The UAE Events Season 2026-27: What Is New This Year
Photo: Boubloub, CC BY-SA 4.0
Every season has its fixtures: Formula 1 in Abu Dhabi, the golf in Dubai, the long festivals. The 2026-27 calendar adds a few things that have not happened before, and moves one that was meant to. This is what we have confirmed from official or named sources, with the status of each.
Frieze Abu Dhabi makes its debut
Frieze Abu Dhabi is listed for 19 to 22 November 2026 at Manarat Al Saadiyat, the same week as NOMAD Abu Dhabi (18 to 22 November, in Terminal 1 of the Old Abu Dhabi Airport) and the opening of the Public Art Abu Dhabi Biennial in the city on 15 November, according to Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism. Fairs like these usually open with invitation-only preview days, so check each fair's own site for which days are public. See our art week guide.
The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi is scheduled to open
The museum, designed by the late Frank Gehry, is scheduled to open on Saadiyat Island on 11 December 2026. Opening hours, ticket prices and the first exhibition had not been published when we checked, and dates for large openings can move.
UNTOLD Dubai moved to March
What's On reported in October 2026 that UNTOLD Dubai would take place on 19 to 21 March 2027 at Dubai Parks and Resorts instead of November 2026. The line-up had not been announced, and the organiser's chief executive said the later date gives time to build it. Passes were listed from AED 350.
The Phantom of the Opera in Abu Dhabi
The musical runs at Etihad Arena from 10 to 28 March 2027, which The National describes as its first run in Abu Dhabi, with tickets from AED 240.
Ramadan arrives early
Ramadan is expected to begin on 8 February 2027, with Eid Al Fitr on 9 or 10 March, according to Khaleej Times citing the UAE Astronomy Centre. That puts the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships (14 to 27 February) inside the month. Our Ramadan 2027 guide explains how timetables shift.
What is not announced
New Year's Eve 2026-27 plans for the emirates had not been published when we checked. The one headline gala we can confirm is Katy Perry at Atlantis, The Palm. We list last year's pattern as context and say plainly that it is not a forecast.
For the whole calendar in date order, use the Hadath events calendar.
FAQs
When is the busiest week of the season?
National Day on 2 and 3 December runs straight into Abu Dhabi Grand Prix week from 3 to 6 December. Hotels fill months ahead.
Are all of these dates confirmed?
No. Each Hadath page carries a status label (confirmed, announced or expected) so you can see which is which.
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Younus leads corporate and MICE delivery at Sparkling Sandset, including team-building programmes, incentive groups and DMC partnerships across Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE. He writes about the operational side of corporate events: venue selection, group logistics, facilitation and what changes when the guest list is a client's, not a family's.