The Global Art Calendar 2026: Art Shows You Must Visit

Image: Vadehra Art Gallery | India Art Fair 2026

From the bustling streets of Mumbai to the serene Swiss Alps, the 2026 art and design season is officially in full swing. Whether you are a collector or a creative looking for inspiration for your next project, these shows offer a front-row seat to the world’s most innovative minds. Mark your calendars for these top art shows to visit in 2026.

Kala Ghoda Arts Festival, Mumbai | Jan 31 – Feb 08

Asia’s largest multidisciplinary street arts festival returns for its 26th year, transforming Mumbai’s historic South Mumbai district into a massive open-air gallery. Centred on the theme "Ahead of the Curve," the 2026 edition features over 400 programs across 15 verticals, including visual arts, cinema, and literature. The festival activates over 25 venues, from the iconic David Sassoon Library to the Cross Maidan, offering free public access to large-scale installations and artisanal workshops. Beyond its role as a cultural hub, the festival acts as a steward for the city’s heritage, funding the revitalisation of the precinct's colonial charm and historic architecture. It remains a cornerstone of the Mumbai social calendar, blending global artistic innovation with local community engagement.

Art Basel Qatar | Feb 03 – Feb 07

The inaugural edition of Art Basel Qatar marks a historic expansion for the fair, positioning Doha as a premier nexus for the Middle Eastern art market. Hosted at M7 and throughout Msheireb Downtown Doha, the fair departs from traditional booth layouts to offer a tightly curated showcase under the artistic direction of Wael Shawky. The inaugural theme, "Becoming," explores human transformation through 84 global artist presentations. This city-wide activation coincides with a comprehensive program of performances by artists like Tarek Atoui and landmark surveys of Afghan art at the Museum of Islamic Art. By merging Qatar's signature hospitality with international curatorial excellence, the fair bridges the gap between Western markets and the dynamic creative ecosystems of the MENA region.

India Art Fair, New Delhi | Feb 05 – Feb 08

The 2026 edition of the India Art Fair is its largest to date, featuring 123 global exhibitors and a sophisticated focus on the intersection of craft and technology. A standout highlight is the immersive installation by designer Vikram Goyal titled "The Measure of Life," which explores a "metaphorical landscape" of the cosmos and nature. The experience is anchored in three interdependent realms:

• The Heavens & Skies: Features brass repoussé consoles and mirrors inspired by the astronomical geometry of Jaipur's Jantar Mantar.

• Of Nature: Anchored by "Vana," a large brass sculptural tree representing nature as a sanctuary.

• Of Legends: Sculptural works inspired by Panchatantra fables, where animals like the elephant (Gaja) and tortoise (Kurma) serve as moral guides. Goyal describes the project as a quest to make the "intangible, tangible," reflecting how the rhythms of the cosmos nourish a sense of belonging.

"The movements of the planets and the instincts of animals are equally beyond human control and endlessly fascinating... This installation sits at that intersection as different yet connected paths, making the intangible, tangible."— Vikram Goyal 

Vadehra Art Gallery brings together a carefully chosen mix of artworks by artists from four different generations. The showcase includes works by Manjit Bawa, Atul Bhalla, Rameshwar Broota, Anju and Atul Dodiya, Gieve Patel, Shilpa Gupta, Gauri Gill, N.S. Harsha, Jai Chuhan, and several others.

This year also features a solo Focus project by Shailesh B.R., titled New Moon. Some key highlights include Atul Dodiya’s moving shutter artwork that hides another painting inside, a large textile piece by Anju Dodiya, a ceiling-hung installation by Ashfika Rahman with gold threads, Gieve Patel’s last painting from his Wells series, special gold-toned photographs by Hylozoic/Desires, and oil paintings by Jai Chuhan, shown at India Art Fair for the very first time.

Rado returns as a partner at India Art Fair 2026, strengthening its long-standing bond with art and design. Known as The Master of Materials, the brand continues to push boundaries through innovation, from scratch-resistant sapphire crystal to high-tech ceramic.

At the fair, Rado celebrates the meeting of art, design, and watchmaking through an immersive booth experience.

Nomad St. Moritz, Switzerland | Feb 12 – Feb 15

The ninth winter edition of Nomad returns to the Engadin Valley, continuing its legacy as a premier salon for "collectible design". Eschewing the traditional convention centre, the fair takes place in the reframed Villa Beaulieu, a newly renovated space that offers panoramic alpine views and a renewed sense of intimacy. Nomad celebrates a singular dialogue between architecture and nature, featuring works that sit at the intersection of utility and high art. The setting encourages a "convivial" environment where collectors and curators can engage with cutting-edge design in a domestic, lived-in context. By emphasising limited editions and site-specific presentations, Nomad remains the most exclusive platform for design-of-collection on the global winter circuit.

Forma Design Fair, Madrid | March 04 – March 08

Launching as a central pillar of the Madrid Design Festival, Forma is Spain’s first-ever fair dedicated exclusively to collectible design. Located at Matadero Madrid, the fair showcases around thirty curated proposals from international galleries and studios. The focus is on "signature pieces"—limited editions that transcend functionality to become aesthetic experiments with their own narratives. A key feature is the Per(FORMA) program, which puts design into motion through interactive creative processes and collective reflection. By prioritising professional dialogue over simple showrooms, Forma aims to create a new economic ecosystem for designers and position Madrid as a critical reference point in the global design-of-collection market.

Nairobi Design Week, Kenya | March 07 – March 15

Under the 2026 theme "Let’s Be Human," Nairobi Design Week invites the global creative community to celebrate empathy and connection through design. This community-driven festival focuses on the "shared truth" of human experience, using design to bridge the gap between fragile, personal stories and collective innovation. The week features a vibrant marketplace, open-air exhibitions, and workshops that spotlight both Kenyan and international talent. It is particularly noted for its focus on how design can solve real-world problems while honouring cultural identity. By placing people at the heart of the creative process, the festival reinforces Nairobi’s status as East Africa’s most vital hub for design thinking and social impact.

Art Basel Hong Kong | March 27 – March 29

Art Basel Hong Kong 2026 reaffirms its role as the premier Asia-Pacific art platform, bringing 240 galleries from 41 countries to the HKCEC. A major highlight is the debut of the "Echoes" sector, dedicated to intimate presentations of works created within the last five years. For the first time, the "Encounters" section—focused on large-scale installations—is curated by a collective of four Asia-based curators led by Mami Kataoka. The festival also expands its public footprint with a special commission for the M+ Facade by artist Shahzia Sikander, which explores historical trade networks. By combining high-level commercial activity with city-wide public film screenings and conversations, the fair continues to bridge the dialogue between East and West.

NYCxDESIGN Festival, New York | May 14 – May 20

Celebrating its 14th anniversary, the NYCxDESIGN Festival transforms New York City into a global laboratory for architecture and urban planning. The 2026 edition, themed "Design Connects Us," focuses heavily on sustainability, inclusivity, and social impact. The festival spans all five boroughs with multifaceted programming, including trade shows like the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF), open-studio tours, and public installations. It serves as a democratic platform where world-renowned makers and independent local manufacturers share the spotlight. By exploring how design links communities and technology, the festival reinforces NYC's status as a capital for innovation and a hub for creative dialogue on the future of urban life.

Whether you are looking to explore the human-centric design movements in Nairobi or the inaugural Middle Eastern debut of Art Basel Qatar, the season reinforces a shared quest to understand our place within a larger cosmic and cultural system. Ultimately, these festivals prove that art remains our most essential tool for translating the unknown into meaningful, enduring connections.