Report Finds Auction Houses Have Made Significant Recoveries in 2026
An ArtTactic report analysing data from various major auction houses has found that sales significantly increased year-on-year in the first half of 2026
%2520%2520(10).jpg%3F2026-07-14T09%3A33%3A21.432Z&w=3840&q=100)
Sotheby’s Masterpieces from the Lewis Collection and Contemporary and Modern Art Evening Auction. Photo: Rayan Bamhayan. Courtesy Sotheby’s
An ArtTactic report analysing data from Christie’s, Sotheby’s and Phillips has found that auction sales were up 70% year-on-year in the first half of 2026, The Art Newspaper reports.
The breakdown across total sales for 2026 thus far (not including car sales) is as follows: Christie’s sales were up 71% from $2bn in the first half of 2025 to $3.4bn, Sotheby’s sales rose by 71% from $1.6bn in 2025 to $2.8bn and Phillips sales increased by 59% from $318m in 2025 to $505.4m this year. The most significant growth was seen in London.
“While marquee evening sales have been driven by $5m-plus artworks from major single-owner collections, the strength of day sales demonstrates that confidence has also returned to the market's middle core,” ArtTactic’s founder and chief executive Anders Petterson told The Art Newspaper.
Related content
News
Unesco Reviewing Controversial ‘Black Cube’ Project in Florence
The Neo-Classical building, whose nearly 30m high, dark-coloured modern addition was designed by Vittorio Grassi architects, has consistently been the subject of controversy
Singapore Gallery Month 2026 Announces Full Programme
The annual festival will take place from 15 August to 13 September 2026 and includes more than 100 exhibitions and events
Court Sentences British Man Over Forgeries Submitted to Sotheby's
Andrew Crowley admitted fraud after presenting fabricated documentation to support the sale of four purported antiquities through the London auction house
Bayeux Tapestry Crosses Channel for First Time Since the 11th Century
The state-owned French embroidery has arrived at the British Museum in London ahead of a year-long exhibition that has already generated record advance ticket sales.
Hauser & Wirth Cleared in UK Russia Sanctions Case
Southwark Crown Court dismissed charges against the gallery's UK subsidiary and art shipper Artay Rauchwerger Solomons after finding insufficient evidence that a collector was connected to Russia under the relevant sanctions rules
Artist Accuses Work at Manifesta 16 of Plagiarism
Dorothee Bielfeld has asked the Manifesta 16 biennial to remove an installation by Nasan Tur titled Elevation (2026), alleging that the artwork plagiarises her earlier work
Sharjah Architecture Triennial 2026 Announcement
The third edition will take place from 14 November 2026 to 14 April 2027 and is titled Architecture Otherwise: Building Civic Infrastructure for Collective Futures
Bae Young-whan, Artist Inspired by K-Pop and Conceptualism, 1969–2026
The Korean artist, who prioritised quotidian lived experience through his work, has died
Skulptur Projekte Münster 2027 Artist Announcement
The fifth edition is directed by Ivet Ćurlin, Nataša Ilić and Sabina Sabolović and will take place from 13 June to 3 October 2027
Bangkok Art Biennale 2026 Announces Participating Artists
The Biennale will take place from 29 October 2026 to 28 February 2027
Helen Cammock Withdraws Work from National Portrait Gallery, London
The piece’s withdrawal follows controversy surrounding its statement that Winston Churchill had intentionally starved the Indian population during the 1943 Bengal famine
.jpg%3F2026-06-24T14%3A32%3A11.838Z&w=3840&q=100)
Misan Harriman Steps Down as Southbank Centre Chair
Hariman’s decision follows a period of scrutiny and criticism over his social media activity
Subscribe to our weekly newsletter
Intel on the art market. Straight to your inbox.
