The ADR Guide to Abu Dhabi’s top art exhibitions, festivals and cultural events
- Andy Sherwood
- 5 minutes ago
- 3 min read
If you’re looking to tap into Abu Dhabi’s creative pulse over the next few months, there’s plenty to explore. From major art fairs and immersive light installations to thought-provoking exhibitions at some of the city’s most iconic cultural spaces, the capital is buzzing with colour, ideas and stories waiting to be discovered. Whether you want something visual, interactive or quietly inspiring, here’s what’s happening across Abu Dhabi’s art scene right now.
Abu Dhabi Art (19 – 23 November 2025)
Returning for its 17th edition, Abu Dhabi Art brings together more than 140 galleries from around the world, blending a major sales platform with public exhibitions, talks, and installations across the capital. The fair highlights curated sectors such as Modern & Contemporary, Special Projects, Emerge, Bidaya, and Focus, each designed to spotlight emerging and established talent. This year’s participants include international galleries such as kó (Lagos), championing modern and contemporary African art; Mazzoleni (Turin & London), known for post-war Italian masters; and Albareh Art Space (Bahrain), which showcases artists from the MENASA region and beyond.
Where: Manarat Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Island
Check out: abudhabiart.ae/en.
Shadows @ Art Here 2025 (Until 28 December 2025)
Exploring the poetic interplay between light and darkness, Art Here 2025 at Louvre Abu Dhabi is a series of six art installations inspired by the theme Shadows. Curated by Swiss-Japanese curator Sophie Mayuko Arni, the exhibition features seven artists from the GCC, Japan and beyond. Highlights include Emirati artist Jumairy’s Echo, an interactive light installation evoking memory and reflection, and Japanese artist Ryoichi Kurokawa’s skadw-, an immersive audiovisual experience where mist and sound turn shadows into sculptural form.
Where: Louvre Abu Dhabi
Manar Abu Dhabi (Until 4 January 2026)
Immersive light show Manar Abu Dhabi returns for its second edition, this time at various locations including Jubail Island and Al Ain. Some 23 new light installations have been created to turn the emirate into a glowing celebration of art, including light sculptures, projections and interactive works. This year’s theme is The Light Compass. Curated by Khai Hori, a Singapore-based curator. A key initiative of Public Art Abu Dhabi, Manar (meaning “lighthouse”) reflects the capital’s growing role as a beacon for creativity, connection and the transformative power of light.
Where: various locations including Jubail Island and Al Ain (centre stage: Jubail Island)
Check out: https://abudhabiculture.ae/en
Native: Plants in the UAE (Until 31 December 2025)
Ever wondered how the UAE’s natural landscape survives in such hot harsh conditions? Native: Plants in the UAE reveals how indigenous species - from the enduring Ghaf tree to hardy desert grasses - adapt and thrive under the sweltering summer sun in the emirates. Through art installations and educational exhibits, the show highlights the ecological and cultural significance of these plants, offering a fresh lens on the desert’s hidden biodiversity.Where: Al Qattara Arts Centre, Al Ain
Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire (Until 25 January 2026)
Once enslaved soldiers who rose to rule, the Mamluk Sultanate built one of the most powerful empires of the Islamic world between 1250 and 1517, governing Egypt, Syria and parts of the Arabian Peninsula. Known for their military might, they were also patrons of art, science and architecture - transforming Cairo into a global centre of culture during the Islamic Golden Age. Louvre Abu Dhabi’s exhibition Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire, developed in collaboration with the Musée du Louvre, brings this era to life through more than 250 masterpieces including metalwork, glassware, ceramics, textiles and manuscripts. The exhibition traces how the Mamluks’ craftsmanship, diplomacy and trade connected the Middle East, Africa and Europe. From intricately engraved brass lamps to illuminated Qur’ans, each object reflects a civilisation that turned power into artistic brilliance.
Where: Louvre Abu Dhabi
