Guggenheim Abu Dhabi: the 11 December 2026 opening and how to plan

Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism lists the opening of Guggenheim Abu Dhabi on 11 December 2026. It is a museum of modern and contemporary art designed by the late Frank Gehry, and the last of the district's headline institutions to open, joining Louvre Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum and the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi.

Opening hours, ticket prices and the inaugural exhibition programme had not been published when we checked. The Guggenheim and Abu Dhabi's tourism channels are the places to confirm them. Dates for large openings can move, so avoid non-refundable travel built around a single day.

A sensible day pairs one museum in the morning with the beach or a long lunch, and a second museum when the afternoon heat has gone. Opening week will be busy, so if you are flexible the weeks after the first rush are calmer.

It lands in a crowded fortnight: National Day on 2 and 3 December, the Grand Prix from 3 to 6 December and Culture Summit Abu Dhabi from 8 to 10 December. See also Louvre Abu Dhabi's season.