The fifth edition of the AlUla Arts Festival has drawn to a close after a month of extraordinary creativity, cultural exchange, and community engagement, reaffirming AlUla’s position as one of the world’s most exciting destinations for art in dialogue with landscape and heritage.

From 16 January to 14 February 2026, site-responsive land art from Desert X AlUla 2026, ground-breaking design prototypes at Design Space AlUla, and Arduna, the pre-opening exhibition by the AlUla Contemporary Art Museum contributed to what was the biggest AlUla Arts Festival to date.

Over the month-long programme, AlUla became a meeting place for creativity without borders with audiences engaging in groundbreaking exhibitions, dynamic performances, and hands-on workshops shaped by the region’s landscapes and heritage. The festival recorded:

• More than 45,000 visitors experienced the programme.
• 12 Exhibitions presented over 120 artworks and installations by over 70 artists from  35 countries were presented across AlUla’s canyons, streets, galleries, and gardens.
• Welcomed a total of more than 470 students from 22 schools creating memorable learning experiences and strengthening youth engagement with contemporary art.
• Varied talks, panels, performances, and special exhibitions offered audiences opportunities to engage directly with artists and creative leaders.

And while the official festival close date is February 14, selected key exhibitions will remain open including Desert X AlUla and Material Witness: Celebrating Design From Within at Design Space AlUla until 28 February and Arduna until 15 April.

Hamad Alhomiedan, Director of Arts & Creative Industries at the Royal Commission for AlUla (RCU), said, “This fifth edition of the AlUla Arts Festival embodies the spirit of AlUla — past, present and future. Through ambitious commissions, global partnerships, and deep community engagement, we have shown how art can bridge boundaries and inspire connection.”

“The festival’s programmes act as a prelude to the permanent cultural landmarks now in development from Wadi AlFann’s monumental land art to the forthcoming AlUla Contemporary Art Museum and the expanding AlJadidah Arts District. Together, these initiatives will form a world-class, year-round destination for creativity in dialogue with AlUla’s landscape and heritage. As we look ahead to future editions, AlUla continues to affirm its place in the global cultural dialogue.”

Festival Highlights

This landmark edition showcased the breadth and depth of AlUla’s creative ecosystem through multiple flagship programming strands:

Desert X AlUla 2026, presented in collaboration between Desert X and Arts AlUla, returned under the theme Space Without Measure, inspired by the poetic vision of Lebanese American writer Kahlil Gibran. Co-curated by Wejdan Reda and Zoé Whitley, with Artistic Direction from Neville Wakefield and Raneem Farsi, this year’s edition invited audiences to contemplate the boundless creativity that flourishes when art responds to place.

Set amidst AlUla’s valleys, canyons, and oases were 11 artist projects comprising 15 artworks, including 10 new site-responsive commissions and five historic works loaned from Riyadh Art, courtesy of the Royal Commission for Riyadh City, animating the landscape with ideas rooted in nature, heritage, and human connection. Participating artists included Sara Abdu, Mohammed Alfaraj, Mohammed AlSaleem, Tarek Atoui, Bahraini-Danish, Maria Magdalena Campos-Pons, Agnes Denes, Ibrahim El-Salahi, Basmah Felemban, Vibha Galhotra, and Héctor Zamora. Arts AlUla thanks its partners Desert X, and the Royal Commission for Riyadh City for their collaboration in bringing this landmark edition to life.

Design Space AlUla – Material Witness: Celebrating Design From Within

“Material Witness: Celebrating Design From Within” presented prototypes and research from the 2025 AlUla Artist Residency Design Edition alongside works from the AlUla Design Award and the inaugural AlUla Designathon. Curated by Dominique Petit-Frère and Majedah AlDuligan, the exhibition highlighted design’s role as a powerful place-based practice rooted in AlUla’s landscapes, materials, and communities.

Arduna

Arduna marked the pre-opening of the AlUla Contemporary Art Museum, presented in collaboration with the Centre Pompidou with the support of AFALULA. Featuring over 80 major works from Saudi, regional, and international artists, the pioneering exhibition explored humanity’s evolving relationship with nature through six thematic chapters, from Echoes of Arcadia to Borderline. On 31 January, Arts AlUla officially unveiled the Museum’s name and vision, a milestone in AlUla’s long-term cultural development, with architect Lina Ghotmeh tasked with designing its future home in the Oasis.

The AlJadidah Arts District, Daimumah, Villa Hegra, and AlUla Oasis offered diverse experiences from outdoor cinema and live music to heritage trails and intimate encounters with local crafts at Madrasat Addeera. Partnerships with institutions including the British Council and Villa Hegra brought new layers of dialogue and performance, while local talent was celebrated across music, design, and visual art.

Community Engagement

The fifth edition deepened its roots in the local community, with outreach programmes and education initiatives that welcomed more than 470 students from 22 schools to create, learn, and connect with AlUla’s heritage and contemporary arts scene. Artist-led walks, stargazing tours, and interactive performances encouraged personal encounters with AlUla’s landscapes and stories, fostering a sense of ownership and shared cultural pride.