"Abu Dhabi Festival 2026" It will be launched on October 10 under the slogan: "The wisdom of culture"
Abu Dhabi, July 22 / WAM / During the period from October 10 to December 19, the activities of the twenty-third session of the Abu Dhabi Festival 2026 will be held in the capital, Abu Dhabi, under the slogan “The Wisdom of Culture.”
This year, the festival celebrates the United Arab Emirates as a living model that embodies the wisdom of culture, and a global platform for dialogue and cultural exchange.
The main program in the capital is an extension of the continued success achieved by the Abu Dhabi Festival’s program abroad, which this year has attracted, so far, more than 142,000 visitors across the United States of America, Korea, Austria, Spain and Lebanon.
These outstanding international achievements establish a new phase of the festival’s highly anticipated activities in Abu Dhabi.
The festival’s activities will bring together an elite group of cultural institutions in the Emirates, along with Emirati talent and international artists, through a diverse program that includes orchestral, jazz, ballet, performance, musical evenings, and major artistic productions, hosted by major cultural edifices across Abu Dhabi.
The National Orchestra of the United Arab Emirates will launch the Abu Dhabi Festival 2026 season with a special symphony evening at the Etihad Arena on October 10, led by François Lopez Ferrer, and with the participation of pianist David Kharikoli, one of the most prominent young talents in the world of classical music, in an opening evening that celebrates the artistic excellence of national talents and Emirati artists.
The festival will host Hans Zimmer, one of the most famous composers of soundtracks and music producers of our time, in a huge show held at the Etihad Arena on November 13, in which he will re-present his most famous cinematic works in unique musical formulations that combine orchestral power and electronic effects, to form a prominent main station in the capital’s cultural agenda.
In parallel with the artistic program, and in celebration of the UAE’s declaration of 2026 as the Year of the Family, the festival continues to present its community and educational initiatives, with the aim of enhancing the access of schools, youth and families to arts, culture and music. In November, it will host the “Children’s Biennale”, the first outdoor art biennale dedicated to children in the Arab world, to celebrate family ties and the values of cohesion and joint creativity through the arts.
Children will participate in creating works of art in collaboration with trained artists using sustainable materials, and their creations will be displayed throughout Umm Al Emarat Park throughout the month of November 2026.
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