LOS ANGELES: It’s been around for decades, but, unlike regular 3D, virtual reality (VR) has yet to make a big impact in the movie industry, something a maker of Hollywood animations believes can change — if the films are good enough. Eric Darnell, who co-wrote and directed the “Madagascar” movies, showed his own VR film at the Venice Film Festival this week, “Crow: The Legend,” with a voice cast that includes Oprah Winfrey and John Legend.
DUBAI: The AlUla Arts Festival returns for its fifth anniversary edition from Jan. 16 to Feb. 14, 2026, bringing a month-long program of contemporary art, design, performance and immersive experiences to Saudi Arabia’s oasis city.
A major highlight is the fourth Desert X AlUla show from Jan. 16 to Feb. 28. The open-air exhibition will feature 10 newly commissioned, site-specific works by Saudi Arabia and international artists.
Curated around the theme “Space Without Measure,” and inspired by the poetry of Kahlil Gibran, the artworks will be embedded across AlUla’s landscape, exploring imagination, scale and humanity’s relationship with place. This year, it is curated by Neville Wakefield and Raneem Farsi.
The festival will also present an exhibition from the pre-opening program of AlUla’s forthcoming contemporary art museum, developed in collaboration with Centre Pompidou and AFALULA.
Design Space at the Al-Jadidah Arts District. (Supplied)
Titled “Arduna” (meaning “Our Land”), the exhibition opens on Feb. 1 and will showcase more than 80 artworks from Saudi Arabia and beyond, including pieces from the Royal Commission for AlUla collection and the Musee National d’Art Moderne, with works by artists including Kandinsky and Picasso.
Design takes center stage with the festival’s largest program yet, led by the AlUla Design Exhibition at Design Space AlUla. The showcase highlights outcomes from the AlUla Artists Residency Program and AlUla Design Award, alongside retail collections developed with local artisans.
The AlUla Music Hub from Nov. 1 to Jan. 31 will present a series of concerts featuring Arabic, fusion, vocal and jazz performances, while the ATHR Gallery will exhibit works by Saudi contemporary artist Sara Abdu.
The open-air Cinema Al-Jadidah will present a special series of art-themed documentaries, shorts and feature films.
Visitors can also expect live music, immersive performances, film screenings, workshops and public art installations across the Al-Jadidah Arts District, Villa Hegra and Wadi Al-Fann.
