L.A. Takes Center Stage: Inside Frieze Art Week

Each February, Los Angeles steps into the global spotlight as Frieze Art Week transforms the city into a magnet for the international art world. The who’s who of artists, collectors, curators, museum directors, gallerists, and cultural tastemakers descend on LA to experience museum-caliber works from across the globe — all set against the backdrop of the city’s dynamic creative landscape.

Returning to the Santa Monica Airport’s Barker Hangar for its 7th edition, it will take place Feb 26 – March 1, 2026. Since launching in 2019 under the leadership of Christine Messineo, Director of the Americas, the fair has become a cornerstone of the international art calendar, celebrated for its curated scale and strong institutional presence.

The 2026 edition will feature approximately 100 leading international galleries, spanning blue-chip powerhouses and cutting-edge emerging programs. Exhibitors typically include global leaders such as Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth, David Zwirner, Pace, White Cube, Perrotin, and Gladstone Gallery, alongside prominent Los Angeles galleries like Regen Projects, Blum, Karma, and Various Small Fires — presenting works across painting, sculpture, installation, photography, and digital media.

Beyond the booths, Frieze is known for large-scale installations, nonprofit collaborations, and curated culinary pop-ups from some of LA’s most celebrated restaurants — creating an immersive, city-defining cultural experience.
VIP Programming

For more on Frieze VIP programming, click here.

Or explore Frieze Connect — Frieze’s global membership community designed to bring together collectors, cultural patrons, artists, and art-engaged individuals through curated experiences around the fairs and throughout the year.

Members receive:

• Preview Day access to Frieze fairs worldwide

• An annual calendar of private views, studio visits, and artist talks

• Behind-the-scenes access to major cultural moments

• Invitations to exclusive social gatherings across key cities including Los Angeles, London, New York, and Seoul

Select VIP events are reserved exclusively for Frieze Connect members, including:

• Pre-Fair Reset at Remedy Place with Velocity Black

• Frieze Connect x Proper Presents: Frieze Week Welcome Party

These invitation-only experiences offer unparalleled access to the global art world — fostering connection, cultural dialogue, and insider engagement throughout Frieze Week and beyond.

Fair Details
Dates: February 26 – March 1, 2026
Location: Barker Hangar, Santa Monica Airport
3027 Airport Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90405

Hours
Thursday, Feb 26: 10am – 7pm (Invitation Only)
Friday, Feb 27: 11am – 7pm (Invitation Only 11am – 1pm; Public after 1pm)
Saturday, Feb 28: 11am – 7pm
Sunday, March 1: 11am – 6pm

For more info and tickets, visit here.

Felix Art Fair Returns to the Hollywood Roosevelt
Running concurrently, the Felix Art Fair returns to the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, offering a more intimate, salon-style experience with galleries exhibiting in guest suites and poolside cabanas.

Where better to host an international art fair than at an iconic hotel named for the first president to travel abroad on an official diplomatic trip that also houses a mural by David Hockney at the bottom of its Tropicana Pool? For Felix LA — the contemporary art fair that favors a ’90s-inspired model, preferring a hotel venue to a traditional trade show atmosphere — the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel has remained host to the contemporary art event since its inception in 2019. For its seventh edition, the showcase will present more than 60 exhibitors from cities around the world, including Bucharest, Lisbon, London, Havana, and Turin. More than half the participating galleries and dealers are first-timers, including COMA from Australia, Sobering Galerie from Paris, and Portland’s ILY2. Known for its boundary-pushing programs, the showcase focuses on collaboration among artists, collectors, and dealers in an effort to redefine the collective art space. Other exhibitors include Tara Downs and Derek Eller Gallery from New York, L.A.’s Charlie James Gallery and Timothy Hawkinson Gallery, and Kyiv’s Voloshyn Gallery. Through Feb. 23. 7000 Hollywood Blvd., L.A.; felixfair.com. D.N

Beyond Frieze, an abundance of exhibitions are on view throughout Los Angeles, for more info Check out C Magazine.