Dubai residents and audiences everywhere will get a rare chance to experience one of the world’s leading forums on art, science and technology when registration opens for ISEA2026 Dubai, and much of it is free to the public. The Dubai Culture and Arts Authority has opened sign-ups for the 31st International Symposium on Electronic/Emerging Art, running from 6 to 15 November 2026 under the theme ‘ELYAH: Constellating Place, Data and Identity’. Set to be the symposium’s largest edition to date, the event promises more than a hundred artworks, dozens of performances and a full academic programme that anyone with an internet connection can join.
For the general public, the practical details matter most. Registration for the artistic programme spread across Dubai is free of charge, while access to the online academic programme requires a paid ticket. Every participant must register and will receive a personal QR code for their exclusive use at artistic programme venues. Access details for the online academic programme will be sent to the email address used to book. Students receive a 50% discount when booking with a valid university email address, a measure that lowers the barrier for younger audiences and emerging practitioners. Registration is available at isea2026.eventshub.ai.
Additional reference context is available at https://mediaoffice.ae/en/news/2026/october/17-10/dubai-culture-announces-the-launch-of-isea-2026.
The scale of what is on offer is considerable. The programme features over 100 artworks and 145 academic papers, more than 50 artist talks and panel discussions, over 10 workshops, more than 45 Special Track workshops, panels and presentations, seven Eco Lab workshops and over 20 institutional presentations within the Online Academic Programme. Exhibitions, live and audio-visual performances, installations, and interactive and immersive experiences will take place across Dubai, inviting audiences to engage with works that explore the relationship between people, place and technology.
Access is structured in two streams. The symposium combines an in-person Artistic Programme across Dubai with an Online Academic Programme accessible from anywhere in the world. The online academic strand will feature Special Track panels and workshops from 6 to 9 November, followed by the main academic conference sessions from 10 to 14 November 2026. This dual format means that people unable to travel can still follow the discussions remotely, while those in Dubai can encounter the artworks directly in public spaces across the city.
Maitha Ali Al Blooshi, Director of the Emerging Arts Department at Dubai Culture and Executive Director of ISEA2026, framed the symposium as a bridge between artistic and academic communities and a way of enriching dialogue on the future of digital and emerging arts. She said: “ISEA2026 Dubai offers audiences the opportunity to discover innovative artistic experiences that demonstrate the creative possibilities of technology and engage with new perspectives from artists and researchers around the world. Opening registration invites local talent to learn from these experiences, refine their skills, and expand their professional networks, strengthening their capacity to experiment and innovate. The symposium also reflects Dubai Culture’s commitment to creating an environment that encourages research and collaboration and supports the sustainable growth of digital and emerging arts.”
Al Blooshi added that hosting the international symposium reflects Dubai’s global leadership in embracing innovative artistic experiences and its ability to attract creative practitioners, researchers and specialists from diverse cultures.
Behind the event sits a broader public ambition. The symposium supports Dubai Culture’s efforts to advance the digital arts ecosystem, deliver on its Digital Arts Roadmap objectives, and empower local talent. It also reinforces Dubai’s position as a global cultural reference, a leader in innovation, a driver of the creative economy, and rooted in Emirati heritage. For residents, that translates into direct exposure to international creative practice on their own doorstep, and for local artists and students, into learning opportunities and professional connections that might otherwise require travel abroad.
ISEA is one of the world’s leading platforms exploring the relationship between art, science and technology, and its 31st edition will examine four core themes: Charting Constellations, Celestial Dialogues, Eco-Tech Futures and Starlinked Worlds. Charting Constellations focuses on place, digital geographies, identity and community. Celestial Dialogues explores cultural exchange, storytelling and collaboration. Eco-Tech Futures examines environmental responsibility and sustainable technology, while Starlinked Worlds considers the relationship between technology and human experience, including ethical, philosophical and speculative futures. Together, these strands give audiences and researchers alike a shared space to consider how technology is reshaping daily life, culture and the environment, questions that concern far more than the art world alone.