The essential gatherings that anchor the creative calendar. These are the spaces where our industry converges - to exchange ideas, build lasting connections, and shape what comes next. This is a living resource, we'll update it continuously, so bookmark and return.

Last update: December 15th 2025

March 12-18 | Austin, Texas (Link)

Four decades of spotting what's next. SXSW's 40th anniversary brings all three tracks - Innovation, Film & TV, and Music - together for the first time in a unified format. This is a must, the conversations shaping culture and technology happen here. This year the festival transforms into a pop-up village across downtown Austin. So the entire city becomes an opportunity for discovery and connection.

Insider Tip: Congress Avenue is where you want to be. The Austin Motel is our favorite base - great creative energy, plus there's a monthly classic car meet-up. The iconic Continental Club is right across the street. For co-working, head to The Malin where you'll find creative founders and design-focused tech people. If you prefer something quieter, East Austin has its own appeal.

April 16-18 | Barcelona, Spain (Link)

OFFF has been the meeting point for graphic designers, motion artists, and digital creatives for 25 years now. Three days of talks, masterclasses, and installations where established names and emerging talent actually mix. The Barcelona edition is the flagship, but OFFF also pops up in different cities throughout the year - worth checking if one lands near you.

Practical Note: Tickets are on sale already, current price 330 euro for 3 full days. Our choice to stay is The Hoxton in Barcelona (feels like Soho House but with better networking opportunities).

One of our favorite showcases during Milan Design Week 24: Nilufar Depot

April 21-26 | Milan, Italy (Link)

What started as a fair for furniture and interior design has become THE essential week for design-focused brands - from fashion to tech and lifestyle. Milan Design Week is composed of two centers: Salone del Mobile at Rho Fiera, which is targeted at interior design professionals, architects and wholesalers. Fuorisalone is the city-wide exhibition in the center of Milan for all kinds of brand activations (and the more interesting part in our opinion). Expect takeovers of historical palazzi and fashion houses opening their headquarters for installations. Find some of our highlights from last year here to slowly get into the mood!

Navigate Like a Pro: Milan Design Week can be a lot and slightly overwhelming. Every year, we publish our guide to Milan Design Week and connect members in town to organize studio visits and share private event invites - make sure to sign up to our newsletter to stay in the loop.

Arrive before the official start of Milan Design Week. For key industry networking, we recommend getting there on April 18th to catch previews and satellite events - and leaving on April 24th before the weekend crowds arrive.

Two spots to take a breather and connect with other creatives in town:

St. Ambroeus - Start your day here at 8AM, before the design week chaos kicks in. This is where curators and creatives fuel up and have their most honest conversations over coffee.

Bar Basso - When the official programming wraps, this is where everyone reconvenes. A tucked-away bar that's become the unofficial after-hours meeting point for the design community.

Range Rover's Futurespective at Milan Design Week 2025, setting the aesthetic tone.

June 22-26 | Cannes, France (Link)

Where creative advertising meets business strategy. Cannes Lions has grown beyond awards into the gathering point for creative and marketing leaders from around the world.

Strategic Approach: The specialist tracks like Innovation Lions and fringe events are where the meaningful conversations happen. Book meetings months ahead - calendars fill early. Pack sports gear: morning runs or padel sessions are natural networking opportunities.

June 18-21 | Basel, Switzerland (Link)

October 23-25 | Paris, France (Link)

If you're involved in the art market, this is essential: even if acquiring work at Art Basel is financially out of reach, the fair reveals where both the market and broader cultural discourse stand - its trends, challenges, and what society values at this moment. Basel remains the original, but Art Basel Paris (October 23-25) has its very own appeal - taking place at the Grand Palais, the iconic venue best known for Karl Lagerfeld's legendary Chanel runway shows.

Note: Tickets go on sale at the beginning of 2026. While pricing is premium, concurrent gallery exhibitions and brand activations throughout the city offset costs with free programming. Arrive early - it gets very crowded during the day. Wear comfortable walking shoes and don't spend all your time at Messeplatz. Unlimited and Liste Art Fair are just as exciting to explore as they showcase younger galleries and emerging artists.

Super cool highlight from last year: MiuMiu, as official partner of Art Basel Paris 25, collaborated with London-based artist Helen Marten on 30 Blizzards. a 360 - degree performance installation at the Palais d'Iéna featuring thirty performers navigating sculptures, video, and choreographed movement.

June 1-6 | London, UK (Link)

SXSW's London edition brings together AI pioneers, music industry leaders, and creative disruptors across Conference, Music, and Screen programming. This year explores AI evolution, healthtech, venture capital shifts, and the creator economy - with keynotes from innovators shaping tech, culture, and commerce, including Rory Sutherland (Vice Chairman of Ogilvy UK), Luke Des Cotes (CEO of Metalabs), and Lars Rasmussen (Co-Founder of Google Maps).

Good to know: Need to convince your boss to get festival tickets? The SXSW team created a handy guide (including email templates) to hit some company-sponsored tickets. Find it here.

September 9-13 | Berlin, Germany (Link)

Berlin Art Week grows more relevant each year. What started niche has become essential for understanding Berlin's creative scene. Art is the anchor, but the programming spans music, design, performance, and digital work - a true cross-section of the city's creative network.

Don't know where to start? Mitte has strong galleries like Dittrich & Schlechtriem, but Potsdamer Straße is Berlin's gallery heart - think Chelsea in New York. Personal favorites there: recently opened Pace Gallery at Cafe Zeit and Store 77 by Andreas Murkudis. Add Konrad Fischer Galerie and Boros Collection if your schedule has room.

May 14-21 | New York City (Link)

American design at its most dynamic. The festival continues to be a crucial platform for emerging designers and new business models, now with an even stronger focus on sustainability and digital-physical hybrids.

