Four-day opening gala for Louvre Abu Dhabi

Louvre Abu Dhabi will hold four days of celebrations to mark its opening from November 11 to 14, with the museum’s galleries opening to the public with a programme of multicultural music, arts and dance performances, and workshops.

The events are suitable for all ages and feature a line-up of artists from around the world.

Tickets are now available online for headline acts including French singer and rock guitarist Matthieu Chedid, known as –M–, Malian performer Fatoumata Diawara, Lebanese jazz and world musician Ibrahim Maalouf, and singer and dancer Toto La Momposina.

Manuel Rabate, director of Louvre Abu Dhabi, said: “The spectacular opening week programme really is a celebration of diversity, bringing together talented musicians, artists and performers from countries spanning the globe, and will offer a colourful and unforgettable experience to launch this project.”

Louvre Abu Dhabi was designed by French architect, Jean Nouvel, and features a massive 180-metre silvery dome, comprised of almost 8,000 metal stars set in a complex geometric pattern.

Its collection of artworks and artefacts spans from the Palaeolithic era to the present day and will be supplemented by loans from leading French museums and regional cultural institutions.

In addition to the galleries, the museum will include exhibitions, a children’s museum, a restaurant, a boutique and a cafe.

The museum was built in accordance with an intergovernmental agreement signed between the UAE and France in 2007, that includes the loan of the Musee du Louvre’s name for 30 years and six months, temporary exhibitions for 15 years, and loans of artworks for 10 years.

The museum was originally scheduled to open in 2012 but it has repeatedly been pushed back.

In October 2015, officials said the opening would be pushed back until late 2016 and then in September last year, the opening was shifted to 2017.

Also read: UAE royals tour Louvre Abu Dhabi ahead of its opening