Dates and what is announced
The Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix takes place from 3 to 6 December 2026 at Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island. Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism has announced the Yasalam after-race concerts for the weekend: Lewis Capaldi, Imagine Dragons, The Chainsmokers and The Script, plus an official after-party on 4 December headlined by Anyma, with more artists to be announced.
Ticket types, grandstand maps and hospitality packages are sold through the circuit and the official Formula 1 channels. Prices are not listed here because they change by release.
How race week actually feels
It is the busiest week in the Abu Dhabi calendar. Hotels on Yas Island and Saadiyat fill months ahead, restaurant tables disappear and traffic around the island is slow on session days. National Day (2 and 3 December) lands immediately before the race, so a visitor can combine a national holiday and a Grand Prix in one trip, and the city is correspondingly full.
If you have never been, the concerts matter as much as the race for many people. Plan transport for the end of each night, not just the start: the walk out and the queue for taxis or shuttles can be longer than the show.
Planning around it
Stay on Yas Island if you want to walk to the circuit, or on Saadiyat or in the city if you prefer quieter evenings and are happy to take transfers. Book rooms before you book anything else. Allow a buffer on every journey during race week, both ways.
Not everyone in a travelling party needs to be at the track all weekend. Build at least one evening that has nothing to do with the circuit. Our own corporate guide to Grand Prix week, Abu Dhabi Grand Prix week: a corporate hospitality guide, covers the itinerary side in more depth.
Questions people ask
When is the 2026 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?+
3 to 6 December 2026 at Yas Marina Circuit, according to Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism.
Who is playing at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2026?+
The announced Yasalam after-race line-up includes Lewis Capaldi, Imagine Dragons, The Chainsmokers and The Script, with an official after-party on 4 December headlined by Anyma. More artists were still to be announced.
Where can I buy Abu Dhabi Grand Prix tickets?+
Through the official Yas Marina Circuit and Formula 1 ticketing channels. Avoid unofficial resellers.
Is there anything to do in Abu Dhabi during Grand Prix week besides the race?+
Yes. Race week overlaps National Day celebrations, and the city's museums, the Corniche, desert evenings and Sheikh Zayed Festival at Al Wathba all run alongside it.
Photo: Delta.jpg, CC BY-SA 4.0
