What To Know
- From large international fairs to focused solo shows in Al Quoz and Al Jadaf, the year sets a clear schedule for anyone planning cultural time in the city.
- Gallery hopping in Dubai already has a packed reputation, and 2026 locks in a serious run of exhibitions, fairs, and city events with confirmed dates, venues, and artists.
- This marks the artist’s first institutional solo exhibition in the UAE and includes a self-portrait created in Tokyo alongside dozens of miniature drawings housed in matchboxes.
Every confirmed exhibition and fair shaping Dubai’s 2026 art calendar
Gallery hopping in Dubai already has a packed reputation, and 2026 locks in a serious run of exhibitions, fairs, and city events with confirmed dates, venues, and artists. From large international fairs to focused solo shows in Al Quoz and Al Jadaf, the year sets a clear schedule for anyone planning cultural time in the city. This lineup includes returning favorites, first-time institutional solos, photography archives, and material-driven exhibitions that stay firmly rooted in real places and real timelines. Here is the full picture of what has been officially announced for art exhibitions in Dubai 2026.
Major Art Fairs With Confirmed Dates
Art Dubai returns from April 17 to April 19, 2026, at Madinat Jumeirah in Umm Suqeim. The fair brings together more than 100 modern, contemporary, and digital presentations representing galleries from over 35 countries, with 36 exhibitors participating for the first time. Visitors can expect exhibitions, performances, talks, workshops, and educational programming running throughout the three-day event. Ticket prices remain unannounced.
World Art Dubai follows shortly after, running from April 23 to April 26, 2026, at Dubai World Trade Centre. The international fair will present more than 10,000 artworks alongside live performances, talks, and hands-on workshops. Pricing details have yet to be released.
Gallery Exhibitions Anchoring Al Quoz And Al Jadaf
Ayyam Gallery presents At The Fire’s Edge, the first solo exhibition by Ali Kaaf, running from November 16, 2025, to January 10, 2026. The show features scorched paper, blown glass, and mixed-media works examining identity and fragility. Entry is free, and the gallery sits within Alserkal Avenue in Al Quoz.
Jameel Arts Centre hosts Self-portrait with a cat I don’t have by Bady Dalloul from September 20, 2025, to February 22, 2026. This marks the artist’s first institutional solo exhibition in the UAE and includes a self-portrait created in Tokyo alongside dozens of miniature drawings housed in matchboxes. Admission remains free.
FN Designs presents Dubai Light Lens Legacy from October 15, 2025, to January 8, 2026. The exhibition features 50 photographs captured by five Leica photographers, documenting Dubai from the 1940s through key historical moments. Entry is free at the Al Quoz venue.
City Art Nights And Regional Artist Focus
DIFC Art Nights continues into 2026 following more than 20 past editions. The open-air event features exhibitions, sculptures, workshops, and evening programming within the Dubai International Financial Centre. Dates for the 2026 editions will be announced later.
Aisha Alabbar Gallery hosts In the Space of Becoming by Alia Hussain Lootah from January 17 to March 10, 2026. The exhibition presents drawings and sculptural works focused on form and structure. Entry remains free.
Ayyam Gallery also presents Remnants by Kais Salman from January 17 to March 18, 2026. The exhibition showcases recent paintings portraying layered imagery tied to memory and historical traces.
Zawyeh Gallery presents Houselessness by Mohammed Joha until January 11, 2026. The exhibition uses salvaged materials such as fabric, paper, and cardboard to examine displacement and fragmented environments. Entry is free at the Al Quoz gallery.
Art exhibitions in Dubai 2026 follow a clear calendar with confirmed fairs, gallery shows, and city events spread throughout the year. With fixed dates, known venues, and announced artists, the year offers a structured path for anyone planning cultural visits, repeat gallery days, or first-time exploration. This schedule leaves little guesswork and sets a defined rhythm for art activity in Dubai during 2026.
