Tove, Frida and Schiaparelli: 10 exhibitions and art events of 2026

If your 2026 calendar is looking a bit bare, we've got you covered. Next year promises to be a cracker for art lovers, with everything from the return of the Venice Biennale to a long-awaited glimpse of the Bayeux Tapestry.

Whether you're into Renaissance fashion, Finnish illustration, or climate-conscious public art in the Arctic Circle, there's something to tempt every taste. From the glamour of Abu Dhabi's first Frieze fair to intimate exhibitions exploring Frida Kahlo's icon status and Renoir's love affairs, 2026 is shaping up to be one for the books.

Here are 10 events worth adding to your diary.

The world's most prestigious contemporary art showcase returns with the poignant theme "In Minor Keys", conceived by Koyo Kouoh, the first African woman to helm the biennial. Tragically, Kouoh – director of Cape Town's Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa – died in May 2025, but her vision will be realised by the curatorial team she assembled. Running from 9 May through 22 November, the Venice Biennale transforms the city into a sprawling exhibition of cutting-edge contemporary art. The national pavilions alone are worth the trip, each country bringing its A-game. Book accommodation early, though – Venice fills up fast during Biennale season.

Helsinki Art Museum is giving beloved Finnish artist Tove Jansson – yes, the creator of the Moomins – her own dedicated space. Spanning three exhibition halls built around her frescoes "Party in the Countryside" and "Party in the City", the gallery positions Jansson as both a Helsinki-based and international artist. The inaugural exhibition explores the artistic output of the entire Jansson family, their portrayals of one another, and their joint creations. It's a fascinating look at how family relationships, celebrations, and the security of home shaped Jansson's artistic identity. Plus, Helsinki in winter is absolutely magical, so it's the perfect excuse for a Nordic city break.

The art world's most influential art fairs are heading to the Middle East for the first time, with Art Basel's newest fair, Art Basel Qatar, launching in Doha, and Abu Dhabi Art evolving into Frieze Abu Dhabi through a new partnership between the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi and Frieze. It marks a major moment for the region's rapidly expanding art scene, bringing together top international galleries alongside local voices. Expect world-class contemporary art, ambitious installations, and the kind of glamorous opening parties that Art Basel and Frieze are famous for. Doha and Abu Dhabi have been investing heavily in cultural infrastructure – these fairs cement the Gulf's position as an unmissable destination for serious collectors.

Frida Kahlo is one of art history's most recognisable figures, but how did she become such a phenomenon? This major retrospective features over 130 works, including some of her most celebrated paintings, alongside documents, photographs, and memorabilia from Kahlo's archives. The exhibition showcases her 'many selves' – the dedicated wife, the intellectual, the modern artist, and the political activist – whilst also featuring work by more than 80 of her contemporaries and artists she inspired. It's a fascinating exploration of how women artists transformed 20th-century art, the nature of fandom, and why so many diverse communities claim Frida as their own.

Architecture lovers, this one's for you. The third Sharjah Architecture Triennial arrives in November 2026 with the theme "Architecture Otherwise: Building Civic Infrastructure for Collective Futures". Curators Vyjayanthi Rao and Tau Tavengwa have conceived an ambitious programme exploring how architecture can shape collective life in rapidly transforming urban regions. The event unfolds across the city and emirate through site-specific installations, exhibitions, performances, and workshops, positioning itself as a vital platform for architectural discourse across West Asia, South Asia, and Africa. Expect urgent conversations about contemporary urban challenges.

Paris is going all-in on Pierre-Auguste Renoir with two landmark exhibitions. "Renoir the Illustrator" is the first ever dedicated to his drawings, highlighting the importance of graphic techniques in his development. "Renoir and Love" – co-organised with London's National Gallery and Boston's Museum of Fine Arts – re-examines his contributions to Impressionism through the lens of love, the central force in his work. For the first time since 1985, some of Impressionism's greatest masterpieces will reunite in France, offering fresh perspective on paintings so iconic we've forgotten how radical they truly are. Worth a Parisian weekend.

Elsa Schiaparelli is finally getting her first UK institutional spotlight. The V&A's exhibition brings together over 200 objects spanning the 1920s to today, tracing Schiaparelli from its paradigm-shifting early garments through to Daniel Roseberry's present-day revival. Expect lobster dresses, shoe-shaped hats, and skeleton gowns alongside garments, accessories, jewellery, paintings, photographs, sculpture, furniture, perfumes, and archive material. Created in collaboration with the house itself, it's a celebration of boundless creativity that blurred the line between fashion and art.

The nomadic European biennial lands in Germany's Ruhr Area in 2026, unfolding across multiple cities in this post-industrial region. What makes this edition particularly intriguing is its engagement with former church buildings – nearly half of Germany's 40,000 churches face redundancy in the coming decade. Manifesta 16 proposes reimagining these deconsecrated spaces as sites for artistic exchange and community life. Over 100 days, expect artistic, urban, and social interventions responding to the Ruhr's evolving civic identity. It looks set to be classic Manifesta: thought-provoking contemporary art deeply rooted in local context, tackling urgent questions about heritage and transformation.

Finland's Oulu becomes Europe's northernmost cultural capital for 2026, tackling climate change through Climate Clock – one of the year's most significant productions where art, science, and nature converge. Six permanent artworks by renowned artists will dot locations across Haukipudas, Kiiminki, Oulu city centre, Oulunsalo, Yli-Ii, and Ylikiiminki, forming a public art trail. Alongside this, "The Most Valuable Clock in the World" by Tellervo Kalleinen and Oliver Kochta-Kalleinen (co-created with local communities) will travel around the region. Set against the Arctic landscape, it's a chance to experience how culture can meaningfully engage with environmental crisis whilst reconnecting us with nature's rhythms.

The 70-metre Bayeux Tapestry is leaving France to visit the UK for the first time since it was made nearly 1,000 years ago. Depicting the 1066 Norman invasion and Battle of Hastings, it's one of history's most important visual documents. The British Museum will draw on its own collection and additional loans to tell the full story of this tumultuous period. The loan agreement, announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron, brings immense cultural benefits to both nations. As Britain's most visited attraction (6.5 million visitors in 2024), the Museum ensures the widest possible audience will experience this masterpiece. Expect queues.