ABU DHABI: Louvre Abu Dhabi is offering visitors a new way to explore its collections this summer with a 45-minute “Highlights and Discoveries Tour”, designed as a quick, curated cultural experience.
The guided tour takes visitors through the museum’s four wings, focusing on newly acquired works and major international loans introduced this year, making it ideal for those looking to experience the museum in under an hour.
Among the standout pieces is The Triumph of David, a rare 17th-century work crafted from painted and gilded leather panels. Visitors will also see a Kota-Obamba reliquary figure from Gabon, a Roman cameo linked to imperial portraiture, and a Mamluk mosque lamp that reflects the symbolic role of light in Islamic art.
The tour includes international loans such as an Early Dilmun jar from Bahrain, offering insight into ancient Gulf trade and rituals, and a Neolithic statue-menhir from Western Europe, representing early human forms.
Spanning multiple galleries, the experience connects early civilisations with modern and contemporary art, highlighting shared cultural themes across time and regions.
Events Calendar
Louvre Abu Dhabi has unveiled its 2026–2027 season, presenting a year-long programme that spans cultures, geographies and time periods, with a focus on shared human experiences and global connections.
Bringing together archaeological discoveries, maritime histories, heritage preservation initiatives and contemporary artistic voices, the programme explores the interconnected nature of civilisations while reinforcing the museum’s role as a platform for cultural dialogue.
The season opens on 18 July 2026 with A Board Game Adventure, a new Children’s Museum exhibition running until April 2027. The exhibition explores the universal appeal of games such as chess, carrom, ludo and mancala, showcasing around 30 objects from Louvre Abu Dhabi’s collection alongside regional and international loans, including artefacts from ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia.
This will be followed by Spices and Wonders: Sailing the Indian Ocean (14 October 2026 – 14 February 2027), organised in partnership with the Guimet – National Museum of Asian Arts. The exhibition traces over 1,000 years of maritime exchange, highlighting the Indian Ocean as a vital crossroads linking Africa, the Middle East, Europe, South Asia and Southeast Asia through trade in spices, textiles and cultural ideas. A second edition will be presented in Paris in 2027.
Contemporary art takes centre stage with Art Here 2026, themed Confluences, alongside the Richard Mille Art Prize (11 November 2026 – 28 February 2027). Featuring artists from the GCC and India, the exhibition highlights cross-cultural artistic dialogue and emerging creative practices.
The season concludes with Living Legacies: Protecting Heritage, Building Hope (23 November 2026 – 25 April 2027), organised in partnership with ALIPH. The exhibition presents artefacts from global institutions through immersive, multi-sensory displays, focusing on efforts to safeguard cultural heritage in vulnerable regions.
Alongside exhibitions, the museum will host talks, film screenings, performances and workshops, complemented by guided tours, podcasts and family-focused educational programmes. – With inputs from WAM
