Art Basel 2026: DJs and Thomas Bangalter (Daft Punk) to Attract Crowds

Forced to reinvent itself each year in an ever more spectacular way, the famous contemporary art fair has invited Thomas Bangalter, one half of the legendary group Daft Punk, the Franco-Swiss artist Julien Charrière and the German DJ Rampa to transform Basel into an immersive world blending art and sound for a day and a night, on Saturday 20 June.

But beyond the events and the glitz, Art Basel is first and foremost a business, where behind-the-scenes dealings are sometimes as significant as those at the Davos Economic Forum (WEF). Every June, the event becomes an unmissable gathering where the worlds of business and culture converge, with the primary aim of speculating on, and then selling, artworks from around the globe.

In 2025, global art market sales rose by 4% to reach $59.6 billion, according to the Global Art Market Report 2026, published last March by Art Basel and UBS. Alongside the many collectors, the luxury industry also remains a key player at the fair, through long-standing partnerships, notably with Audemars Piguet, Maison Ruinart (LVMH), BMW, Zegna, Vitra and Jet Aviation.

And yet, financial difficulties are emerging, such as those reported on 3 June in the New York Times, concerning Pace Gallery, which is part of a very exclusive circle of leading mega-galleries including Gagosian, Hauser & Wirth and Zwirner. With a presence in Geneva, Seoul, Tokyo and Berlin, the international firm has announced it is parting ways with 50 artists and estates, whilst cutting 50 jobs.

Since succeeding his father Arne Glimcher in 2011, CEO Marc Glimcher has overseen a series of expansions, including a $100 million refurbishment of its global headquarters in New York. According to him, such a project would “under no circumstances” see the light of day today.

In the pages of the New York-based daily, Glimcher explains that “galleries need a change of direction.” For Pace, this means returning to our roots, refocusing and reaffirming our historic mission: we are returning to the future, connecting young artists with their elders, and focusing on a group of around 80 artists, representing an intergenerational mix of emerging and established artists, as well as artist estates.”

According to ARTFORUM, this means that even the largest, most established institutions in the art world have shifted from a retail sales model to private sales and advisory services, driven primarily by rising costs, changing habits and global uncertainty. Against this backdrop, Art Basel, which is celebrating its 56th edition this week, must continue to be both an art fair and a massive art market.