Louvre Abu Dhabi Unveils 2025–2026 Exhibition Season

Photo: Abu Dhabi Media Office

Louvre Abu Dhabi has announced its new exhibition season for 2025–2026, and it promises to be full of exciting and meaningful experiences. The museum will showcase a wide range of art from different times and places around the world. These exhibitions will focus on history, modern art, and unique partnerships, showing the museum's goal of bringing people and cultures together through art.

The first exhibition of the season is called Mamluks: Legacy of an Empire. It will open on 17 September 2025 and run until 25 January 2026. This exhibition is being held in partnership with the Musée du Louvre and France Muséums. It will explore the powerful Mamluk Sultanate, a dynasty that ruled parts of the Middle East, including Egypt, the Levant, and Saudi Arabia, from 1250 to 1517. Visitors will get to learn about the rich culture, art, and history of the Mamluks, who played a big role in connecting Europe, Africa, and Asia. Some amazing artworks will be shown, like the Reception of a Venetian Delegation by the Mamluk Governor of Damascus and the famous Baptistery of Saint Louis, a stunning example of Mamluk art. Another important item in the exhibition is a beautiful carpet from the 15th century that is part of Louvre Abu Dhabi’s own collection.

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After that, starting from 8 October 2025 to 28 December 2025, the museum will host Art Here 2025 along with the Richard Mille Art Prize. This is the fifth time Louvre Abu Dhabi is organizing this event in partnership with the luxury Swiss watch brand Richard Mille. This year’s theme is Shadows, and it looks at how light and darkness play together in art, especially inspired by Japanese and Arabian Gulf traditions. The exhibition is curated by Sophie Mayuko Arni, a curator with both Swiss and Japanese roots. Artists from the Gulf countries and Japan, as well as other artists connected to the region, are invited to send in their ideas. The selected artworks will be displayed at the museum, and one artist will win the Richard Mille Art Prize in December 2025.

Another big exhibition coming up is Picasso, the Figure, which will run from 19 January to 31 May 2026. This show is being organized together with the Musée national Picasso-Paris and France Muséums. It focuses on how the famous Spanish artist Pablo Picasso showed the human body in his art. The exhibition will include his paintings, sculptures, and drawings from different periods of his life, starting from the early 1900s until his later years. It will show how Picasso changed the way people look at shapes, faces, and expressions in art. Important pieces on display will include Woman with a Mandolin from 1911 and Portrait of a Seated Woman (Olga) from 1923, both from Louvre Abu Dhabi’s collection. There will also be special artworks on loan from Musée national Picasso-Paris, such as Woman Sitting in Front of the Window from 1937.

Manuel Rabaté, the Director of Louvre Abu Dhabi, said that these exhibitions are part of the museum’s mission to give visitors unforgettable and inspiring experiences. He said that the season will highlight both Eastern and Western art and help people understand and enjoy different cultures and traditions. Dr. Guilhem André, who leads the scientific and curatorial team at the museum, added that these exhibitions will show how art connects people across time and place. He believes the museum will offer a space where visitors can learn how different styles and histories influence each other.

Along with these main exhibitions, Louvre Abu Dhabi will also have cultural programs, new interactive activities, and events to help visitors learn more and take part in creative discussions. The 2025–2026 season at Louvre Abu Dhabi will be a celebration of imagination, learning, and the beauty of different cultures coming together through art.