For this edition of Art Basel, the show’s multiple sections will present works by artists ranging from the great masters of modern art to the latest generation of emerging stars. It will feature over 290 leading galleries from 42 countries and territories and more than 4,000 artists from five continents. The exhibits include the highest-quality paintings, sculptures, drawings, installations, performances, multiples, prints, photographs, magazines, and videos of all sizes and styles.

Art Basel is divided into the following different sectors:
• In the Galleries sector, visitors can discover a wide range of modern and contemporary art works ranging from drawings, paintings, photographs, prints, and sculptures to installations, videos, and digital art. The 2026 edition of Art Basel will feature 231 leading galleries from across the globe presenting the highest quality of works across all media, from rare and historical masterpieces to new works by today’s emerging artistic voices.
• The Feature sector emphasizes precisely curated projects from established and historical artists that may include solo presentations as well as juxtapositions and thematic exhibits from artists representing a wide range of cultures, generations, and artistic approaches.
• The Statements sector is dedicated to bold solo presentations by emerging artists, offering collectors, curators, and institutions concentrated encounters with some of today’s most compelling new practices.
• The Premiere sector, introduced in 2025 and expanded in 2026, focuses on recent artistic production and will feature precisely curated projects, such as the presentation of a single artist and exhibitions presenting up to three artists within a curatorial concept. It showcases bold artworks created in the past 5 years, with cutting-edge galleries presenting highly innovative works.
• In the Edition sector, leading publishers of editioned works, prints, and multiples exhibit the results of their collaborations with renowned artists, providing visitors the opportunity to see significant and rare publications.
• The Kabinett sector is for curated selections displayed by galleries in a separate section of their booth, including thematic group exhibitions, art-historical showcases, and solo presentations. Kabinett offers visitors the opportunity to dive deeper into an artist's practice through focused solo and thematic presentations within galleries' booths. This year, over 25 exhibitors will present artists spanning modern masters, overlooked historical figures, and cutting-edge contemporary voices.
• The Unlimited sector is the pioneering exhibition platform for projects that transcend traditional art-show stands, such as monumental installations, colossal sculptures, boundless wall paintings, comprehensive photo series, and expansive video projections. Unlimited returns with 59 exceptional projects and an ever-broader range of artistic positions that challenge and expand traditional narratives. Art Basel’s Unlimited Night will return on Thursday, June 18 in Hall 1, providing visitors the chance to experience the sector alongside special performances during extended opening hours, from 19:00-22:00.
• The Parcours sector reaches out into the city itself, with site-specific sculptures, interventions, and performances. This year’s Parcours is curated again by Stefanie Hessler, Director of Swiss Institute (SI) in New York. It unfolds along Clarastrasse, connecting the Messeplatz with the Rhein, with one installation on view across the river near Bankverein. Under the guiding principle of “Conviviality,” Parcours 2026 presents ambitious projects that explore how we live together. Through 22 largely new and site-responsive projects presented by 31 galleries, this edition of Parcours presents an international, intergenerational prism of contemporary life. This program is free and accessible on June 15-17 from 10:00-20:00, and on June 18-21 from 10:00-19:00.
• Basel’s Messeplatz will host an elaborate site-responsive installation,”Modèle vivant (S’empilant)” (2026), presented by Nairy Baghramian. Conceived for the square’s fountain, the work unfolds as a rhythmic assembly of four large-scale sculptural groupings that extend her distinctive artistic language, combining biomorphic forms with geometric support structures. Abstract, yet highly allusive aluminum casts, painted in a soft lavender tone, appear stacked and precariously balanced on polished steel armatures traversing the fountain without interrupting its water features. Next to it stands a bench-like pedestal covered, like one of the armatures, by tiles and swarming with (photographic imprints of) flies. Evoking multipart bodies in a state of respite, suspension, and becoming, Baghramian’s intervention subtly reconsiders the relationship between sculpture, site, self and spectator within the dynamic context of Art Basel in Basel; it is freely accessible to the public.
• Basel’s Münsterplatz will host the ambitious sculptural and spatial installation “The God of Small Things” (2026) by Ibrahim Mahama. Taking its title from the eponymous novel by Arundhati Roy, the work draws on rubber residues sourced from a factory established in Ghana during the post-independence peirod. Rather than a singular monumental form, the installation unfolds as a constellation of suspended sculptural elements arranged to create an immersive spatial environment, transforming the historic square into a site of material and political reflection. Through its scale and physical presence, the project not only activates the public realm but also situates these histories within a broader global context, offering a powerful and timely intervention.
• The Art Basel Shop, launched in 2024, will return with a curated selection of bespoke lifestyle products that celebrate the contemporary art world. The shop features exclusive and limited-edition art, design, and fashion, available to fair visitors and the public for a limited time.
• The 2026 Art Basel Awards medalists will be celebrated at an event at the Rathaus during Art Basel. A selection of medalists will headline a public, artist-led Conversations series, offering audiences direct access to some of the most influential voices shaping contemporary culture today

Practical Information
Time:
Private days on June 16 and 17 are by invitation only. Access to the Vernissage on June 17 is by invitation or with a special Vernissage ticket, available for CHF 215. The show is open to the public from Thursday, June 18, to Sunday, June 21, from 11:00–19:00 daily. Additionally, there will be a special Unlimited Night event on Thursday, June 18, from 19:00-22:00 (CHF 40).

Guided Tours:
If you would like to gain a deeper understanding of the art on display, private and public guided tours in German, French, and English are available daily during show hours; other languages are available upon request. For information and bookings, contact tours@artnexus.com or book directly online at https://www.artnexus.com/ABB26tours.html.
A guided tour of this year’s Parcours sector will take place daily from June 15-21 at 15:00. The tour lasts 1 hour and takes place in German and in English; Cost is CHF 25. The meeting point is the Parcours Info Point at Claraplatz. Book your spot online. Booke your spot online at https://ticket.messe-tickets.ch/MCH_shop/1002-basel/Shop?assortment=c525e99a-3237-f111-9cf9-9440c96c4260.

Childcare (Art Kids)
Art Basel offers a childcare service where kids ages 4-12 can enjoy art and recreational activities under the supervision of Familea Basel professionals while their parents visit the show. Children can enjoy a selection of complimentary healthy snacks, and they provide the option to purchase child-friendly meals onsite. Babysitting services on-site are also available for children ages 3 months to 4 years with pre-registration. Please contact Familea at angebote@familea.ch or 061-260-8248, directly for further information. Childcare options are available in Halle 1.1 of the Messe Basel and open to Art Basel visitors during show hours.

Tickets
Tickets for Art Basel are available for purchase in their online ticket shop as well as onsite at the Messeplatz. Day tickets for adults are CHF 70; an "after work" ticket, which is valid on Friday from 16:00-19:00, is available for CHF 45; and a weekend ticket valid on Saturday and Sunday is available for 125. Reduced-price tickets for students, seniors, and for residents of Basel-Stadt, Riehen, and Bettingen are CHF 59. Kids up to age 12 are free when accompanied by a parent. Combination tickets and premium passes are also available, check out their website to see if there is one that suits your interest.

Website
artbasel.com/basel

Where
Messe Basel
Messeplatz 10
4005 Basel

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