Louvre Abu Dhabi has revealed it's exhibition line-up for the next year and it's stacked
The museum has just revealed its full 2025–2026 programme – and it's a knockout. We're talking dynasties, darkness, dancing light and a certain Spanish artist who needs no introduction.
Louvre Abu Dhabi is diving headfirst into global history and contemporary creativity, showcasing everything from medieval powerhouses to modern masters. With heavyweight partnerships including Musée du Louvre, Musée national Picasso-Paris and Richard Mille, this next chapter promises art, innovation and dazzling cross-cultural storytelling.
Here's your exclusive sneak peek into the season:
Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire
Sept 17, 2025 – Jan 25, 2026
The season kicks off in glorious style with a deep dive into the mighty Mamluk Sultanate – a dynasty that ruled swathes of the Islamic world for over 250 years. Think Egypt, the Levant, parts of Turkey and Saudi Arabia's holy sites – all under one powerful banner.
Expect intricate craftsmanship, epic diplomacy and a visual journey through a golden age of Islamic art. Centrepieces include Reception of a Venetian Delegation by the Mamluk Governor of Damascus and the jaw-dropping Baptistery of Saint Louis. This exhibition brings together masterpieces from Musée du Louvre and Louvre Abu Dhabi's own collection.
Art Here 2025 and Richard Mille Art Prize
Oct 8 – Dec 28, 2025
Back for its fifth edition, Art Here is getting even bolder. Curated by Swiss-Japanese powerhouse Sophie Mayuko Arni, this year's theme is Shadows, drawing on the interplay between light and darkness – with nods to both Japanese and Arabian Gulf traditions.
Expect massive, immersive works from artists based in the GCC, MENA and Japan, with one lucky creative scooping the coveted Richard Mille Art Prize. It's big. It's bright. And it's brimming with meaning.
Picasso, the Figure
Jan 19 – May 31, 2026
Yes, that Picasso. This huge exhibition zooms in on the Spanish icon's lifelong obsession with the human figure – from mythological musings to surrealist contortions. Featuring more than just canvases, the show will include sculpture, drawings and rarely seen masterpieces.
Standouts include Woman with a Mandolin (1911), Portrait of a Seated Woman (Olga) (1923) and Woman Sitting in Front of the Window (1937), all exploring how Picasso warped, twisted and reinvented the human form.
But that's not all. The museum is set to host a range of cultural and educational events alongside the headline exhibitions, plus a new immersive experience that hasn't yet been revealed (but our curiosity is thoroughly piqued).
From centuries-old empires to avant-garde experiments, Louvre Abu Dhabi's 2025–2026 season is shaping up to be its most ambitious yet. Whether you're into ancient artefacts or modern masterpieces, there's something here that'll absolutely blow your artistic mind.
From Dhs65. Open Tues-Thu, 10am-6:30pm (exhibition), Fri-Sun, 10am-8:30pm. Closed on Mon. Saadiyat Cultural District, Saadiyat Island, louvreabudhabi.ae .
You might also like…
Abu Dhabi's best restaurants: Everywhere you should eat at least once
Your dinner inspo is sorted
12 fantastic road trips across the GCC
Fill up the tank and go
Abu Dhabi to Dubai by bus: How to travel between the two cities
Everything you need to know, from getting a Nol card to bus timetables
Old Abu Dhabi: 15 best spots to uncover the history of the capital
Peel back the layers of time
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Gulf Today
a day ago
- Gulf Today
With ‘Ring Ring,' Rubio captures the California she grew up in
Niko Rubio knew she always wanted to be a singer. The hard part was figuring out what she wanted to sound like. The 24-year-old singer-songwriter, who was born in the Los Angeles South Bay and is of Mexican and Salvadoran descent, was always encouraged by her family to pursue her artistic ambitions. When Rubio was a preteen, her maternal grandmother even pushed her to audition for 'La Voz Kids,' the Spanish offshoot of 'The Voice' for singers under the age of 15. She wasn't picked for the show, but it reaffirmed her belief that she was meant to be a singer. 'I'm the first generation that is allowed to sing, that has the opportunity to really not have a baby,' she said. 'To say 'Grandma, grandpa, I'm not going to go to college. I'm going to go figure out how to be a songwriter.'' Like many children of immigrants in Southern California, Rubio grew up listening to music in English and Spanish. Her grandfather Sergio would play Pedro Infante and Shakira, while her mother, Vilma, exposed her to the likes of Sublime and No Doubt. Rubio, who's very close to her maternal grandparents, said they wanted her to sing traditional Mexican music, but it was a piece of advice from her mom that relieved some of the pressure she might have been feeling. In 'Ring Ring,' she does exactly that. The four-track EP, released on July 15 on Atlantic Records, is an expression of her upbringing and explores what it means to grow up bilingual and first generation in this country at this time. Instruments that are staples of traditional Mexican music underpin catchy pop ballads sung in Spanish. 