Industry Access: The International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) remains the commercial heart, but Brooklyn's independent showcases are where the most experimental work lives. Look for pop-ups in Greenpoint and Williamsburg for early-stage talent.

Wallpaper* did an amazing job partnering up with NYCxDesign and guiding us through the week. Recommending their NYCxDesign Guide 2025 here until they publish the new one.

February 4-8 | Mexico City (Link)

Mexico City's dynamic art scene converges in this week-long celebration, anchored by the Zona Maco art fair. If Mexico City isn't on your radar yet, it should be - the city is quickly becoming one of the most exciting destinations for contemporary art, design, and cultural programming.

Navigate Like a Pro: While Zona Maco is the commercial center, the real energy is in Roma-Condesa and San Miguel Chapultepec. Material Art Fair and Salón ACME showcase emerging talent. This year, we're on the ground in CDMX - connecting members, curating the must-see shows, and making sure you don't miss the best after-parties. Guide coming soon.

Sometimes the best connections happen at smaller events. These platforms offer fresh perspectives and intimate networking away from the industry's usual circuits - proof that scale isn't everything.

June 10-12 | Copenhagen, Denmark (Link)

Copenhagen's design community continues to grow, with 3daysofdesign now firmly on the map as a must-attend alternative to Milan. The festival takes over showrooms, shops, galleries, and streets throughout the city, creating an atmosphere that's both accessible and ambitious.

Insider Tip: What was once "the alternative to Milan" is now a destination on its own terms. Designers in our network are increasingly prioritizing Copenhagen for its organic atmosphere and easier access to both showcase and discover work.

June 11-12 | Frankfurt (Link)

August 27-28 | Berlin (Link)

October 1-2 | Vienna (Link)

A series of interconnected creative conferences spanning Vienna, Berlin, and - new for 2026 - Frankfurt (very excited to see what Frankfurt's Creative Industry has to offer). Each location adds its unique cultural perspective to a program that blends design, creativity, and technology. The multi-city format creates unique opportunities for regional network building.

Insider Tip: Don't just treat it as a networking event - the talks themselves are always reliably sharp and captivating. They're definitely worth showing up for, not just background noise between networking. While Vienna is Forward's hometown and offers the most comprehensive program, the other locations definitely hold their own spark.

Impressions from Forward Festival 2025.

September 24-26 | Antwerp, Belgium (Link)

A nocturnal twist on the creative festival format. Though on the smaller side, Antwerp is a serious player in the design industry - and this after-dark gathering reflects that. One of Europe's most distinctive design events, combining talks with immersive experiences and creative market spaces. The night-time setting creates a uniquely intimate atmosphere for industry networking.

Experience Note: The market area becomes particularly active after 10 PM. Plan your schedule around the late-night sessions where speakers often engage in more candid discussions.

June 18 - 20 | Barcelona, Spain (Link)

Where music innovation meets creative technology. The professional program has become essential for interactive designers, creative technologists, and anyone exploring AI in the creative industries. The conference format feels more like a club night - talks and radical performances side-by-side with Project Area's interactive installations.

February 12-15 | St. Moritz to Capri (Link)

Collectible design and contemporary art in rotating destinations. The boutique format and exceptional settings foster genuine connections between collectors and cultural leaders.

MONOM's 4DSOUND system: where sound becomes spatial experience. Photo: MONOM

September 12-14 | Berlin (Link)

Berlin's spatial sound festival at the iconic Funkhaus. Over 60 artists present listening sessions, live performances, and installations using 4DSOUND technology - transforming the former broadcasting center's acoustically refined spaces into immersive sonic experiences.

Jan 23 - Feb 1 | Berlin (Link)

CTM Festival explores experimental and electronic music at Berlin's most distinctive venues - Berghain, Radialsystem, Volksbühne. This year's theme "dissonate <> resonate" investigates where frequencies clash and converge, with programming spanning doom, noise, hyperpop, and afrofuturistic sounds alongside spatial sound installations and collaborative commissions.

St Vincent by Michael Hilal, COLLECTIBLE New York 2024 ©Jonathan Hökklo

March 12-15 | Brussels (Link)

September tbd | New York City (Link)

COLLECTIBLE champions the space between functional design and art. Strict curation (limited editions, unique pieces, recent work only) and collaborations with leading institutions make it essential for understanding where collectible design is headed. Additional iterations include pop-ups at Paris Design Week and Maison & Objet Hong Kong.

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Find below the comprehensive overview of industry events in 2026 that we will continuously update.

• CTM Festival, Berlin (January)
• CDMX Art Week, Mexico City (February)
• Nomad Circle, St. Moritz (February)
• Collectible, Brussels (March)
• SXSW, Austin (March)
• Design Shanghai, (March)

• OFFF Barcelona, Barcelona (April)
• Milan Design Week, Milan (April)
• NYCxDesign, New York City (May)
• SXSW London Edition, London (June)
• 3 Days of Design, Copenhagen (June)
• Forward Festival, Frankfurt (June)
• Sonar+D, Barcelona (June)
• Art Basel, Basel (June)
• Cannes Lions, Cannes (June)

• Forward Festival Berlin (August)
• Spatial Music Conference & Festival Berlin (September)
• London Design Festival (September)
• Us By Night Antwerp (September)
• Berlin Art Week & Gallery Weekend (September)
• Collectible, New York City (September)

• Forward Festival, Vienna (October)
• Art Basel Paris, Paris (October)
• Frieze London (October)
• Dutch Design Week (October)
• Adobe Max L.A. (November)
• Design Miami / Art Basel Miami (December)

Image by Forward Festival