Tatler’s travel guide to Abu Dhabi for culture vultures and art aficionados

Discover a new perspective on art history

While this art museum shares the same name as the one in Paris, its partner museum until 2047, Louvre Abu Dhabi has its unique collections and exhibitions, which curate art from the UAE and the rest of the world to offer a fresh perspective on understanding different art periods.

Take its recent exhibition Post-Impressionism: Beyond Appearances for example. Besides canonical European artists such as Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Cézanne and Paul Sérusier, the show also features Asian and Middle Eastern artists who influenced or played a major role in Post-Impressionism.

When you’re done visiting the galleries, take the catamaran or kayak around the impressively designed complex by French architect Jean Nouvel. It comes at an additional cost, but the view is worth it.

Louvre Abu Dhabi, Saadiyat

Enjoy a cuppa at the quaint contemporary art space

Al Huwelat Street may seem like a quiet residential area, but it’s also home to the Etihad Modern Art Gallery. You can hardly miss the entrance which is decorated with statues of horses. Inside, you’ll find a plethora of artwork by emerging contemporary Emirati and international artists

It was set up in 2013 by collector Khalid Seddiq Al Mutawa, who has the vision to bring art closer to the community through exhibitions, poetry nights, intimate concerts and a friendly café right next to the gallery space. This cute café offers plate painting sessions for all ages at a cost of AED$25 (about HK$50). If you’re travelling with children, this would be a fun place to spend a few hours and let them create their masterpieces.

Villa 15, Al Huwelat Street

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Go for an evening show

Home to the region’s biggest auditorium which accommodates up to 2,250 people, the Abu Dhabi National Theatre has been staging plays, screening movies and hosting conferences since 1981. You’ll find both local and international productions. For instance, just last month, Moscow Ballet La Classique put up Swan Lake at the theatre.

The complex also has two exhibition halls that display permanent collections of paintings, sculptures and other forms of art by UAE’s artists.

Fatima Bint Mubarak Street

Get to the heart of the UAE’s cultural history

Start your second day with a visit to the Cultural Foundation Abu Dhabi, an arts and culture hub envisioned by the UAE’s founding leader, the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan, who wanted to engage the country with the wider international community through cultural preservation, education and exchange. The foundation, which opened in 1981, comprises the UAE’s first national library, a performance auditorium and an exhibition centre.

Cultural Foundation, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street

Get a hands-on experience of the UAE’s traditional crafts

Qasr Al Hosn, which means “house of the fort”, is the oldest stone building in Abu Dhabi built around the 1790s. In bygone days, it was used as a fort with its watch tower overlooking the coastal trade routes and thereby protecting the island’s growing settlement.

Today, it’s been turned into a museum that documents the history of the nomadic Bani Yas tribe. Qasr Al Hosn also includes the House of Artisans, a new complex where the region’s traditional crafts of Arabic coffee-making and Sadu weaving are shown through exhibitions, demonstrations and workshops.

Qasr Al Hosn, Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street

See art installations on a beach

While in Abu Dhabi, one simply can’t miss its beautiful, sun-kissed beaches. Marsana, located on Hudayriyat Island, showcases a collection of art pieces and striking sculptures against the charming horizon.

The Al Hudayriyat Beach also hosts several music events such as the Boogie Box Festival, which is being held this month.

Marsana, Al Hudayriat Island, Al Hudayriat Beach

End your trip on a high note

If you happen to be in Abu Dhabi when a concert or show is taking place at the Etihad Arena, please don’t miss it. Located on the Yas Bay Waterfront district of Yas Island, this indoor space can host 18,000 people and brings some of the region’s biggest events to the city, such as the Backstreet Boys concert that took place in October. Coming up: Tony and Olivier awards-winning play Life of Pi in November and Les Misérables in April 2025.

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