Thirty Years of Backing: Abu Dhabi Festival Opens 23rd Edition

Abu Dhabi Festival has opened its 23rd edition at Etihad Arena under the theme The Wisdom of Culture, and the opening night doubles as a statement of institutional longevity backed by thirty years of investment. The festival, staged under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, and of Her Highness Sheikha Shamsa bint Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, marks three decades since the founding of the Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation (ADMAF), the organisation that has built the festival into one of the region’s most established cultural platforms.

The economics of the edition are visible in its partnerships and programme scale. The Children’s Biennale, described as the first outdoor children’s biennale in the Middle East, runs at Umm Al Emarat Park from 6 November to 6 December and is presented in partnership with National Gallery Singapore, Umm Al Emarat Park and Salayel Hospitality, an arrangement that spreads production and delivery costs across institutional and commercial partners. The wider 2026 programme, which continues until December 19, brings internationally celebrated artists and ensembles to Abu Dhabi’s leading cultural venues, including Academy Award and Grammy Award-winning composer Hans Zimmer, French tenor Benjamin Bernheim, American Ballet Theatre and the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra in its first-ever concert in the UAE, alongside the Arab world premiere of Algarabía and performances by Dhafer Youssef and Emirati musicians Elham Al Marzooqi and Fatima Al Hashimi.

The opening concert itself was framed by its principals as the product of long-term institutional investment. Sheikha Alia bint Khalid Al Qassimi, Managing Director of the UAE National Orchestra, described the slot as a significant moment for the ensemble, noting that the orchestra was not simply appearing at the festival but opening a 23rd edition that ADMAF has built over thirty years. She said the musicians shared the stage with guest artists of international calibre, conductor François López-Ferrer and pianist David Khrikuli, in a performance reflecting the Orchestra’s international outlook and the cultural ambition of the UAE.

López-Ferrer, recipient of the 2024 Sir Georg Solti Conducting Award, led a three-work programme spanning drama, romance and folk-inspired warmth. The evening opened with Franz von Suppé’s Overture to Light Cavalry, followed by Khrikuli, a laureate of numerous international competitions, in Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2, delivered with sweeping lyricism and formidable technical command. Dvořák’s Symphony No. 8, rich in melodic warmth and folk colour, closed the night.

Meanwhile, the edition is timed to the UAE’s Year of the Family and to ADMAF’s thirtieth anniversary, and its leadership presented the festival as an asset with returns measured in cultural capital as much as audience reach. Her Excellency Huda Alkhamis-Kanoo, Founder of ADMAF and Founder and Artistic Director of Abu Dhabi Festival, said the 23rd edition celebrates the United Arab Emirates, its resilience, spirit of coexistence and commitment to peace, calling the festival an expression of belonging and loyalty to the land of Zayed. Under the theme The Wisdom of Culture, she said culture brings people together and reminds them that, despite differences, they are united by a shared destiny. She added that the festival’s message is an invitation to celebrate the UAE and its call to build a new future together, and to celebrate Abu Dhabi, where the world’s finest artists come together on its stages.

Talent development remains a core line of investment for the foundation. Through the newly established Festival Academy, students from across the UAE will receive intensive training, masterclasses, open rehearsals and mentorship with visiting international artists. Festival in Focus will bring students from public and private schools, as well as Education Partnership Schools, to exclusive youth performances and rehearsals, presented in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge. Young string musicians of the Abu Dhabi Festival Youth Orchestra will also give a special public concert on 18 November.

The opening was attended by His Excellency Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence and Patron of ADMAF, alongside Her Excellency Noura bint Mohamed Al Kaabi, Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Alkhamis-Kanoo and Sheikha Alia. Further programme and ticket details are available at www.abudhabifestival.ae, with the announcement also carried at https://www.mediaoffice.abudhabi/en/arts-culture/nahyan-bin-mubarak-attends-23rd-abu-dhabi-festival-opening-night-with-musical-evening-by-uae-national-orchestra/

With the programme running until December 19, the question for Abu Dhabi’s cultural market is how far this anniversary edition’s investment in partnerships and talent pipelines will translate into sustained returns for the emirate’s creative economy.