Celebrating its fifth year, the AlUla Arts Festival will return again to AlUla, transforming Saudi Arabia’s desert jewel into a living canvas from Jan. 16 to Feb. 14, 2026, according to Arab News.
The festival will feature a month of contemporary art, visionary design, stunning performances, and immersive experiences that combine both creativity and the timeless spirit of the oasis.
Desert X AlUla
Among the festival’s crown jewels will be the fourth Desert X AlUla, running from Jan. 16 to Feb. 28. This open‑air showcase will boast 10 newly commissioned, site‑specific works by Saudi and international artists.
Neville Wakefield and Raneem Farsi are curating this year’s edition under the theme ‘Space Without Measure.’
Inspired by the poetry of Kahlil Gibran, the artworks will spread across AlUla’s landscape, exploring imagination, scale, and humanity’s bond with place.
Arduna Exhibition
As part of its program, the festival features an exhibition from the pre‑opening of AlUla’s forthcoming contemporary art museum, created in collaboration with the Centre Pompidou and AFALULA.
Opening Feb. 1 under the title ‘Arduna’—meaning ‘Our Land’—the exhibition will showcase over 80 works from Saudi Arabia and abroad.
Highlights include pieces from the Royal Commission for AlUla collection and the Musée National d’Art Moderne, featuring artists such as Kandinsky and Picasso.
AlUla Design Exhibition
Meanwhile, the festival will host the AlUla Design Exhibition at Design Space AlUla, displaying outcomes from AlUla Artists Residency Program and AlUla Design Award, as well as retail collections developed with local artisans.
AlUla Music Hub
Running from Nov. 1 to Jan. 31, the AlUla Music Hub sets the stage for a dynamic concert series spanning Arabic, fusion, vocal, and jazz performances.
ATHR Gallery will also spotlight Saudi contemporary artist Sara Abdu, showcasing her magnificent works.
Cinema Al‑Jadidah
Interestingly, Cinema Al‑Jadidah will open under the sky with a curated series of art‑themed documentaries, shorts, and feature films.
Across the Al‑Jadidah Arts District, Villa Hegra, and Wadi Al‑Fann, visitors can enjoy live music, immersive performances, film screenings, hands‑on workshops, and dazzling public art installations.
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