ManilART ’26 Opens Today at SMX Aura With 30+ Galleries and Filipino Artists
Last Updated on October 14, 2026 by Over Here Toronto
ManilART ’26 opens today, October 14, at SMX Aura Convention Center in BGC, bringing more than 30 galleries and over 600 artists together for five days of Philippine art.
The 18th edition carries the theme “Where the Line Begins.” It looks at the line as one of the first building blocks of visual art, from drawing and painting to comics, illustration, sculpture, and other forms.
October 14 is reserved for the Buyers’ Preview and Gala Night. Regular public admission begins on October 15 and continues through October 18.
General admission costs ₱300, while VIP access for opening day costs ₱2,500.
Visit the official ManilART website
More Than 600 Artists Join ManilART ’26
This year’s fair is one of ManilART’s larger editions.
More than 35 large pavilion booths will display works by over 600 artists.
The fair brings galleries, independent artists, collectors, cultural groups, and art audiences together under one roof.
Visitors can expect paintings, drawings, sculptures, installations, mixed-media pieces, illustration, and other visual work.
The size of SMX Aura also gives exhibitors room to show pieces that may be difficult to display inside smaller galleries.
These include large sculptures, installations, and bigger paintings made for larger spaces.
For collectors, the fair gives them several galleries to visit without traveling across Metro Manila.
For people who are new to buying art, it also creates a chance to compare artists, styles, and prices in one venue.
This Year’s Theme Starts With a Line
ManilART calls its 2026 theme “Where the Line Begins.”
The idea starts with one of the simplest parts of drawing: a line.
Before a drawing turns into a face, building, landscape, comic character, or abstract work, an artist often starts with a single mark.
This year’s exhibitions look at how that basic gesture can grow into stories, forms, movement, and ideas.
The theme also gives ManilART room to look beyond traditional paintings.
Filipino comics, illustration, game design, cartoons, fashion drawings, and educational activities all form part of this year’s program.
Filipino Komiks Get a Major Spotlight
One of the main sections focuses on the history of Filipino komiks.
ManilART is working with the Seven Lakes Komiks Festival, with support from the Komikero Komiks Museum in San Pablo, Laguna.
The presentation looks at artists who helped shape Philippine comics.
Names featured include National Artist Francisco V. Coching, Mars Ravelo, Tony Velasquez, Alfredo Alcala, and Gerry Alanguilan.
Coching became known as the “Dean of Filipino Illustrators.”
Ravelo created characters including Darna.
Velasquez created Kenkoy and is widely recognized as a major figure in the development of Philippine comics.
Alanguilan later helped preserve the work of earlier Filipino comic artists through the Komikero Komiks Museum.
The section connects these older names with newer forms of Filipino visual storytelling.
An ‘Encantadia’ Board Game Launches at the Fair
The comics and illustration program also moves into gaming.
Filipino game group Larong Atin will launch “Encantadia: War of Gems” during ManilART ’26.
The game draws from GMA’s Encantadia fantasy franchise.
Larong Atin has also developed games linked to Filipino characters such as Darna, Lastikman, and Combatron.
The section shows how characters that began through comics, television, or other media can move into new formats.
It also gives local game design a place beside galleries and traditional visual art.
Larry Alcala’s Centennial Exhibition Gets Another Run
Visitors can also see a special roadshow presentation celebrating National Artist Larry Alcala.
The feature comes from “Return to the Popular: Drawing the Filipino Imagination,” a centennial exhibition first presented at the Metropolitan Theater.
Alcala is known for cartoons that captured ordinary Filipino life.
His Slice of Life work filled busy scenes with people, jokes, small details, and familiar moments.
ManilART brings part of that centennial presentation to BGC, giving people who missed its earlier run another chance to see work linked to the Filipino cartoonist.
The feature also connects directly with the fair’s theme.
Alcala used lines not only to draw people but also to document how Filipinos lived, worked, traveled, and spent time together.
Patis Tesoro Shows Another Side of Her Work
Newly named National Artist for Design Maria Beatriz “Patis” Tesoro is also part of this year’s program.
Many Filipinos know Tesoro for her work in Filipiniana fashion, local textiles, and traditional craft.
At ManilART, visitors can see another part of her practice through illustrations.
Her works use colorful Filipino clothing and cultural elements in a playful drawing style.
The presentation also comes with a new project developed with the Department of Education.
A coloring book using Tesoro’s illustrations will introduce young learners to Filipino visual culture and give them a chance to work with the images themselves.
ManilART Is Part of Museums and Galleries Month
ManilART ’26 also forms part of the Philippines’ Museums and Galleries Month celebration this October.
The ManilART Foundation and the City of Taguig co-present the fair.
It is also a banner activity connected with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
The program goes beyond the halls of SMX Aura.
Art activities, exhibitions, and cultural events around Taguig form part of the city’s wider October calendar.
This gives visitors the option to pair ManilART with other art stops around BGC.
Nearby exhibitions this month also include shows at The Metropolitan Museum of Manila and other BGC galleries.
Talks and Workshops Are Part of the Program
Visitors do not have to spend the whole trip walking between gallery booths.
ManilART continues its arts education program with talks, workshops, tours, and other public activities.
The sessions are aimed at different groups, including students, teachers, working artists, and regular visitors.
The organizers will post the full daily program and final activity schedules through ManilART’s official pages.
School groups can also arrange tours directly with the organizers.
Anyone attending for one specific talk or workshop should check the final schedule before buying a ticket or heading to SMX Aura.
How Much Are ManilART ’26 Tickets?
There are two main ticket types currently listed.
VIP Access — ₱2,500
The VIP ticket is for October 14 and covers the Buyers’ Preview and Gala Night.
Ticketbooth lists VIP access from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.
General Admission — ₱300
Regular public admission begins on October 15 and runs through October 18.
Ticketbooth currently lists the general admission event period beginning at 3 p.m. on October 15 and ending at 10 p.m. on October 18.
Visitors should check the ticket page or ManilART’s official social accounts for each day’s final entry schedule.
Buy ManilART ’26 general admission tickets
What to Know Before Going
Here are the main details for ManilART ’26:
- Event: ManilART ’26: Where the Line Begins
- Edition: 18th
- Dates: October 14–18, 2026
- Venue: SMX Aura Convention Center
- Location: SM Aura Premier, BGC, Taguig
- October 14: VIP Buyers’ Preview and Gala Night
- Public opening: October 15
- General Admission: ₱300
- VIP Access: ₱2,500
- Artists: More than 600
- Gallery presence: More than 30 galleries
- Pavilion booths: More than 35
- Special features: Filipino komiks, Larry Alcala centennial presentation, Patis Tesoro illustrations, Larong Atin, talks, workshops, and tours
ManilART runs only until October 18, so visitors have four public-access days after today’s VIP opening.
Art fans planning a weekend trip may want to set aside a few hours instead of rushing through the halls. With hundreds of artists and several special sections to see, the fair offers much more than a quick walk past a few paintings.
Check the final daily schedule before heading to BGC, especially if you want to attend a workshop, talk, or other scheduled program.
