Taking place from 15 to 17 May 2026 at Madinat Jumeirah, with a VIP preview on 14 May, this year’s Art Dubai returns in a special anniversary format marking twenty years of the fair — and with it, two decades of shaping artistic dialogue across the Middle East and beyond.

Each May, Dubai’s cultural calendar shifts almost quietly. Collectors arrive before the summer heat settles in, galleries extend their hours, and conversations begin to move between institutions, studios and the waterways of Madinat Jumeirah. For a few days, Art Dubai becomes the meeting point of a wider artistic geography.

Presented in a modified anniversary edition, the 2026 programme places particular emphasis on the galleries, institutions and cultural partners that have shaped the fair’s development over the past two decades.

A Milestone Edition Shaped by the Region It Represents

Since its founding in 2007, Art Dubai has grown alongside the cultural evolution of the UAE itself. Rather than positioning itself as a satellite of traditional Western art-market circuits, the fair has consistently supported artists and galleries across the Middle East, Africa and South Asia — helping shape a platform where regional artistic perspectives connect with global audiences.

The 2026 special edition reflects that legacy, bringing together participants whose work has contributed to the region’s creative landscape over the past twenty years.

Presented in partnership with A.R.M. Holding, with Dubai Culture as strategic partner and Madinat Jumeirah as the fair’s long-standing home, Art Dubai continues to reflect the collaborative structure that has shaped its identity from the beginning.

Around 75 Presentations Across Contemporary, Modern and Digital Practices

This anniversary edition will feature approximately 75 presentations from commercial galleries, institutional participants and cultural partners spanning contemporary, modern and digital practices.

Around 60% of participating galleries come from the region, reinforcing Art Dubai’s long-standing role as a platform supporting regional artistic infrastructure while maintaining strong international dialogue.

Alongside galleries closely connected to the fair for many years, the programme also welcomes first-time exhibitors — reflecting both continuity and discovery, two elements that have consistently defined Art Dubai’s character.

A Programme Developed in Collaboration Across the UAE

One of the defining characteristics of the 2026 special edition is its expanded collaboration with leading cultural institutions across the country.

Programme partners include:

• Alserkal Avenue
• Art Jameel
• Barjeel Art Foundation
• Dubai Collection
• Sharjah Art Foundation

Together, they contribute exhibitions, performances, screenings, talks and installations that extend the experience well beyond gallery presentations alone.

During Art Dubai week, the fair becomes less a single venue and more a shared cultural moment across the city.

Programme Highlights Across the Anniversary Edition

Among the central presentations this year is Made Forward, a major showcase from the Dubai Collection, the city’s first institutional collection of modern and contemporary art.

The Global Art Forum, now in its twentieth edition and commissioned by Shumon Basar, returns under the title Before and After Everything, continuing its role as one of the region’s most influential platforms for interdisciplinary cultural dialogue.

Visitors can also experience:

• a modern Arab art exhibition from the Barjeel Art Foundation
• performance-led programming with Sharjah Art Foundation
• moving-image screenings developed with Alserkal Avenue
• large-scale installations and new commissions integrated across the site by artists including Khalid Al Banna, Hashel Al Lamki, Kevork Mourad, Yaw Owusu, Neda Razavipour, Rami Farook, and Sudarshan Shetty

Together, these elements create a programme designed around encounter as much as exhibition.

A Fair Designed Around Collaboration

Rather than expanding primarily through scale, this special edition emphasises connection.

Installations, talks, screenings and performances are integrated across the site to encourage visitors to spend time with the work and move naturally between disciplines and perspectives. Developed in collaboration with cultural partners across the UAE and the wider region, the programme reflects the relationships that continue to shape the fair’s identity.

Entry to the fair will be free for all visitors during the public days, reinforcing its role as an open cultural platform within the city’s wider creative landscape.

Reinforcing Dubai’s Role as a Cultural Meeting Point

Over the past two decades, Art Dubai has grown together with the city itself.

Today it operates within a wider cultural ecosystem that includes independent galleries, institutional collections, public art initiatives and regional partnerships extending far beyond the Gulf.

Beyond the fair itself, Art Dubai Projects continues this work throughout the year through commissions, public programmes and institutional collaborations supporting long-term creative development across the UAE and internationally.

More than marking an anniversary, the 2026 special edition reflects how Art Dubai continues to reinforce Dubai’s role as a global meeting point for creativity and cultural exchange — connecting regional practices with international audiences while shaping the future cultural landscape of the UAE.

For visitors arriving in the city this May, Art Dubai remains one of the clearest ways to understand how that story continues to unfold.