The 19th edition of the annual Melbourne Art Fair returns to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre in February 2026 with a full line of contemporary installations and sculptures, established and new wave art galleries, First Nations artists, an engaging talk series, a curated video program and more.

To be held from 19-22 February, the 2026 Melbourne Art Fair will see the return of the CONVERSATIONS panel talk series hosted in an inflatable bubble as well as the first edition of FUTUREOBJEKT, a 600sqm salon dedicated to collectible design framed within a tightly curated DESIGN CONVERSATIONS program, which also makes its debut this year.

Melbourne Art Fair 2025_2.jpg — *Melbourne Art Fair 2025*

Melbourne Art Fair is also celebrating the second year of its exclusive partnership with LOEWE, with bespoke LOEWE Newsstands showcased at the fair.

BEYOND 2026

The exhibition’s BEYOND sector has been curated by Fair Director Melissa Loughnan and welcomes celebrated female artists Judith Wright (Sophie Gannon Gallery), Brenda L. Croft (Niagara Galleries), and Fiona Hall (Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery).

Monster Theatres - Tales of Enchantment by Judith Wright.jpg — *BEYOND 2026: Tales of Enchantment by Judith Wright | 2020 Adelaide Biennial of Australian Art: Monster Theatres | Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide | Photo: Saul Steed*

VIDEO 2026

VIDEO 2026 is programmed this year by French curator Rebecca Lamarche-Vadel, bringing together works by artists Neïl Beloufa (Mendes Wood DM), Meriem Bennani (Lodovico Corsini), Mohamed Bourouissa (PALAS), Cécile B Evans (ChâteauShatto) and David Noonan (Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery).

© PALAS_2024_JRaymond_DJI_0880.jpg — *PALAS is one of the new galleries exhibiting at the Fair*

Participating art galleries

The 2026 edition will feature more than 60 of Australia’s leading art galleries and Indigenous-owned art centres. Over 20 galleries in their first seven years of operation will be participating in the fair, including returning galleries Nasha, Animal House Fine Arts, Haydens and Void_Melbourne, as well as debut galleries Mary Cherry Contemporary, Grace, LAILA and PALAS, enabling emerging artists to exhibit alongside their more established peers.

Arts Project Australia

Arts Project Australia returns this year with a lively series of artist-led workshops, supported by a City of Melbourne annual arts grant. Highlights include Amani Tia’s intimate portrait painting workshop; Joanne Nethercote’s tiny cat embroidery class; and an immersive still life drawing session that invites audiences to capture Chris Mason’s iconic SSBBW sculptures.

Amani Tia_Self Portrait_2019_AT19-0018.jpg — *Arts Project Australia: Amani Tia’s self-portrait*

FUTUREOBJEKT

A significant addition to this year’s program, FUTUREOBJEKT will showcase over 20 of Australia’s most compelling voices in contemporary design, architecture, and crafted objects.

Tom Fereday_Cor Agglomerati_Alejandro Ramirez Orozco_03.jpg — FUTUREOBJEKT: Tom Fereday will present a cluster of sculptural stone plinth lights alongside his ‘Cast’ speaker, clad in marine-grade aluminium and designed in collaboration with Tasmanian audio design duo Pitt & Giblin.

2026 CONVERSATIONS presented by Guardian Australia

Featuring artists, gallerists, curators, collectors, architects, critics, scholars and cultural luminaries, this talk series provides a platform for critical discourse and the sharing of ideas, bringing together cultural communities and thinkers from across the creative spectrum to address the future of art and its relationship to interdisciplinary practices and the contemporary world.

Artwork by Lesley Dumbrell - Untitled 1985.JPG — *Artwork by Lesley Dumbrell*

The CONVERSATIONS series will be hosted in ‘The Bubble’, a custom inflatable structure designed by OIGÅLL PROJECTS. The Bubble is intended to shift, breathe, and adapt, with its semi-translucent walls creating a deliberately voyeuristic experience for passers-by.

CONVERSATIONS ON DESIGN, which is being introduced this year as part of the CONVERSATIONS series, is presented by NHO and facilitated by founder Neil Hugh Kenna.

The full CONVERSATIONS schedule can be found here.

“2026 will bring a dynamic program and incredible representation of young galleries – a handful of whom are making their MAF debut, intermixed with fair veterans and pioneers to Australia’s art scene. Once again, we’re delighted to be platforming the William Mora Indigenous Art Centre Program and the crucial role they play in supporting First Peoples’-owned art centres,” says Melissa Loughnan, Fair Director, Melbourne Art Fair.

“I’m incredibly proud to be at the helm of MAF for its 19th edition, which continues to prove itself as an authoritative voice on contemporary Australian art, and now design,” she adds.

Melbourne Art Fair 2026: Schedule of Events

Press Preview

Thursday, 19 February | 11am-12pm

VIP Preview Day

Thursday, 19 February

Champagne Bollinger Preview: 12pm-5pm

Vernissage: 5pm-9pm

Public Days

Friday, 20 February: 12pm-8pm

Saturday, 21 February: 10am-6pm

Sunday, 22 February: 10am-5pm

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.melbourneartfair.com.au/tickets.

All images supplied

Main image: Melbourne Art Fair 2025

Architecture News & Editorial Desk

Let’s connect!