'Baby,' the EP's first track, opens with the accordion before Rubio's sultry voice kicks in. In 'Quisiera Saber,' Rubio beckons to someone she desires but cannot have in a dreamy intonation, channeling Lana del Rey and backed by percussion and strings reserved for boleros romanticos. Rubio began her career in the world of alt-R&B and alt-rock. At 19, she signed with independent label Sandlot Records, founded by songwriter Jacob Kasher, who has written for Britney Spears, Selena Gomez, Maroon 5, Dua Lipa and Lady Gaga. She looks back on her early work fondly, but recognizes she was still learning who she was as an artist. 'I was so young,' she says. 'My first EP [2021's 'Wish You Were Here'] is like a very pop, alt-rock project that I love and I'm very proud of, but I was just too afraid. I didn't have the knowledge or really the understanding of myself.' And though the EP did include a track in Spanish — 'Amor' — her sound was missing a key component: her Latino roots. She wanted to capture a mix of the California she grew up in. 'I had this idea of making this alternative Mexican California beach rock-meets-mariachi romanticos kind of album,' she said. 'I told the whole team, I told my whole label: 'I'm making two projects in Spanish. I'm taking a break from English. This is what I have to do for my family. This is what I have to do for myself.'' She agonized over what it would sound like. 'I didn't want to just be another Latin artist that was making another thing for the void that wasn't going to be special, or say anything, or tell the right story,' she said. She eventually found the perfect collaborator in Grammy Award-winning producer Lester Mendez. Rubio says she admired how Mendez tapped into Shakira's Lebanese and Colombian influences in her 2005 album 'Fijación Oral, Vol. 1.' She wanted something like that for her own work — an eclectic blend of personal influences. The two worked on 'Mar y Tierra,' Rubio's first Spanish-language EP released last September. It features the standout track 'Sirena,' a bossa-nova-influenced romantico duet with Hawthorne-based singer Cuco. Tribune News Service
Time Out Abu Dhabi
2 days ago
- Time Out Abu Dhabi
Louvre Abu Dhabi has revealed it's exhibition line-up for the next year and it's stacked
The new cultural season is here and Louvre Abu Dhabi isn't pulling any punches. The museum has just revealed its full 2025–2026 programme – and it's a knockout. We're talking dynasties, darkness, dancing light and a certain Spanish artist who needs no introduction. Louvre Abu Dhabi is diving headfirst into global history and contemporary creativity, showcasing everything from medieval powerhouses to modern masters. With heavyweight partnerships including Musée du Louvre, Musée national Picasso-Paris and Richard Mille, this next chapter promises art, innovation and dazzling cross-cultural storytelling. Here's your exclusive sneak peek into the season: Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire Sept 17, 2025 – Jan 25, 2026 The season kicks off in glorious style with a deep dive into the mighty Mamluk Sultanate – a dynasty that ruled swathes of the Islamic world for over 250 years. Think Egypt, the Levant, parts of Turkey and Saudi Arabia's holy sites – all under one powerful banner. Expect intricate craftsmanship, epic diplomacy and a visual journey through a golden age of Islamic art. Centrepieces include Reception of a Venetian Delegation by the Mamluk Governor of Damascus and the jaw-dropping Baptistery of Saint Louis. This exhibition brings together masterpieces from Musée du Louvre and Louvre Abu Dhabi's own collection. Art Here 2025 and Richard Mille Art Prize Oct 8 – Dec 28, 2025 Back for its fifth edition, Art Here is getting even bolder. Curated by Swiss-Japanese powerhouse Sophie Mayuko Arni, this year's theme is Shadows, drawing on the interplay between light and darkness – with nods to both Japanese and Arabian Gulf traditions. Expect massive, immersive works from artists based in the GCC, MENA and Japan, with one lucky creative scooping the coveted Richard Mille Art Prize. It's big. It's bright. And it's brimming with meaning. Picasso, the Figure Jan 19 – May 31, 2026 Yes, that Picasso. This huge exhibition zooms in on the Spanish icon's lifelong obsession with the human figure – from mythological musings to surrealist contortions. Featuring