Dak’Art 2026: a month to see Dakar through its artists, from 19 November to 19 December

You do not visit the Dakar Biennale, you move through it. From 19 November to 19 December 2026, the 16th edition of Dak’Art, the Dakar Biennale of contemporary African art, will set up its official exhibition in the heart of the city, while dozens of studios, cultural centres and neighbourhood venues open their doors as part of the “Off”. For a month, you will be able to go from a converted courthouse to the courtyard of a family home, from a monumental installation to a studio where the artist will explain their work to you. Whether you live in Dakar or are spending a week there, it is the best time of the year to see the city differently.

At a glance

The 2026 edition: the art of repair

The theme chosen for 2026 says a great deal about our times: “(Anti)fragility: arts of repair and strategies for the aftershock”. The idea is not to celebrate solidity, but to look at what artists do with fragility: salvaged materials, stitched-up wounds, communities organising themselves after a shock. In an unstable world, fragility becomes an expressive force. Expect works made of textiles, recycled objects and old know-how brought back into play, rather than large canvases hung neatly on the wall.

The artistic direction was entrusted in April 2026 to Morad Montazami, a French-Iranian art historian and curator who worked at Tate Modern in London between 2014 and 2019, where he was responsible for the art scenes of the Arab world and Africa. His selection, unveiled at the end of September, will bring together 54 artists for the international exhibition and 21 designers for the design section, making 75 participants from the continent and its diasporas. The Moroccan visual artist Faouzi Laatiris will be the edition’s “grand témoin” (key witness), an honorary role reserved for a major figure in African art.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo will be the guest country of honour. It is a fine way into one of the continent’s most inventive scenes, from Kinshasa to Lubumbashi. The Biennale is backed by the Senegalese state and organised by its General Secretariat, headed by Marième Ba.

The In: the official exhibition

The heart of the Biennale is the international exhibition, the “In”. Since 2016, it has been held in the former Palais de Justice at Cap Manuel, at the southern end of the Plateau, facing the ocean. Built in the 1950s, this large modernist building arranged around a vast colonnaded atrium was long neglected after the courts moved out. The Biennale took it over and made it its flagship: the former courtrooms host installations, videos and sculptures, and the light pouring through the atrium is part of the experience. Allow half a day, at the very least, to get round it without rushing.

The Museum of Black Civilisations, on Place de la Gare, opposite the Grand National Theatre, is the other essential address. It is where the edition was officially launched, at the end of September, and it is among the announced exhibition venues. The museum is closed on Mondays and open Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–19:00: check the Biennale’s own opening hours before you come, as they may differ during the event.

The Théodore Monod Museum of African Art, on Place Soweto, hosted Biennale exhibitions for many years, before the main exhibition moved to the Palais de Justice. It remains an excellent complement: its West African masks and textiles provide the historical depth that sheds light on many contemporary works. Allow an hour, Tuesday to Sunday, 09:00–17:00.

The official programme also includes professional meetings, talks, performances and outreach activities. Several prizes are awarded on this occasion, including the Léopold Sédar Senghor Grand Prize, the Biennale’s main award. Opening hours, entry conditions and the detailed programme for each venue will be published by the General Secretariat on the official Biennale website: check them before you set out.

The Off: the whole city becomes a gallery

If the In is something you visit, the Off is something you live. This parallel programme brings together exhibitions and events organised by galleries, collectives, studios, cultural centres or private individuals, around the official event. Its principle is simple: there is no selection, and project leaders register with the General Secretariat a few months before the opening.

The result, at every edition, is more than a hundred exhibitions scattered across the city: on the Plateau, in the Médina, in Ouakam, in the Almadies, in Ngor, on Gorée Island, and even in other towns around the country. Some exhibitions are held in unexpected places: a family home, a courtyard, a market, a university. That is often where the real surprise of the Biennale lies, and where you will meet Senegalese artists at work.

The best advice: do not try to see everything. Choose one neighbourhood per half-day, pick out three or four addresses and leave room for discoveries. The Off’s private views, in the late afternoon and evening, are a chance to mingle with artists, collectors and the curious in a relaxed atmosphere.

More than thirty-five years of history

The Dakar Biennale was born of the will of the Senegalese state, at the request of artists who wanted to measure their work against international art. Established in 1989, it initially wavered between disciplines: the first edition, in 1990, was devoted to literature, the second, in 1992, to the visual arts. In 1996, it took the name Dak’Art and committed itself for good to contemporary African art, just as biennales were multiplying across the continent.

It is often linked to the First World Festival of Negro Arts (Festival mondial des arts nègres), held in Dakar in 1966 on the initiative of Léopold Sédar Senghor, which also gave rise to the idea of the Museum of Black Civilisations. The connection is one of spirit rather than of institution: historians point out that the two events had neither the same mission nor the same organisation.

Long held in May–June, the Biennale has moved to the end of the year since the 2024 postponement. For visitors, this is good news: November and December fall in the heart of the dry season, with sunny days and cooler evenings, ideal for moving from one venue to the next.

Planning your Biennale

If you live in Dakar, make the most of its length: a month is a chance to go back several times, to take your children to the official exhibition on a Saturday morning and to keep weekday evenings for the Off’s private views. The first few days are the most intense, with the official opening and a flurry of private views; the following weeks are calmer and better suited to contemplation.

If you are coming from abroad, aim for at least three or four days in Dakar during the Biennale. One day for the In at Cap Manuel and the Museum of Black Civilisations, one or two for the Off in the neighbourhoods, one for Gorée, one of the districts where the Off sets up. Our ideal 3-day itinerary in Dakar combines very well with the Biennale. Bear in mind, too, that autumn 2026 will be busy: the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) will be held in Dakar from 31 October to 13 November, just before Dak’Art.

To get around, taxis remain the simplest option between the Plateau venues and the neighbourhoods along the Corniche Ouest. The former Palais de Justice, the Museum of Black Civilisations and the Théodore Monod Museum are all on the Plateau or on its edge: you can visit them one after the other on the same day. As the Off venues are very spread out, group your visits by neighbourhood to avoid long journeys at rush hour.

On the spot, carry a bottle of water, comfortable shoes and some change for taxis. Always ask before photographing a work or an artist: most are happy to agree, but some exhibitions forbid it. And take the time to talk: in the Off, the artist is often there, delighted to discuss their work.

Extend the Biennale with QFS

The Biennale often makes you want to cross over to the other side. Painting & visual arts classes have you working alongside Senegalese artists, in Dakar as well as on the Petite Côte. Workshops in crafts & traditional skills and in dyeing, textiles & sewing are a natural follow-on from a theme devoted to repair and materials. To discover the city and its museums with a guide, explore our guided cultural tours, and for rhythm, our percussion workshops and African dance classes.

All activities are booked online: you pay 20% to secure your booking (the booking fee), and the balance is paid on site, on the day. Any entry charges for museums and official venues are payable on site and not included in the price. If you live in Senegal, you get the resident rate: up to 30% off (the exact rate is shown on each listing).

Frequently asked questions