WORDS BY VERENA NEUMAYR-HOWES
Art is taking centre stage in 2025, with numerous new launches around the world worth planning a trip for. From pioneering new art hubs to re-invigorated museums and re-purposed landmark buildings, we shine a spotlight on the most noteworthy openings in the UAE, Europe, and the US. Check out the new museums and galleries worthy of a cultural getaway in 2025.
Ambitious art and architecture: Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi’s innovative arts hub, the Saadiyat Cultural District, will be adding to its already prestigious roster of museums this year, with the openings of the Frank Gehry-designed Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, the Zayed National Museum (pictured right) by Foster + Partners, and multisensory art space teamLab Phenomena.
London’s East End: A cultural hotbed
The remains of Shakespeare’s original stomping ground, the Curtain Theatre in Shoreditch, are being re-envisioned as the interactive Museum of Shakespeare – transporting visitors back to Shakespearean London. Meanwhile, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park will become home to V&A East Storehouse.
Past and future collide in the Netherlands
Amsterdam’s Drift Museum will turn five renovated 19th-century factory halls into an impressive home for large-scale artworks and performative installations. Further south, Rotterdam continues its cultural ascent by transforming a 1923 Holland-America Line warehouse into the FENIX Museum of Migration.
Norway’s art scene is thriving
A former grain silo on the island of Nesodden just outside Oslo is being repurposed as Kunstsilo, one of Scandinavia’s most ambitious new cultural powerhouses, featuring a collection of Nordic Modernism. The new National Museum in Oslo, Scandinavia’s largest art museum, is also worth checking out.
Milan has upped their cultural game
Busy preparing for the 2026 Winter Olympics, Milan’s most exciting new launch is the Grande Brera, which has turned the Pinacoteca di Brera and renovated 18th-century Palazzo Citterio into a multisite art complex. Enjoy historical, modern, and contemporary art, and an expansive urban garden.
New York’s reinvigorated art spaces
NYC is celebrating its 400th anniversary in many ways, not least with the reopening of four major museums: The Frick Collection, the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Michael C. Rockefeller Wing, the New Museum, and the Studio Museum in Harlem. Visit between 7 and 14 May 2025 to catch the Frieze, NADA, Independent, and TEFAF New York art fairs.
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Where To Stay
art’otel London Battersea Power Station
Brought to life by world-renowned Spanish artist Jaime Hayon, this boldly designed hotel offers a real sense of place within London’s new cultural hub. Art-focused lifestyle spaces and scenic views abound — even more so from award-winning Portuguese chef Henrique Sá Pessoa’s JOIA restaurant, the rooftop bar and terrace, and the 16th-floor pool. The Studio regularly features new artists, workshops, and events.
Green tip: Sustainability is a key driver at the hotel, with features such as innovative heating solutions and a green roof — with surrounding rooftops created as sanctuaries for bee and bird populations.
Rosewood Amsterdam
The luxury hotel brand has picked a storied property for its Dutch debut, housed in the former Palace of Justice, and overlooking the Prinsengracht canal. With interiors by designer Piet Boon and outdoor spaces by world-renowned Dutch urban landscaping artist Piet Oudolf, it’s poised to be a beauty when it opens on 1 June 2025. The Curated Art Walk is set to be of particular interest to art aficionados.
Green tip: Discover the city from a new perspective aboard the hotel’s private Salon Boat, taking you on an elegant journey through Amsterdam’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed Canal District.
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