more than just canvases, the show will include sculpture, drawings and rarely seen masterpieces. Standouts include Woman with a Mandolin (1911), Portrait of a Seated Woman (Olga) (1923) and Woman Sitting in Front of the Window (1937), all exploring how Picasso warped, twisted and reinvented the human form. But that's not all. The museum is set to host a range of cultural and educational events alongside the headline exhibitions, plus a new immersive experience that hasn't yet been revealed (but our curiosity is thoroughly piqued). From centuries-old empires to avant-garde experiments, Louvre Abu Dhabi's 2025–2026 season is shaping up to be its most ambitious yet. Whether you're into ancient artefacts or modern masterpieces, there's something here that'll absolutely blow your artistic mind. From Dhs65. Open Tues-Thu, 10am-6:30pm (exhibition), Fri-Sun, 10am-8:30pm. Closed on Mon. Saadiyat Cultural District, Saadiyat Island, . You might also like… Abu Dhabi's best restaurants: Everywhere you should eat at least once Your dinner inspo is sorted 12 fantastic road trips across the GCC Fill up the tank and go Abu Dhabi to Dubai by bus: How to travel between the two cities Everything you need to know, from getting a Nol card to bus timetables Old Abu Dhabi: 15 best spots to uncover the history of the capital Peel back the layers of time
The National
2 days ago
- The National
Louvre Abu Dhabi announces jury and shortlisted artists for Art Here and Richard Mille prize 2025
Louvre Abu Dhabi has announced the shortlisted artists and jury members for the fifth year of Art Here and the Richard Mille Art Prize. The annual exhibition and competition shines a light on contemporary art from the region and beyond. The shortlisted works will be unveiled at the museum on October 11 and will stay on display until December 28. The winner of the Richard Mille Art Prize will be announced following the opening of the exhibition in October. Curated by Sophie Mayuko Arni, this year's exhibition invited artists to respond to the theme Shadows, exploring ideas around light and its absence by way of memory, identity and transformation. Six proposals by seven artists have been selected for the exhibition. The list includes Palestinian architect and researcher Ahmed Alaqra; Emirati artist and musician Jumairy; Japanese media artist Ryoichi Kurokawa; UAE-based Pakistani artist Hamra Abbas; Japanese multidisciplinary artist Rintaro Fuse; and the architectural duo Yokomae et Bouayad, made up of Takuma Yokomae of Japan and Dr Ghali Bouayad of Morocco. More than 400 proposals were submitted by artists based in the Gulf and Japan, as well as others from the Mena region. The works to be displayed span a range of disciplines, including digital performance, immersive installations, architecture and traditional Islamic art. Each of the selected artists offers a personal take on the theme, while contributing to a broader cultural dialogue across geographies and media. The exhibition's jury includes Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, adviser to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a key patron of the UAE's cultural scene; Guilhem Andre, director of Scientific, Curatorial and Collections Management at Louvre Abu Dhabi; and Maya Allison, executive director of the Art Gallery at NYUAD. They are joined by international curators Yuko Hasegawa and Mayuko Arni. 'Now in its fifth edition, Art Here continues to grow as a platform for dialogue and discovery,' said Manuel Rabate, director of Louvre Abu Dhabi. 'The calibre and number of proposals received this year reflect the region's growing creative momentum and the expanding reach of the initiative.' The competition continues to broaden its international scope, too. This year marks the first time artists from Japan have been included, with organisers saying the move reflects a growing effort to create cross-cultural exchange between the Gulf and East Asia. 'The expansion into Japan reflects our shared vision with Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi to build meaningful connections between artists and audiences across different contexts,' said Peter Harrison, chief executive of Richard Mille EMEA. 'The evolution of Art Here over its five editions has seen it become a flagship exhibition for Louvre Abu Dhabi,' added Andre. 'This year's expansion into Japan marks a deliberate curatorial shift that deepens cross-cultural dialogue ... and reaffirms our role as a hub for both regional and international creativity.' Of the theme, curator Mayuko Arni said: 'Shadows allowed for wide interpretations of outdoor installations. The sheer number of proposals received speaks volumes about the relevance of Art Here and the Richard Mille Art Prize at Louvre Abu Dhabi.'
