Burj Khalifa's Open Call is back: Your art could light up the world's tallest building in Dubai

Dubai: Fancy seeing your artwork beamed across the world's tallest building in Dubai? Emaar has thrown open its doors to artists, designers and visionaries once again, launching a fresh edition of its Burj Khalifa Open Call, a projection design competition inviting creatives from the UAE and beyond to have their work showcased on the tower's iconic façade.

The developer announced the news on social media, urging hopefuls that "the next projection could carry your signature," while confirming that the open call is now live on the Burj Khalifa website.

According to the call, Emaar is looking for a "stunning audio-visual projection" that could be displayed on Burj Khalifa's façade, giving the winning artist a shot at global visibility on one of the world's most photographed landmarks.

“This is your opportunity to see your creativity brought to life on a global stage, in front of audiences from around the world,” Emaar said, calling on the artists to “project their creativity sky-high.”

The brief states the chosen design should celebrate "innovation, artistry, and the vibrant spirit of Dubai."

Submissions opened on July 8, 2026, and will remain open until August 18, 2026, 11:59pm.

Entrants are being asked to keep their work original, culturally appropriate and, importantly, free of copyright issues, both in the visuals and the music used.

Entries must be three minutes long. A preview video should be submitted in MP4 format, while the final high-resolution file for actual projection needs to be in MOV.

The preview must carry integrated music, but a separate audio file is also required for the projection itself, and all music used must be copyright-free.

Alongside the video, applicants must include a short concept note of up to 300 words explaining the story and inspiration behind their design.

A downloadable template with detailed technical specifications, along with a guidance manual, is also available for those preparing their entries.

Interested artists simply need to prepare their video and concept description, then email everything to opencall@emaar.ae before the deadline.

Full terms, conditions and FAQs are available in the Open Call section of the Burj Khalifa website.

Unlike some previous design competitions, this year's Open Call is notably light on detail when it comes to prize money.

The listing simply states that the reward is having your "work projected on the world's tallest building,” with no cash prize mentioned anywhere in the current call.

That's a marked shift from the previous edition. Emaar's May 2025 Open Call came with a headline-grabbing incentive: a cash prize of Dh100,000 for the winning designer, alongside having their work displayed on Burj Khalifa.

That competition ran from May 6 to June 26, 2025, and was open specifically to UAE residents.

While announcing that edition, Mohamed Alabbar, founder of Emaar, had said: "At Emaar, we believe that talent knows no boundaries. Burj Khalifa stands not only as a symbol of human achievement but also as a canvas for creativity and innovation — open to everyone with a talent to share. Through initiatives like this, we reaffirm our commitment to nurturing creativity and providing a platform where ideas can reach new heights. We are proud to open our doors to every dreamer, artist, and innovator, offering them the opportunity to contribute to our collective story of achievement."

While last year's call was aimed at UAE residents, this year's edition has widened its net, welcoming entries from artists "from the UAE and around the world."

With submissions open for close to six weeks, considerably longer than the 2025 window, Emaar appears to be inviting a much larger, more global pool of talent.

Whether the lack of a declared cash reward will dampen enthusiasm remains to be seen, but for many creatives, the chance to light up the world's tallest building may well be incentive enough.