Dutch Design Week 2026

Dutch Design Week 2026 runs from Saturday 17 to Sunday 25 October in Eindhoven. For nine days the city itself becomes the venue, with design shown in museums, factories, shops, studios and temporary spaces rather than in one exhibition hall. The festival is organised by Dutch Design Foundation, and the 2026 dates are confirmed on the official ddw.nl website.

The scale is what makes it different from a fair. According to the organiser, recent editions have brought together more than 2,500 designers at over 120 locations, drawing more than 300,000 visitors from around the world. This is an event people plan a route through, not something to finish in a single afternoon.

What happens during the week

The organiser describes a programme of exhibitions, lectures, award ceremonies, events, debates and festive gatherings. Its content is grouped under five broad mission themes: Thriving Planet, Living Environment, Digital Futures, Health & Wellbeing and Equal Society. No theme for the 2026 edition has been announced on the official pages so far.

Locations are spread throughout Eindhoven. The organiser’s practical information points to the Klokgebouw at Strijp-S, which hosts the information desk. The Design Academy Graduation Show also features in the official programme; in the 2025 edition it opened at 13:00 on the first Saturday, later than most other venues.

How the festival works

Dutch Design Week uses a wristband system. A ticket bought online is exchanged for a wristband at the event, and the organiser sells that as nine days of access for the price of one ticket. You can enter and leave locations during their opening hours, though the organiser warns you may have to queue again at busy moments. Children up to and including 11 years old visit free of charge.

Because the festival covers dozens of addresses, the organiser publishes a venue map in the run-up to the event, available from September. Grouping nearby locations into a single day is easier than crossing the city repeatedly.

Planning a visit

One caveat on everything below: the organiser’s practical pages still describe the most recent edition rather than 2026, so treat these as the current published policy and check ddw.nl again closer to October.

In the 2025 edition, most locations were open daily from 11:00 to 18:00, with some variation per venue. Opening hours for 2026 will be published on ddw.nl closer to the event, so check the listing for any specific location you want to see.

A few practical points come straight from the organiser’s own FAQ. Cloakrooms and lockers are not available at most locations, so pack light. Service dogs are welcome everywhere, provided the dog wears a harness that clearly identifies it; policies for other dogs differ per venue. First aid is based at the Klokgebouw at Strijp-S, with a mobile team covering that area, and lost property is held at the Klokgebouw information desk for up to a month after the festival.

On accessibility, the organiser says the majority of its venues can be reached by wheelchair, with detailed per-location information published on the visitors’ section of ddw.nl.

Tickets and official information

Tickets are sold through the official shop on ddw.nl. At the time of writing, prices and the sale date for the 2026 edition have not yet been published; the ticket page still shows the rates and sale windows of an earlier edition, in which early bird sales opened in early September. The organiser has used tiered pricing in recent years, with cheaper early bird and pre-sale rates before prices rise during the festival and at the door.

Recent editions offered a regular ticket, a reduced ticket listed for ages 12 to 17, a family ticket for up to five people and a PRO ticket aimed at professionals, which carries a higher price. Expect a similar structure for 2026, with exact prices confirmed on the official ticket page once sales open. Children up to and including 11 do not need a paid ticket.

Background

Dutch Design Week is run by Dutch Design Foundation, the Eindhoven-based organisation that also runs the Dutch Design Awards, Coalitions, Co/Labs and De Publieke Ontwerppraktijk. The festival positions itself around what design can contribute to society in the years ahead, which explains the weight given to graduation work, experiments and debate alongside finished products.

The event has deep roots in Eindhoven’s calendar. The organiser’s own archive lists festival ambassadors going back to 2009 and annual themes going back to 2012, and it counts more than 300,000 visitors in recent editions.

Common questions

When is Dutch Design Week 2026?

From Saturday 17 to Sunday 25 October 2026, nine days in total, at locations across Eindhoven.

Do I need a ticket?

Yes, for the full programme. A ticket bought via ddw.nl is exchanged for a wristband that covers all nine days, with re-entry allowed during opening hours. Children up to and including 11 years old visit free.

What are the opening hours?

In the 2025 edition most locations were open daily from 11:00 to 18:00, though hours vary per venue. The 2026 hours will appear on the official website closer to the festival.

Where exactly does it take place?

Throughout Eindhoven, spread across dozens of locations. The organiser publishes a venue map from September, and the Klokgebouw at Strijp-S hosts the information desk.

Is the festival wheelchair accessible?

The organiser says the majority of its venues can be reached by wheelchair and publishes detailed accessibility information per location on the visitors’ pages of ddw.nl.