Home › Day trips › Abu Dhabi › Formula 1 in Abu Dhabi

Motorsport · Abu Dhabi✓ Guy-tested

Formula 1 in Abu Dhabi

The season finale under lights on Yas Island, and the parties that run all weekend around it.

On this page: What it is · Guy's experience · The 2026 race (checked 3 Nov 2026). Who it's for: thrill-seekers, first-timers and visitors who want more than a mall.

Black-and-white photo of Paris in a fur aviator hat and goggles with a red-and-white shemagh scarf

Quick facts

Thrill–
Physical effort–
Family-friendly–
Value for money–
Guy's verdict–
Paris with his mouth taped shutGuy hasn't said yet
  • Location: Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
  • When: 4–6 Dec 2026, race Sun 6 Dec (checked 3 Nov 2026)
  • Track length: 5.281 km, 58 laps

Formula 1 Map: Yas Marina Circuit Enquire / book More abu dhabi Related: yas island

What it is

The Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is the last race of the Formula 1 season, held at Yas Marina Circuit on Yas Island. The first one ran in 2009, when it became Formula 1's first twilight race: it starts in early evening sun and finishes under floodlights.

Guy's experience

Paris covered the 2021 race weekend, the one the championship came down to on the final lap. Welcome back to another Formula One at Abu Dhabi at the Yas Marina Circuit, he opens, and we are kicking off the weekend here at the Rich List, where we've got the gala dinner. At the gala, an artwork by Sacha Jafri was auctioned for charity: You raised six hundred thousand US dollars with your painting. Incredible. On race day: The cars will be taking off in just about three hours, but they've already started here at the Rich List, and it's gonna be an awesome day. The weekend ended at the Red Bull after-party, congratulating Max Verstappen on his win.

The 2026 race (checked 3 Nov 2026)

  • Dates: 4 to 6 December 2026, with the race on Sunday 6 December (Formula 1 calendar).
  • Track: 5.281 km, 16 turns, 58 laps, a race distance of about 306 km.
  • Crowd: the official Grand Prix site gives a capacity of 60,000+.
  • Track changes: modifications before the 2021 race, including the banked Turn 9, shortened the lap slightly and opened it up for overtaking (Formula 1).

Where

Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The rest of the island is a day out in itself: see Yas Island, and to drive the same track yourself, driving Yas Marina Circuit.

Know before you go

  • Tickets are sold through the official Abu Dhabi GP site and its authorised on-sellers; buy there rather than from resellers.
  • December evenings are mild, but the grandstands get hot in the afternoon sun.
  • Hotels on Yas Island fill early for race weekend, so book well ahead or stay in Abu Dhabi city or Dubai.

Who it suits

Race fans, obviously, and anyone who wants the big-event atmosphere: after-race concerts, gala dinners and parties run across the weekend.

More from the show at the circuit: motorsport madness and the Yas Island adrenaline challenge.

FAQ

When is the 2026 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix?

4 to 6 December 2026, with the race on Sunday 6 December, per the Formula 1 calendar (checked 3 Nov 2026).

How long is Yas Marina Circuit?

5.281 km, raced over 58 laps.

Sources

Facts checked October 2026. Opening times, age limits and seasons change, so confirm with the operator before you go.

Ask Guy in Dubai