Louvre Abu Dhabi opens Spices and Wonders on 14 October

Louvre Abu Dhabi opens Spices and Wonders: Sailing the Indian Ocean in Abu Dhabi on 14 October 2026. The exhibition runs until 14 February 2027 and examines the maritime routes that linked societies across the Indian Ocean.

Its subject gives the museum's 2026-2027 programme a broad historical reach, connecting objects with centuries of movement, trade and cultural exchange.

Spices and Wonders opens at Louvre Abu Dhabi on 14 October

The exhibition is organised with the National Museum of Asian Arts - Guimet in France. It follows maritime links between Africa, the Middle East and Europe, and South and Southeast Asia.

The show spans the period from Antiquity to the seventeenth century. Its displays include spices, textiles, ceramics and other cargo associated with the routes crossing the Indian Ocean. The [season announcement] gives the opening date as 14 October 2026 and the closing date as 14 February 2027.

The Indian Ocean exhibition follows routes across five regions

The exhibition presents the Indian Ocean as a meeting point for ancient societies rather than as a single national story. Trade, navigation, craftsmanship and the movement of goods form the thread linking the material on display.

This approach fits the museum's permanent galleries, which present a chronological history of human creativity and shared ideas from pre-history to the present. The gallery collection contains around 600 masterpieces and is supplemented by loans from international partners, according to the museum's [museum galleries information]. The new exhibition therefore places a particular network of exchange inside a museum organised around connections across time and cultures.

Guimet partnership gives the Abu Dhabi show a Paris sequel

The Abu Dhabi presentation is planned as a touring exhibition. A second edition is scheduled at Guimet in Paris from 12 May to 6 September 2027, extending the subject from the United Arab Emirates to Western Europe.

At Louvre Abu Dhabi, the exhibition is part of a season that also includes A Board Game Adventure, Art Here 2026 and the Richard Mille Art Prize, and Living Legacies. The programme announcement says the museum will also offer curator-led talks, a symposium, film screenings, performances, guided tours and workshops alongside its exhibitions.

Visiting Louvre Abu Dhabi: what travellers from Western Europe should know

• Spices and Wonders: Sailing the Indian Ocean runs at Louvre Abu Dhabi from 14 October 2026 to 14 February 2027.
• The exhibition is presented as part of the museum's public programme, with guided tours, learning paths and workshops listed alongside the season's exhibitions.
• Louvre Abu Dhabi is on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, within the Saadiyat Cultural District.
• Arabic is the official language of the United Arab Emirates, and the national currency is the UAE 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?

It runs 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 exchange from Antiquity to the seventeenth century, using spices, textiles, ceramics and other cargo to explore links across the Indian Ocean.

Where is Louvre Abu Dhabi and how do you get there?

The museum is on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, within the Saadiyat Cultural District.