ABU DHABI, 11th September, 2026 (WAM) -- The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) will host the eighth edition of Culture Summit Abu Dhabi from 8th to 10th December 2026 at Manarat Al Saadiyat and across Saadiyat Cultural District.
Held under the theme “Towards a Reimagined Commons,” Culture Summit Abu Dhabi 2026 will bring together cultural leaders, thinkers, decision-makers and practitioners to reflect on shared connections and rethink civic life through imagination, dialogue and collective action.
The theme was inspired by philosopher Susan Buck-Morss’s participation in the 2025 edition, where she introduced the notion of “a planetary perception,” encouraging participants to reconsider how societies organise collectively and imagine themselves beyond inherited frameworks.
Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “Culture is not only what we inherit from the past; it is also what we create together through interaction, exchange and mutual influence. It is the space where ideas meet, where diverse perspectives enrich one another, and where understanding is transformed into shared progress.”
He said that amid rapid technological, environmental and social change, Culture Summit Abu Dhabi 2026 will encourage communities to rethink how they connect, imagine and act collectively.
“Through the theme ‘Towards a Reimagined Commons,’ Abu Dhabi continues to reinforce its role as a global convening platform where cultures, ideas and experiences come together not merely to be shared, but to generate new possibilities for collaboration, belonging and collective advancement,” Al Mubarak added.
He said culture has the power to turn diversity into strength, dialogue into action and human creativity into solutions serving the common good, while helping build a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable future.
The three-day programme will explore different dimensions of the “commons” through panels, case studies, creative conversations, interactive workshops and outcome-led reports, bringing together policy, industry and practice.
The first day will focus on Collective Memories, examining how official and unofficial histories shape identity and belonging and contribute to civic imagination.
The second day will explore Collective Space, focusing on the physical, digital and symbolic spaces where culture takes place and how they can become more participatory, inclusive and sustainable.
The final day will examine Collective Imagination and how culture and creativity can help societies envision and build new shared futures, alongside the tools and frameworks needed to realise them.
The Summit will explore a shift from models centred on ownership and exclusion towards a broader understanding of the commons that is planetary in scale, rooted in mutual care and open to plurality.
Against the backdrop of environmental challenges, global shifts and evolving technologies, the Summit will also examine how culture can contribute to a reimagined civic sphere and the responsibilities facing cultural and creative sectors as they reconsider their business models, communities and values.
Culture Summit Abu Dhabi is an annual global forum bringing together international leaders from the cultural and creative sectors to explore culture’s role in transforming societies and communities.
The gathering reflects DCT Abu Dhabi’s commitment to fostering collaboration and innovation across the cultural and creative ecosystem, generating positive social impact, preserving Abu Dhabi’s cultural heritage and promoting culture’s role in building a sustainable future.
Culture Summit Abu Dhabi is presented in association with long-standing global core partners UNESCO, the Design Museum, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum and Foundation, Google and Recording Academy®. This year’s global core partners also include the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA) and the Financial Times.