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The 23rd Abu Dhabi Festival opened on 10 October 2026 with a UAE National Orchestra concert at Etihad Arena. It runs until 19 December across several venues in the capital under the theme "The Wisdom of Culture". This edition is tied to the UAE's Year of the Family and coincides with the 30th anniversary of ADMAF, the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation.
The opening concert was conducted by François López-Ferrer, who received the Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award in 2024, with Georgian pianist David Khrikuli as soloist. The programme was Suppé's Light Cavalry overture, Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 and Dvořák's Symphony No. 8. Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan attended. Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo, the festival's founder and artistic director, said: "Culture brings us together."
Dates to note
- 6 November to 6 December: a children's biennale in Umm Al Emarat Park, described as the first outdoor one in the Middle East
- 13 November: Hans Zimmer, The Next Level, at Etihad Arena
- 18 November: a public concert by the Abu Dhabi Festival Youth Orchestra
- 21 November: American Ballet Theatre at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental
- 26 November: the Arab world premiere of Algarabía
- 29 November: a Verdi 125th anniversary gala by the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra, its first concert in the UAE
- 19 December: Dhafer Youssef and his quintet at Louvre Abu Dhabi
The full programme and tickets are on abudhabifestival.ae. Prices were not published in the reports.
What it means for you
An evening show in the capital fits easily into a day trip from Dubai. Options are listed under Abu Dhabi tours.
The Abu Dhabi Media Office announced the opening, and Gulf News reported on the concert.
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