Art Dubai Is Back This Month and This Edition Feels Different

Twenty years in, the region's most important art fair is doing something it has never done before. And entry is free.

Art Dubai turns 20 this year. And while the milestone alone would be reason enough to pay attention, what is happening at Madinat Jumeirah from 15 to 17 May isn't just a celebration but ab actual statement.

This is a special edition, modified in format, but in no way diminished in ambition. Around 75 presentations from commercial galleries, institutional participants and partners, 60% of which are drawn from the region. Free entry for everyone. And a programme that reads like a greatest hits of everything Dubai's cultural scene has quietly been building towards for two decades.

Executive Director Benedetta Ghione put it plainly: "Art Dubai's story is Dubai's story." This edition, she says, is about demonstrating the resilience of the UAE's cultural scene and the power of what happens when galleries, artists and institutions come together. Especially right now, when that role of convening feels more important than ever.

The galleries

Over 45 gallery presentations spanning contemporary, modern and digital practices, bringing together international names who have been committed to this region for decades alongside first-time exhibitors stepping into the Art Dubai family for the first time. In a move that signals genuine care for the ecosystem, this edition also introduces an innovative risk-sharing model where gallery booth costs are payable based on success. In a challenging climate for the art market globally, that matters.

The programme

This is where it gets genuinely exciting. Alongside the gallery presentations, the special edition is packed with large-scale installations, commissions, performances, screenings and daily talks. Here is what to know:

Made Forward, a major presentation from the Dubai Collection, the city's first institutional collection of modern and contemporary art, will be one of the anchors of the fair. Alongside it, the Barjeel Art Foundation brings an exhibition of modern Arab art from its collection, and the Sharjah Art Foundation contributes a performance-led programme that is worth planning your visit around.

The 20th edition of Art Dubai's flagship Global Art Forum, commissioned by Shumon Basar and titled Before and After Everything, promises to be one of the most compelling conversations of the year.

Site-responsive artworks and large-scale installations will be integrated across the entire fair, with works by Khalid Al Banna, Hashel Al Lamki, Rashid Bin Shabib and Ahmed Bin Shabib, Rami Farook, Kevork Mourad, Yaw Owusu, Neda Razavipour and Sudarshan Shetty. A moving image programme co-curated with Alserkal Avenue will be screened across both venues.

Further collaborations with Art Jameel, National Pavilion UAE at La Biennale di Venezia, Ministry of Culture and House of Arts round out what is already a remarkably full programme for three days.

Curatorial Director Alexie Glass-Kantor described the guiding thread behind the programming as "things we do together," and that spirit comes through in every part of this edition. The focus is on connection, on encounter, on spending time with work in ways that feel open rather than prescribed.

The details

Art Dubai Special Edition runs 15 to 17 May at Madinat Jumeirah, with a VIP preview on 14 May. Entry is free for all visitors. For the full participant list and programme, head to artdubai.ae.