One of the season’s biggest international attractions comes on November 13, when Grammy-winning composer Hans Zimmer brings his THE NEXT LEVEL tour to Etihad Arena.
Abu Dhabi is set for a season of music, dance and cross-cultural performance as the 23rd edition of Abu Dhabi Festival brings together Hollywood composer Hans Zimmer, international opera and ballet stars, jazz musicians, the UAE National Orchestra and a new generation of Emirati performers.
Opening on October 10 under the theme “The Wisdom of Culture”, the festival will unfold across some of the capital’s most prominent cultural venues, including Etihad Arena, the Cultural Foundation, Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum, NYU Abu Dhabi and Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental.
The 2026 edition also marks the 30th anniversary of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF), which has spent three decades supporting artistic development in the UAE and promoting cultural exchange through the arts.
The festival opens at Etihad Arena with the UAE National Orchestra conducted by François López-Ferrer, with pianist David Khrikuli as soloist. The concert launches a programme spanning orchestral music, ballet, opera, jazz and multidisciplinary performance, alongside a strong emphasis on Emirati and Arab artistic traditions.
One of the season’s biggest international attractions comes on November 13, when Academy Award- and Grammy-winning composer Hans Zimmer brings his THE NEXT LEVEL tour to Etihad Arena.
Zimmer will revisit some of his best-known cinematic compositions through an immersive combination of orchestral and electronic soundscapes, bringing the music behind some of cinema’s most recognisable films to a live Abu Dhabi audience.
The festival then turns to ballet on November 21, when American Ballet Theatre performs at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental in a programme designed to move between classical repertoire and contemporary choreography.
The programme includes Frederick Ashton’s “Birthday Offering,” Jiri Kylian’s new commission “Nuages” and “Paquita”, staged by Natalia Makarova after Marius Petipa, giving the company an opportunity to showcase both technical precision and expressive range.
On November 26, Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental will host the Arab world premiere of Algarabia, a multidisciplinary production co-produced by Abu Dhabi Festival, Museo Universidad de Navarra and Khawla Art & Culture Foundation.
Following its world premiere in Pamplona, Spain, the production brings together flamenco and Arab poetic traditions in a cross-cultural performance co-directed by Ignacio García and Lebanese director Jihad Mikhael.
Emirati composer Ihab Darwish is among the production’s musical contributors, while flamenco virtuoso Jesus Carmona shares the stage with Lebanese actors Cynthia Karam and Rafic Ali Ahmad.
The festival’s programme continues on November 29 with the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, making its first concert appearance in the UAE with a Verdi 125th Anniversary Gala Concert at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental.
Conducted by David Crescenzi, the concert features soprano Maria Agresta and tenor Giorgio Berrugi in a programme of Giuseppe Verdi’s celebrated overtures, arias and duets.
The festival’s main programme will close on December 19 at Louvre Abu Dhabi with Tunisian composer, singer and oud virtuoso Dhafer Youssef and his Quintet.
Rooted in the musical traditions of North Africa, Youssef’s distinctive sound draws on jazz, European classical music, Turkish influences and traditional Indian music, creating a repertoire that moves freely between musical traditions.
Emirati voices and international virtuosos
The Abu Dhabi Festival Recital Series places international performers alongside Emirati artists in some of the capital’s leading cultural spaces.
The series begins on October 30 at Zayed National Museum, where UAE’s first professional female Emirati cellist Elham Al Marzooqi will perform with pianist Sooyeon Jun. Their programme will span Baroque masterworks, Romantic repertoire and well-known cinematic melodies.
On December 7, Emirati soprano Fatima Al Hashimi will join pianist Ina Charelli for a programme bringing classical repertoire into dialogue with traditional Arabic music.
The Cultural Foundation will host two further recital evenings in December. On December 10, award-winning violinist Lisa Batiashvili and pianist Giorgi Gigashvili will perform works ranging from Beethoven and Bartók to Franck, alongside a new composition by Joseph Bardanashvili.
The following evening, December 11, pianist Minsoo Sohn will perform Bach’s “Well-Tempered Clavier,” presenting all 24 preludes and fugues.
The recital series concludes on December 16 with a private performance at the Bassam Freiha Art Foundation, featuring oud players Saif Al Naqbi and Ahmed Al Mansouri, alongside qanun player Dr Noura Al Mazrouei.
The three musicians, whose training includes study at Bait Al Oud, will explore the meeting point between classical and traditional Arabic music through intricate compositions and expressive melodies.
Abu Dhabi takes its cultural exchange abroad
The festival’s international reach will extend beyond the UAE through its “Abroad” programme, which continues its cultural exchange initiatives in the United States.
On December 4, the New York Arabic Orchestra will perform in Washington, D.C., in collaboration with the Middle East Institute, combining a concert celebrating Arabic musical traditions with an educational programme focused on cross-cultural understanding.
The international programme will culminate on December 18, when the UN Chamber Music Society, in collaboration with Abu Dhabi Festival, marks World Arabic Language Day with a concert at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in New York.
Investing in the next generation
Alongside its headline performances, the 2026 festival places a strong emphasis on artistic education and the development of young talent.
The newly-launched Festival Academy will bring selected student musicians and dancers from across the UAE into intensive training programmes, including masterclasses, open rehearsals and performance opportunities alongside festival artists.
The “Festival in Focus” initiative will introduce younger audiences to music and dance through school performances and youth matinées, in coordination with the Ministry of Education and the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge.
The Abu Dhabi Festival Youth Orchestra will also give a public concert during the festival, putting young orchestral musicians in the spotlight.
A new focus on children and interactive art will run from November 6 to December 6 with the Children’s Biennale, described by organisers as the first outdoor children’s biennale in the Middle East.
Held at Umm Al Emarat Park in partnership with National Gallery Singapore, Umm Al Emarat Park and Salayel Hospitality, the month-long event is curated by Dana Al Mazrouei and brings together nine artists from the UAE and Indonesia.
UAE-based artists Alia Al Shamsi, Aya Afaneh, Hana El-Sagini, Moza Almatrooshi, Moza Almazrouei, Mira Almazrooei, Nada Almosa and Sarah Afaneh will be joined by Indonesian artist Eko Nugroho.
Their works will transform parts of the park through installations designed to engage audiences through touch, sound, movement and light.
The programme, anchored in the UAE’s “Year of Family,” will also include family sessions, workshops and an interactive guide, with activities designed around creativity, environmental awareness and shared family experiences.
