Louvre Abu Dhabi opens Spices and Wonders on 14 October
Published on 10/04/2026 at 08:29 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Louvre Abu Dhabi opens Spices and Wonders: Sailing the Indian Ocean on 14 October 2026 in Abu Dhabi. The exhibition runs until 14 February 2027 and examines the maritime routes that connected Africa, the Middle East, Europe and Asia.
The exhibition at Louvre Abu Dhabi brings a current cultural event to the Saadiyat Cultural District. Its subject also connects directly with the museum's wider focus on encounters between civilisations.
Spices and Wonders opens at Louvre Abu Dhabi on 14 October
Spices and Wonders: Sailing the Indian Ocean is presented in partnership with the National Museum of Asian Arts - Guimet in France. The official programme describes a show spanning Antiquity to the seventeenth century, with trade, movement and cultural exchange at its centre.
Visitors will find displays of spices, textiles, ceramics and other cargoes associated with routes across the Indian Ocean. The exhibition follows connections between ancient societies in Africa, the Middle East and Europe and communities in South and Southeast Asia. The official season programme gives the dates as 14 October 2026 to 14 February 2027.
The exhibition is curated by Dr Guilhem Andre, Louvre Abu Dhabi's Director of Scientific, Curatorial and Collections Management, and Dr Claire Delery, curator of the Chinese Ceramics collection at Guimet. The programme also lists curatorial support from staff at both institutions.
Indian Ocean routes meet the museum's universal collection
Louvre Abu Dhabi opened to visitors in November 2017 and has developed a collection that brings together works from different periods and regions. A September 2026 report described more than 6,000 works in the museum's collection, compared with around 600 at its opening.
That collection gives the October exhibition a specific setting. Rather than presenting maritime exchange as a single national story, the show places objects and routes within a museum built around connections between cultures. The exhibition will later travel in a second edition to Guimet in Paris from 12 May to 6 September 2027, according to the museum's programme.
The planned show covers roughly 1,400 square metres and is expected to bring together more than 240 works from over 20 lenders, as reported by Arabian Business. The same report says that the display will include maps made for the exhibition and reconstructed boats based on archaeological drawings.
What the October exhibition adds to Abu Dhabi's museum season
Spices and Wonders is the first major exhibition in Louvre Abu Dhabi's announced 2026-2027 sequence after the summer programme. It is followed by Art Here 2026 and the Richard Mille Art Prize from 11 November 2026, then Living Legacies. Protecting Heritage. Building Hope from 23 November 2026.
The October opening therefore offers a defined point within the season, while the exhibition itself extends beyond the immediate autumn travel period. Its subject links navigation, trade, materials and artistic exchange across a region that reaches well beyond the United Arab Emirates.
Visiting Louvre Abu Dhabi: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Spices and Wonders: Sailing the Indian Ocean runs from 14 October 2026 to 14 February 2027 at Louvre Abu Dhabi in Abu Dhabi.
- The announced programme identifies the museum as the venue and does not announce a closure or restricted main visit for the exhibition period.
- The museum is on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Cultural District. The programme identifies the surrounding district and the museum as the relevant location.
- The exhibition is gallery-based. The published description refers to objects, maps and reconstructed boats rather than an outdoor route or trail.
- Arabic is the official language of the United Arab Emirates, and the national currency is the dirham.
- Entry requirements depend on your nationality; UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
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Frequently asked questions about Louvre Abu Dhabi
When does Spices and Wonders take place at Louvre Abu Dhabi?
The exhibition takes place from 14 October 2026 to 14 February 2027 at Louvre Abu Dhabi in Abu Dhabi.
What is Spices and Wonders: Sailing the Indian Ocean?
It is an exhibition about maritime trade and cultural exchange from Antiquity to the seventeenth century, using objects such as spices, textiles and ceramics.
Where is Louvre Abu Dhabi and how do you get there?
Louvre Abu Dhabi is on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Cultural District. The published programme identifies the museum and district as the location.
