ABU DHABI, (Pakistan Point News - 24th Jun, 2026) Louvre Abu Dhabi has unveiled its 2026-2027 season, presenting a year-long programme spanning millennia and continents, from the rich cultural exchanges of the Indian Ocean and efforts to protect cultural heritage, to contemporary artistic expression from the GCC and India.
The season brings together archaeological discoveries, stories of maritime exchange, heritage preservation initiatives and contemporary artistic voices to explore humanity’s interconnected histories and foster greater universal understanding.
The programme will open with a new Children’s Museum exhibition, A Board Game Adventure, which explores the universal appeal of board games as tools for learning, imagination and social connection.
It will be followed by Spices and Wonders: Sailing the Indian Ocean, organised in partnership with the Guimet – National Museum of Asian Arts, examining 1,000 years of maritime exchange and the role of the Indian Ocean as a crossroads of cultures linking Africa, the middle East, Europe, South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The season will also feature Art Here 2026, themed Confluences, alongside the Richard Mille Art Prize, reaffirming the museum’s commitment to supporting contemporary artistic voices.
The programme will conclude with Living Legacies. Protecting Heritage. Building Hope, organised in partnership with the International Alliance for the Protection of Heritage (ALIPH), highlighting efforts to preserve cultural heritage in some of the world’s most challenging environments.
Dr. Guilhem André, Director of Scientific, Curatorial and Collections Management at Louvre Abu Dhabi, said the programme reflects the museum’s mission of building bridges between cultures through exhibitions that explore diversity, exchange and shared human experiences.
Lamya Al Nuaimi, Director of Development, Marketing and Communications at Louvre Abu Dhabi, said the season reinforces the museum’s role as a cultural platform that promotes dialogue, exchange and discovery while supporting Abu Dhabi’s vision of fostering creativity and building a globally connected cultural ecosystem.
A Board Game Adventure will run from 18th July, 2026 until April 2027. The exhibition traces the history and evolution of games such as chess, carrom, ludo and mancala, bringing together around 30 objects from Louvre Abu Dhabi’s collection alongside regional and international loans, including examples from ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.
Spices and Wonders: Sailing the Indian Ocean will be held from 14th October, 2026 to 14th February, 2027. The exhibition explores maritime routes connecting Africa, the Middle East, Europe, South Asia and Southeast Asia from antiquity to the 17th century through displays of spices, textiles, ceramics and other traded goods.
A second edition of the exhibition will be presented at the Guimet in Paris from 12th May to 6th September, 2027.
The sixth edition of Art Here and the Richard Mille Art prize will run from 11th November, 2026 to 28th February, 2027. The exhibition will feature contemporary artists from GCC countries and India, under the theme Confluences, curated by Kamini Sawhney, founding director of the Museum of Art and Photography in Bengaluru.
Living Legacies. Protecting Heritage. Building Hope will run from 23rd November, 2026 to 25th April, 2027. The exhibition will present artefacts on loan from international cultural institutions and ALIPH partners through an immersive multi-sensory experience featuring projections and testimonies.
Alongside the exhibitions, Louvre Abu Dhabi will host a wide range of cultural and educational programmes, including curator-led talks, a symposium, film screenings, performances and workshops aimed at deepening engagement with the museum’s collection and exhibitions.
Each exhibition will be accompanied by a trilingual catalogue, specialised guided tours, podcast episodes, educational resources for children and families, and weekly workshops for adults.
Established initiatives such as Book and Easel, Drawing at the Museum, the Quantum Dome Project and Art in Scents will continue, while visitors will also be able to experience We Are Not Alone, a multilingual audio tour beneath the museum’s dome created in collaboration with international artists.
Through its exhibitions and public programmes, Louvre Abu Dhabi’s 2026-2027 season aims to celebrate creativity, cultural exchange and artistic exploration while strengthening understanding of humanity’s shared heritage.
