Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Opens December 2026; Burberry Trench Exhibition at V&A; Aalto Works Get UNESCO Status
Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism announced that the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, designed by Frank Gehry, will officially open on December 11, 2026, on Saadiyat Island. This museum will feature 30 galleries and ten sculptural cones, covering a total exhibition space of 34,600 square meters. Its collection, curated since 2009, will showcase a variety of themes and media. The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi will join other cultural landmarks like the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Zayed National Museum. In other news, Burberry is partnering with the V&A to present “The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon” from September 21, 2026, to January 3, 2027, celebrating the brand's 170th anniversary. Moreover, at the World Heritage Committee meeting in Busan, 13 works by Aalto architects were added to the World Heritage List. Currently, the Milwaukee Art Museum is hosting “Currents 40: Widline Cadet.” Lastly, We Design Beirut will run from May 26 to 30, 2027, featuring eight exhibitions and historic residences that will be opened to the public for the first time.
Key facts
- Guggenheim Abu Dhabi opens December 11, 2026 on Saadiyat Island.
- Museum designed by Frank Gehry features 30 galleries and ten sculptural cones up to 88 meters.
- Interior gallery space is 11,600 sq m; outdoor exhibition areas total 23,000 sq m.
- Collection organized thematically around Abstractions, Popular Culture, and Storytelling since 1960.
- Burberry and V&A present 'The Burberry Trench: Crafting an Icon' from Sept 21, 2026 to Jan 3, 2027.
- UNESCO adds 13 works by Aino, Elissa, and Alvar Aalto to World Heritage List as 'Aalto Works'.
- Milwaukee Art Museum hosts Widline Cadet's first U.S. solo show 'Currents 40'.
- We Design Beirut third edition runs May 26–30, 2027 with theme 'Love on the Mediterranean'.
Entities
Artists
- Frank Gehry
- Aino Aalto
- Elissa Aalto
- Alvar Aalto
- Widline Cadet
- Thomas Burberry
- Christopher Bailey
- Daniel Lee
- Johanne Issa
- Nathalie Khoury
- Teymour Khoury
- Yasmina Mahmoud
- Karl Abi Karam
- Claudia Skaff
- Galal Mahmoud
- Karim Chaya
- Dia Mrad
- Petra Abou Sleiman
- Ala Tannir
Institutions
- Guggenheim Abu Dhabi
- Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi
- Guggenheim New York
- Guggenheim Venice
- Guggenheim Bilbao
- Louvre Abu Dhabi
- Zayed National Museum
- teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi
- Burberry
- Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A)
- UNESCO
- World Heritage Committee
- Milwaukee Art Museum
- Herzfeld Center for Photography and Media Arts
- We Design Beirut
- PSLab
- Luura Hotels
- Manifesto Library
- Monte-Carlo Beach
- ADAA (Art Dealers Association of America)
- Phillips Collection
- Casa Batlló
- MVRDV
- Armory Show
- Wallace Chan
- RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects)
- Louis Vuitton
- FIFA
- Felix Art Fair
Locations
- Abu Dhabi
- United Arab Emirates
- Saadiyat Island
- New York
- United States
- Venice
- Italy
- Bilbao
- Spain
- South Kensington
- London
- United Kingdom
- Busan
- South Korea
- Helsinki
- Finland
- Säynätsalo
- Muuratsalo
- Lake Päijänne
- Milwaukee
- Wisconsin
- Los Angeles
- California
- Haiti
- Beirut
- Lebanon
- Mediterranean
- Porto
- Portugal
- Monte-Carlo
- Monaco
- DC (Washington, D.C.)
- Barcelona