaboration.
Benedetta Ghione, Executive Director, Art Dubai Group, said: “Art Dubai has always been more than a conventional art fair, developing into an international platform for this region’s cultural scene as it matures. This special edition will demonstrate the resilience of the UAE’s cultural scene as well as the power of collaboration, bringing together galleries, artists and institutions at a time when that role of convening feels more important than ever. Art Dubai’s story is Dubai’s story, and producing this special edition would only be possible in Dubai, for an organisation that has grown hand-in-hand with the city, and with the support of our long-term partners. Current circumstances mean that this may not be what we had planned to mark our 20th edition, but the galleries and wider programmes represent what makes Art Dubai both unique and special.”
Complementing the gallery presentations, this event will also present a programme of exhibitions, large-scale installations, commissions, performances and screenings alongside a daily programme of talks and conversations.
The programme is developed with leading UAE cultural institutions including Alserkal Avenue, Art Jameel, Barjeel Art Foundation, Dubai Collection, and Sharjah Art Foundation.
Visitors can expect Made Forward, a major presentation from Dubai Collection, described as the city’s first institutional collection of modern and contemporary art. In addition, guests can also look forward to the 20th edition of the Global Art Forum, commissioned by Shumon Basar and titled 'Before and After Everything.' Another major feature will be an exhibition of modern Arab art from the Barjeel Art Foundation, alongside a performance-led programme with Sharjah Art Foundation.
The fair will also feature additional collaborations with Art Jameel, National Pavilion UAE, La Biennale di Venezia, the Ministry of Culture, and House of Arts. Here's the complete list of participants.
Entry is free for the public.