30 Oct Art Basel Miami Beach 2026: The Complete Week Guide
Art Basel Miami Beach 2026: The Complete Week Guide
Art Basel Miami Beach 2026 opens to the public Friday through Sunday, December 4–6, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., at the Miami Beach Convention Center, after two invitation-only preview days on December 2–3; around it, Design Miami, Art Miami, Untitled, NADA and other fairs and museum openings fill the week of December 1–6. This guide covers the fairs, the museums worth your time, getting around, and what to know before you buy, as of October 30, 2026.
Fair programs, hours and transport plans are still being announced. Confirm details with each fair or museum before you go. Nothing here is legal, tax or investment advice.
Art Week at a Glance
| Fair | 2026 dates | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Art Basel Miami Beach | Preview Dec 2–3 (invitation only); public Dec 4–6, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. | Miami Beach Convention Center |
| Design Miami | Dec 1 member and collector previews; public from 1 p.m. Dec 2 through Dec 6 | Convention Center Drive and 19th Street, Miami Beach |
| Art Miami and CONTEXT | VIP preview Dec 1; open through Dec 6 | One Herald Plaza, Downtown Miami |
| Untitled Art | Preview Dec 1; fair Dec 2–6 | On the sand at Ocean Drive and 12th Street |
| NADA Miami | Dec 1–5 | Ice Palace Studios, Miami |
| Aqua Art Miami | Dec 2–6 | Aqua Hotel, 1530 Collins Avenue |
| InScope (new) | Dec 1–6 | On the sand at Ocean Drive and 8th Street |
| INK Miami (works on paper) | Dec 2–6 | Suites of Dorchester, 1850 Collins Avenue |
| Spectrum Miami and Red Dot Miami | Dec 2–6 | Mana Wynwood |
Art Basel Miami Beach
Art Basel Miami Beach brings 272 exhibitors from more than 40 countries and territories to the Miami Beach Convention Center. The preview days, December 2 and 3, are “by invitation only”; the fair opens to ticket holders on Friday, December 4. Art Basel sells tickets only through its official online shop and warns that “Availability is limited.”
What is different this year
- A smaller, more focused floor: about 12% less floor space and about 10% fewer exhibitors in the main Galleries sector, which has 204 galleries this year. The Art Newspaper reported 226 in 2025.
- Blue-chip galleries spread across the floor rather than grouped together, and four hospitality plazas instead of five.
- More than 30 first-time exhibitors, mostly in the Nova, Positions and Survey sectors, and five countries shown for the first time: The Bahamas, Estonia, Georgia, Ghana and Hungary.
- A free outdoor work by James Turrell: Art Basel describes “a significant new body of work” by Turrell outdoors, free to the public; its site had not been announced as of October 30.
Bridget Finn, Director of Art Basel Miami Beach, said: “Our exhibitors have reinforced the value of a more focused environment.”
The sectors
- Galleries (204): the main sector, with Kabinett (26 curated presentations inside Galleries booths).
- Nova (20): new work by up to three artists per gallery.
- Positions (12): solo projects by emerging artists.
- Survey (16 presentations by 18 galleries): historical work.
- Zero 10: Art Basel’s digital-art initiative, with 19 projects in this year’s edition, Generation.
Awards and public program
The second Art Basel Awards Night is Thursday, December 3, at the New World Center, presented with BOSS. The Conversations talks program includes a full day on art and sport; its schedule is still to be announced. Public Art Fund presents Between Tides in Collins Park, six sculptural ping-pong tables designed by artists, and the City of Miami Beach awards its eighth Legacy Purchase Prize.
Design Miami
Design Miami, the collectible-design fair, holds its 22nd edition at Convention Center Drive and 19th Street. December 1 is for member and collector previews; on December 2 a VIP preview runs from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and public hours start at 1 p.m. The fair is open 11 a.m.–7 p.m. on December 3–5 and 11 a.m.–6 p.m. on December 6. This year’s theme is “Unveiling.”
