AlUla Arts Festival announces fifth edition for January–February 2026 with largest program to date

📷SPA

ALULA, November 25, 2025 (Saudi Arabia Breaking News) – The AlUla Arts Festival will launch its fifth edition from January 16 to February 14, 2026, transforming the historic AlUla Oasis into a major platform for contemporary art, design, and cultural programming.

Organizers described the 2026 edition as the festival’s broadest and most diverse to date, featuring exhibitions, performances, and immersive experiences that continue to enrich AlUla’s cultural landscape.

A key highlight is the return of Desert X AlUla in its fourth edition, running from January 16 to February 28 under the theme “Space Without Measure,” inspired by the writings of Gibran Khalil Gibran. The installations will explore the relationship between art and nature through large-scale works integrated into the landscape.

The festival will also introduce a global exhibition as part of the pre-opening program for AlUla’s forthcoming Contemporary Art Museum, presented in collaboration with the Centre Pompidou.

Design programming will expand significantly through Design Space AlUla, hosting the AlUla Design Exhibition and events featuring Saudi and international designers. Parallel public programming will include live performances, immersive shows, and interactive educational activities.

The “Arduna” Exhibition, held from January 15 to April 15, will feature more than 80 artworks by artists from Saudi Arabia, the wider region, and around the world, focusing on the relationship between humanity and nature. The exhibition forms part of the preparatory program for the new Contemporary Art Museum, in partnership with the Centre Pompidou and AFALULA.

Throughout the festival, the AlJadidah Arts District will serve as a dynamic creative hub with new artworks along Incense Road, performances by the AlUla Music Hub, and a solo exhibition by Saudi artist Sara Abdu at Athr Gallery. Madrasat Addeera will offer artisan-led workshops and demonstrations showcasing traditional crafts in contemporary forms.

Cinema AlJadidah will screen documentary and short films focused on art, while Villa Hegra will host a photography exhibition featuring rare early 20th-century images alongside contemporary desert visuals by filmmaker Saad Tahaitah.

Additional programming includes the performance “Vertige” in partnership with the Chaillot theatre in France; a British Council collaboration presenting “Reflections,” a fashion exhibition inspired by AlUla’s heritage; and public-art workshops and cultural activities at the Daimumah site.

The 2026 edition reinforces AlUla’s position as a global creative hub and one of the world’s leading cultural and heritage destinations.

More information is available at: experiencealula.com