Abu Dhabi Festival will open an outdoor art biennale for children at Umm Al Emarat Park on Nov. 6, 2026, bringing interactive installations and guided activities to families and schools.
The festival calls the Nov. 6-Dec. 6 program the Middle East's first outdoor children's biennale. Under the theme “How the World Feels,” children will be invited to engage with art and the park through touch, sound and movement.
Eight installations form the exhibition. Seven are new works by UAE-based artists addressing nature, biodiversity and Emirati culture and heritage. The eighth is by Indonesian artist Eko Nugroho.
Nugroho's Kenangan Kunang-Kunang (“Memories of Fireflies”) draws on lantern traditions from Eastern Java. National Gallery Singapore says the installation was presented in Singapore in 2019.
The Abu Dhabi Music & Arts Foundation runs Abu Dhabi Festival, which is staging the program alongside Salayel Hospitality, Umm Al Emarat Park and National Gallery Singapore. The festival places the event within the UAE's 2026 Year of Family.
Curator Dana Almazrouei said she wants children to see themselves as custodians of the park as they explore it. She said the artists considered how children would experience their work and what they might take from it.
Schools can reserve guided morning visits throughout the exhibition. Families can join artist-led workshops on Nov. 6, 7, 13 and 14, with activities including drawing, weaving, lantern making and sound exploration.
The festival says families and communities have gathered at Umm Al Emarat Park for more than a decade. A panel in Abu Dhabi on Nov. 20 will examine how art relates to children's imagination and their sense of place and belonging.