The Other Fairs
- Art Miami, with CONTEXT alongside it, opens with a VIP preview on December 1 at One Herald Plaza in Downtown Miami and runs through December 6.
- Untitled Art, on the sand at Ocean Drive and 12th Street, holds its VIP preview on December 1 and runs December 2–6.
- NADA Miami, the New Art Dealers Alliance fair, is at Ice Palace Studios December 1–5.
- Aqua Art Miami is at the Aqua Hotel on Collins Avenue, December 2–6.
- InScope, a new fair from the team behind SCOPE, sets up on the sand at Ocean Drive and 8th Street, December 1–6.
- INK Miami, devoted to works on paper, is at the Suites of Dorchester December 2–6 and is free with online registration.
- Spectrum Miami and Red Dot Miami share Mana Wynwood, December 2–6.
Museums and Collections That Week
December 1 is a Tuesday, when several museums are closed. Check hours before you go.
| Museum | On view | Hours and admission |
|---|---|---|
| ICA Miami, Design District | Carroll Dunham and Diego Singh, both from Dec 1; Sheroanawe Hakihiiwe from Nov 19 | Wed–Sun 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; free |
| Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), Downtown | Basquiat: Figures, Signs, Symbols; Picasso–Klee–Matisse: Masterpieces from the Museum Berggruen; John Baldessari: The End of the Line | Closed Tue–Wed; Thu 11 a.m.–9 p.m. (free after 5 p.m.); adults $18 |
| The Bass, Miami Beach | Yuko Mohri; Amalia Pica: Lecturas Posibles; Sarah Zapata | Wed–Sun noon–5 p.m.; $15 |
| Rubell Museum, Allapattah | Collection galleries, including Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Rooms | Closed Mon–Tue; adults $18 |
| Superblue Miami, Allapattah | Immersive works by James Turrell, Es Devlin, teamLab and others | Adults from $34 (Mon–Thu) or $42 (Fri–Sun) |
The Margulies Collection at the Warehouse in Wynwood says it reopens with new exhibitions on November 4. The de la Cruz Collection’s website said it was closed when we checked, so confirm before visiting. The Miami Design District’s outdoor public art, by artists including Ad Minoliti and Alteronce Gumby, can be seen as you walk the district.
Getting Around
The City of Miami Beach had not published its 2026 Art Week transport plan as of October 30. In past years it has run free water taxis between Miami Beach and Downtown Miami, with free shuttles linking the water taxi stops to several art fairs; in 2024, for example, four free water taxis ran every 15 minutes between Maurice Gibb Memorial Park and Venetian Marina. The free Miami Beach Trolley runs daily from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., about every 20 minutes. Brightline trains link Miami with Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and Orlando. Hotels fill quickly: CoStar reported that Miami’s revenue per available room rose 67.9% year over year during Art Basel week in 2023.
Buying Art at the Fair
Holds, payment and shipping
Art Basel’s guide for new collectors, written for its Hong Kong fair, notes that works can often be reserved, ideally with a deposit; that galleries may offer payment over time; that shipping is usually discussed with the gallery and handled by specialist art shippers; and that unsold works leave with the galleries when the fair ends. Keep the invoice, condition report and provenance records, and photograph the work. Chubb advises having a valuable-articles policy in place that covers newly acquired artwork, and asking your insurance broker or agent to recommend a professional art shipper.
Florida sales tax
Florida’s state sales tax is 6%, and a county surtax applies where the item is delivered; Florida’s Department of Revenue lists Miami-Dade’s surtax at 1% on its calendar-year 2025 rate table. A Florida dealer collects the tax on works delivered in Florida, and a sale to a buyer who is present is presumed to be delivered in Florida. Under Florida’s rule on sales for export, the dealer does not collect Florida tax when the work is committed to export at the time of sale and shipped out of the state in a continuous, unbroken shipment; if you take possession in Florida, tax is due. You may owe use tax in your home state. Special exemptions apply to art bought for donation or loan to educational institutions; take specialist tax advice.
