Abu Dhabi Festival 2026 announces full programme with Hans Zimmer, ballet, opera and the UAE National Orchestra
Abu Dhabi Festival has revealed its full 2026 programme, bringing together some of the biggest names in classical music, film composition, ballet, opera and contemporary performance for a two-month cultural season across the capital.
Running from October 10 to December 19 under the theme “Wisdom of Culture,” the festival will take place at venues including Etihad Arena, Cultural Foundation, Louvre Abu Dhabi and The Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi. The programme also coincides with the celebration of 50 years of cultural ties between the UAE and the United States.
One of the biggest highlights will be Hans Zimmer, who will bring his The Next Level tour to Etihad Arena on November 13. The Oscar- and Grammy-winning composer will present reworked versions of music from films including The Lion King, Gladiator, Inception, Interstellar and Dune, combining orchestra, electronic music and large-scale visual production.
The festival will open on October 10 with the UAE National Orchestra at Etihad Arena. The ensemble, which brings together musicians from across the country, will be joined by Georgian pianist David Khrikuli for one of its biggest performances to date.
Opera will also play a major role in this year’s programme. On October 17, soprano Sondra Radvanovsky and pianist Vincenzo Scalera will perform works by Bellini, Verdi, Puccini, Rachmaninoff, Tchaikovsky and Richard Strauss at The Arts Centre at NYU Abu Dhabi. Later, on November 29, a special Verdi Opera Gala at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental will mark 125 years since the composer’s death, led by soprano Maria Agresta and tenor Giorgio Berrugi.
Dance fans will have one of the season’s major events on November 21, when American Ballet Theatre performs at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental. The programme will feature works by Twyla Tharp, Alexei Ratmansky and George Balanchine, combining contemporary and classical approaches to ballet.
The festival will also continue its focus on cross-cultural productions. Algarabia, scheduled for November 26, will bring together flamenco, Arab poetic traditions, live music, dance and theatre in a production performed by musicians from Spain’s University of Navarra Symphony Orchestra alongside dancers and actors.
December will bring several more major performances. Georgian violinist Lisa Batiashvili and pianist Giorgi Gigashviliwill appear at the Cultural Foundation on December 10, followed by Korean-American pianist Minsoo Sohn performing Book One of Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier on December 11.
The festival will close on December 19 at Louvre Abu Dhabi with Tunisian musician Dhafer Youssef, whose work combines jazz with Arab and North African musical traditions, alongside influences from European classical, Turkish and Indian music.
For audiences across the UAE, Abu Dhabi Festival 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most diverse cultural programmes of the year. With performances ranging from blockbuster film music and ballet to opera, jazz and regional musical traditions, the season reflects Abu Dhabi’s continued effort to position itself as one of the region’s leading destinations for international arts and culture.
