2026 is a big year for the art world. NYC sees the New Museum reopening in March, and the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art in LA opening their doors in September, this year is sure to bring about an increase in museum attendance. Though, it won’t just be the obvious destinations with new additions. Keep reading to discover our list of new museums in 2026 that are pushing the geographical boundaries of the art world.

Photo Credits: Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation, Studio KO, Centre for Contemporary Arts in Tashkent View of the Main Courtyard.

Centre for Contemporary Arts Tashkent - Tashkent, Uzbekistan - March 21st, 2026

The Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) Tashkent opens this March with their inaugural exhibition “Hikmah”, curated by Dr. Sara Raza, highlighting site-specific works responding to the new CCA’s new building and its architecture. Located in the heart of Old Tashkent in a 1912 building that once housed a tram depot and diesel station, the magnificent building has been reborn by world-renowned French architecture firm Studio KO and aims to be a new cultural destination for all of central Asia.

Photo Credits: The Guardian, AMoCA.

Artistic Museum of Contemporary Art - Cardiff, Wales - April 15th, 2026

Over the last year, the Welsh Capital has seen a number of preview exhibitions in the lead up to the official opening of Cardiff’s first modern art museum, the Artistic Museum of Contemporary Art (AMOCA). This included a free pop-up in June titled “Black Voices from the Museum Collection” which featured works from 34 world-leading African and African diaspora artists. If you missed the preview show, make sure to mark your calendars for April 15th. The works that were on display during this limited popup, will once again be available to the public, along with the nearly 1000 other works drawn from co-founder Anders Hedlund’s own collection.

Photo Credits: The Bridge Galleries, Courtesy of SafdieArchitects and Crystal Bridges Museum.

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art Expansion - Bentonville, Arkansas - June 2026

After breaking ground in just October 2025, the largest museum in Arkansas is getting ready to expand to even greater heights. Their new expansion is set to open to the public this June, and will increase their building size by 50%, adding over 10,500 square meters of gallery, studio, dining, and event spaces. The museum is currently open in a limited capacity, with some installations being put into storage while the new wing is being prepared. Their grand reopening will be a two day celebration on June 6th and 7th, and will feature an immersive journey through American Art spanning from the 18th to the mid 20th centuries.

Photo Credits: View of Muzej Lah with Richard Deacon, Another Mountain, 2007. Photo: Jošt Gantar.

Muzej Lah - Bled, Slovenia Summer 2026

The quiet, Slovenian town of Bled is largely known for their iconic view of the Julian Alps, and the gorgeous Bled Castle that looks over the glacial lake at the center of town. This year, the romantic resort spot gets an artistic upgrade. Just down the road from Bled Castle, Muzej Lah will house the Fundacija Lah art collection, built over three decades by Igor and Mojca Lah, and will be accessible to the public for the first time. The museum will feature renowned international and Slovenian Artists, such as Anselm Kiefer, Ilya and Emilia Kabakov, and Neue Slowenische Kunst, and is more than 5000 square meters making for an intimate and refreshing trip.

Photo Credits: Image Credits: Photo by Justin Szeremeta, Courtesy of Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art.

Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art - Suzhou, China - 2026

After two and a half years of construction, the Suzhou Museum of Contemporary Art has passed all the necessary inspections, and is expected to open to the public later this year. One of the biggest new museums on this list, the SMCA has an exhibition area of approximately 10,600 square meters, and features performance venues, four exhibition halls, traditional Chinese Gardens interplaying with modern architecture, and a 120 meter tall Ferris wheel known as the Suzhou Eyes. Situated on the east bank of Jinji Lake, the museum offers both artistic and natural must-sees that should absolutely be on your travel itinerary this year.

Photo Credits: Exterior View of Mosul Cultural Museum. Image Credits: © Musée culturel de Mossoul / Zaid Ghazi Saadallah.

Mosul Cultural Museum (Reopening) - Mosul, Iraq - November 2026

Originally inaugurated in 1952, and closed in 2003 due to the second Gulf War, the Mosul Cultural Museum returns to the public after nearly 25 years of closure and construction. Once housing ceramics from Mesopotamia, its nearly 1,500 pieces will be returned from the Iraq Museum in Baghdad and be greeted by renewed mezzanines, interiors, and facades, breathing new life into the second largest museum in the West Asian nation. This decades-long project comes as a result of a joint rehabilitation project between the ALIPH foundation, the Louvre Museum, the Smithsonian Institution and the World Monuments Fund, alongside the Iraqi Authorities.