Other rules to know
- Large cash payments: businesses must report cash of more than $10,000 received in one transaction or related transactions to the IRS on Form 8300, generally within 15 days.
- Ivory: federal rules bar most commercial sales of African elephant ivory across state lines, with narrow exceptions for qualifying antiques and items with under 200 grams of ivory that meet further conditions. Ask the gallery to document any ivory or other protected material.
- Resale royalties: the United States has no federal artist resale royalty.
The market backdrop
The Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2026, by Dr. Clare McAndrew of Arts Economics, put global art sales at $59.6 billion in 2025, up 4%. The United States accounted for $26.0 billion, a 44% share. Dealers sold $34.8 billion, and art fairs made up 35% of dealer sales. Auction sales of works above $10 million rose 30%. “The market welcomed a shift in direction in 2025, from the contraction of previous years to modest growth,” McAndrew said.
Questions to Ask Before You Go or Buy
- Which days am I invited to, and which need a ticket from the official shop?
- Which museums are closed on the days I’m in town?
- How will I get between Miami Beach, Downtown, Wynwood and the Design District, and has the city published this year’s free water taxis and shuttles?
- Can the gallery hold the work, and what deposit and payment terms apply?
- Will the work be delivered in Florida or shipped out of state, and how does that affect sales tax?
- What condition report, provenance and invoice will I receive?
- Is the work insured from the moment I pay until it is installed?
- Does the work contain ivory or any other protected material?
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The Bottom Line
Book your hotel and tickets early, plan your days around museum closing days and the fair you care about most, and before you buy, settle holds, delivery, sales tax and insurance in writing with the gallery.
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Sources (40) · all checked October 30, 2026
- Art Basel, exhibitors and reconfigured show floor for Miami Beach 2026: source
- Art Basel, Miami Beach: source
- Art Basel, Miami Beach exhibitor list: source
- Art Basel, Miami Beach tickets: source
- The Art Newspaper, Art Basel Miami Beach scaled-down floor plan (September 29, 2026): source
- Design Miami 2026: source
- Art Miami: source
- Untitled Art: source
- NADA Miami: source
- Aqua Art Miami: source
- InScope: source
- INK Miami: source
- Redwood Art Group, Spectrum Miami: source
- ICA Miami: source
- PAMM: source
- PAMM, visit: source
- The Bass: source
- The Bass, visit: source
- Rubell Museum, visit Miami: source
- Rubell Museum Miami: source
- Superblue Miami: source
- Margulies Collection at the Warehouse: source
- de la Cruz Collection: source
- Miami Design District, art: source
- City of Miami Beach, Art Week: source
- City of Miami Beach, Art Week 2024 free water taxis and shuttles (November 21, 2024): source
- City of Miami Beach, trolley: source
- Brightline: source
- CoStar, Art Basel boosts Miami hotel performance (2023): source
- Art Basel Stories, how to buy art at Art Basel Hong Kong: an insider’s guide for new collectors (March 20, 2025): source
- Chubb, things to consider before attending an art fair: source
- Florida Department of Revenue, sales and use tax: source
- Florida Department of Revenue, discretionary sales surtax rates (DR-15DSS): source
- Fla. Admin. Code R. 12A-1.0015, sales for export (Cornell LII): source
- Fla. Admin. Code R. 12A-1.001, works of art and educational institutions (Cornell LII): source
- IRS, Form 8300 reference guide (reviewed July 27, 2026): source
- eCFR, 50 CFR 17.40(e), African elephant ivory: source
- U.S. Copyright Office, resale royalties report (December 13, 2013): source
- Art Basel, The Art Basel and UBS Global Art Market Report 2026: source
- WealthBriefing, global art market report (March 12, 2026): source
Last updated October 30, 2026. Facts come from the sources listed above, checked on that date, and may change. Not legal, financial, tax or investment advice. Full disclaimer
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