Abu Dhabi Unveils Frank Gehry-Designed Performing Arts Centre Set to Open in 2030

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Abu Dhabi has announced a major new performing arts centre designed by renowned architect Frank Gehry. Scheduled to open in 2030, Dar Al Funoon Abu Dhabi will be located near Saadiyat Cultural District and is set to become a new destination for performance, education and creative collaboration.

Translating as “House of the Arts”, Dar Al Funoon will bring together music, dance, ballet, opera, theatre, recitals and stand-up comedy under one roof. The venue will include four main performance spaces: a main concert hall, an outdoor amphitheatre, a studio theatre and a dedicated jazz venue.

Restaurants, retail spaces and public areas will also form part of the mixed-use development, allowing the centre to operate as a cultural and social destination beyond scheduled performances.

Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, described Dar Al Funoon as “a place for all” and a centre that will celebrate different forms of performance while creating new opportunities for artists and audiences.

“It is not just an institution that will house some of the most beautiful performances,” he said. “It is an educational institution that is going to connect us as human beings with ourselves and with the rest of the world.”

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A New Addition to Abu Dhabi’s Cultural Landscape

Dar Al Funoon will join Abu Dhabi’s growing network of cultural institutions on and around Saadiyat Island. The district is already home to Louvre Abu Dhabi, teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi, Zayed National Museum and Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi, with Guggenheim Abu Dhabi also under development.

The new centre is intended to complement these institutions by expanding the city’s focus on live performance and supporting the wider creative economy.

Its programme is expected to include leading Emirati and Arab performers alongside internationally recognised musicians, theatre productions and comedians. The centre will also provide a platform for emerging artists and young creative talent from the UAE and the wider region.

According to Al Mubarak, the message behind the project is simple: “Welcome home. Whether you live here or you’re visiting, this is home.”

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Frank Gehry’s Vision for the Performing Arts

Dar Al Funoon is one of Frank Gehry’s final major designs and his second landmark project in Abu Dhabi alongside Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.

Known for his sculptural and expressive approach to architecture, Gehry designed the building to make performances visible beyond the traditional auditorium. Its glass exterior will allow selected events and artistic content to be projected outside, connecting the venue with nearby waterfront areas, beaches and surrounding public spaces.

“The acts happening inside will be projected for all to see and celebrate,” Al Mubarak explained. “It is truly sharing the beauty of performing arts with everybody in the city.”

Acoustics will be a central element of the project. Japanese firm Nagata Acoustics, known for its work on some of the world’s leading concert halls, is contributing to the venue’s technical development.

Technology, including artificial intelligence, will also be used to improve the visitor experience. This could include managing seating, parking and the ways families and different audience groups navigate and use the building.

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Supporting Education and the Creative Economy

Beyond presenting international performances, Dar Al Funoon is being developed as an educational institution and a platform for professional growth.

The centre is expected to support future musicians, performers, curators, conservators, technicians and other professionals working across the cultural sector. Partnerships with schools, universities and cultural organisations will help introduce younger audiences to theatre, music and the performing arts.

The project also supports the UAE’s ambition for the creative economy to contribute 5 per cent of the country’s GDP by 2031.

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“Creativity and imagination are critical to our socioeconomic growth,” Al Mubarak said.

Construction and groundwork have already begun, creating opportunities for contractors, consultants, designers and technical specialists ahead of the planned 2030 opening.

Once completed, Dar Al Funoon will be operated directly by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi, which will work with local and international partners across programming, education and technology.

The project continues Abu Dhabi’s long-term investment in culture and reflects the emirate’s ambition to establish a connected network of museums, educational institutions and performance spaces.

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Dar Al Funoon is designed not only as a stage for established international names, but also as a place where the next generation of UAE-based artists can develop, perform and build careers.

As Al Mubarak stated, the centre will be “another place of opportunity” for young people and a space where audiences from different cultures can come together through the performing arts.

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