Abu Dhabi Grand Prix programme: what is there to do over the weekend?
The sessions on track, the evening concerts, the marina and the city: the finale weekend, day by day.
Last updated 5 October 2026 · 3 min read
The 2026 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix takes place from Friday 4 to Sunday 6 December at Yas Marina Circuit: free practice on Friday, final practice and qualifying on Saturday, the race on Sunday late in the day, with a finish after dark under floodlights. The after-race concert programme, at Etihad Park, begins on Thursday 3 December and continues every evening until Sunday; at recent editions, it was reserved for Grand Prix ticket holders. Around it, Abu Dhabi offers the marina, the beaches of Saadiyat, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque and the city's tables. Exact times are published by Formula 1 and by the organiser.
The weekend at a glance
The 2026 finale follows the classic format, with no sprint race. The days build in intensity towards Sunday, and the evenings are punctuated by the after-race concerts. Exact session and concert times are published by Formula 1 and by the organiser as the weekend approaches.
| Day | On track | In the evening |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 3 December | No Formula 1 session | First after-race concert at Etihad Park |
| Friday 4 December | Free practice | After-race concert; dinner on the island or in town |
| Saturday 5 December | Final practice and qualifying | After-race concert; private evening depending on your programme |
| Sunday 6 December | The race, starting late in the day, finishing after dark | Last concert; end of the season |
Thursday and Friday: finding your bearings
Thursday is arrivals day: you settle in, discover the island, and the first after-race concert opens the weekend in the evening. On Friday, free practice lets you get to know the circuit without the Sunday crowds — it is the right day to try several vantage points, or for a first visit to the Paddock Club if your package covers several days.
Between sessions, Yas Island takes on another pace: Yas Bay and its waterside terraces, the marina, the island's golf course. In the evening, a table on the island or dinner in town, before or after the concert.
Saturday: qualifying
Saturday concentrates the tension of the weekend ahead of the race: final practice, then qualifying, which decides the starting grid. The sun sets during the afternoon, and the track lights up; it is often a fine day for the Marina Grandstand or a yacht deck.
In the evening, the after-race concert resumes; it is also the evening our clients choose for a private dinner, on board or in a hotel salon, away from the crowds.
Sunday: the finale
The race starts late in the day, in the evening light, and finishes after dark under floodlights. As it is the last round of the season, it often carries on with the teams' celebrations. The last after-race concert closes the weekend.
This is the day that calls for careful preparation: arriving on the island ahead of the crowds, the seat, and above all the exit, when everyone leaves the island at the same time. Our guide How do you get to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix? details how we prepare it.
Around the race: Abu Dhabi
A Grand Prix stay is all the better for starting or ending in the city. On Saadiyat, the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the beaches; in the city, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque — modest dress required — and the Qasr Al Watan presidential palace; offshore, a day at sea. In December, the days are warm and sunny, the evenings mild.
We compose these days like everything else: private visits when they are possible, tables booked, a crewed yacht, a chauffeur at your disposal. Our Abu Dhabi Grand Prix FAQ answers the practical questions.
Frequently asked questions
Late in the day: since the first edition, in 2009, the race has started in the late afternoon and finished after dark, under floodlights. The exact 2026 start time is published by Formula 1.
No. The 2026 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix follows the classic format: practice on Friday, final practice and qualifying on Saturday, the race on Sunday.
From Thursday 3 to Sunday 6 December 2026, every evening, at Etihad Park. The line-up is announced by the organiser; at recent editions, access was reserved for Grand Prix ticket holders.
Sunday for the race and the season finale; Saturday for qualifying, a slightly smaller crowd and a freer evening. Friday suits those who want to discover the circuit without pressure.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi and the beaches of Saadiyat, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, the Qasr Al Watan palace, a day at sea, the city's tables. We compose these days to measure.
The dates are: 4 to 6 December 2026 for the sessions, from 3 December for the concerts. Exact times are published by Formula 1 and by the organiser as the weekend approaches; we add them to your programme as soon as they are released.
Take it further
Let us compose your programme
Tell us the days that matter to you — qualifying, the race, the concerts, the city — and we compose the whole weekend: seat, hotel, chauffeur, tables and evenings, on quotation.