BERLIN DESIGN WEEK IS BACK IN FULL SWING
Berlin Design Week returns to the German capital from May 28 to 31, 2026. Under the theme DESIGN REAL, the festival marks a strategic shift toward design with substance — solutions that address real-world problems and drive change across the spectrum of architecture, product design, and research. Joining the 2026 edition as the official media partner, designboom takes on the task to amplify the festival’s international reach and connect Berlin’s vibrant community with a global audience.
Berlin Design Week returns from May 28 to 31, 2026 | all images courtesy of Berlin Design Week
THE FESTIVAL BECOMES AN INTERNATIONAL STAGE FOR DESIGN
Organized by state of DESIGN GmbH, the festival has grown into an essential annual event that celebrates the diversity of the discipline. Festival Director Alexandra Klatt emphasizes that the event is evolving as an independent platform for genuine sustainability and real impact, aiming to solidify Berlin’s status as Europe’s primary creative force. By bringing together international guests and local designers on equal footing, the festival creates a cross-disciplinary space where future visions meet concrete, real-world implementation.
the event offers four interconnected formats – from open studios and talks to a curated market concept
FOUR FORMATS TO SHOWCASE THE FUTURE OF DESIGN
The 2026 programme is built around four interconnected formats designed to bring the DESIGN REAL motto to life. The event kicks off on May 28 with Berlin Design Nights, where studios, galleries, and agencies across the city open their doors to the public. This is followed by The Berlin Format, a high-level conference where brand strategy and design research meet keynotes and panel talks. On May 30 and 31, the Design Pool at PLATTE.BERLIN transforms into a curated fair-meets-market, offering designers and producers a direct line to an audience looking for small-series furniture, fashion, and interior products.
For brands and designers looking to establish a presence alongside the many satellite events of the four-day festival, the new Design Hub Partner programme offers curated spaces in unique locations, ranging from former courthouses to contemporary studios. Participants benefit from inclusion in the official festival catalogue and the dedicated press cloud, ensuring maximum visibility. Registration for participants, exhibitors, and partners is currently open for those ready to join Berlin’s most impactful design conversation yet.
participants can showcase their work in their own locations or at one of the festival’s design spots | Sweef CO Kameleonten
in previous years, up to 91 satellite locations participated throughout Berlin | Berlin Rodeo lab, ®Jordana Schramm
over four days, Berlin becomes an international stage for design across its full spectrum | ® Bernhard Musil
Crafted Liberation by Arshia Maljaei, Berlin Design Week 2025
project info:
event: Berlin Design Week 2026 | @berlindesignweek
organizer: state of DESIGN GmbH
dates: May 28 to 31, 2026
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