The global design events of 2026 and where to stay

Prepare for a full calendar of events in 2026 with our month-by-month guide to what’s on and where to stay to make the most of the inspiration around the globe

January: Paris

Start your year with a double helping of design events, as Maison & Objet (15-19 January) and Paris Déco Off (14-17 January) transform the French capital into a hub of what’s new and next in the world of interiors. At the former the theme is ‘Past Reveals Future’, with an emphasis on materiality, craftsmanship and luxury, while the latter will be a chance to see the new collections from top decorating brands for the first time. With this much inspiration in the air, it’s important to have a similarly creative place to stay. Hôtel Massé (pictured top), founded by siblings Corto and Eole Peyron and designed by Gasparetto Parenti, is a 70s-tinged sanctuary that has built an engaged community of artists and designers since its launch at the end of 2025. Note: its chic cocktail bar Trente Paris, located next door, will open this month! From £157 per night, hotelmasse.com

February: Stockholm

Although Stockholm Furniture Fair and its associated Design Week are cancelled ahead of a rejuvenated biennial offering in 2027, many brands and local designers are still taking the opportunity to showcase their work, and the independent Stockholm Creative Edition (3-7 February) will move into this spot offering a fresh perspective. It’s a good chance to get a feel for a design capital rethinking its reputation on the international stage, since the maximalist work of its young creative talents stole the spotlight in 2025. When it comes to where to relax, it has to be the newly opened Hotel Hagastrand. Designed by Swedish architecture studio Wingårdhs, it has a natural aesthetic with contemporary edge – and striped panelling in its 240 rooms. From £165 per night, hagastrand.se

March: São Paulo

Brazilian design is on the rise – last year, in London alone, two venues, Cobogó Gallery and JIG Studio, opened, both dedicated to the country’s creative output. Often the focus is its mid-century masters, such as Jorge Zalszupin and Lina Bo Bardi, but the contemporary scene is flourishing too. For DW! Sa–o Paolo Design Week (5-15 March) the city’s eight design districts will host showcases, talks and open studios. One local brand to keep an eye on is Aflalo/Gasperini Arquitetos, the architecture firm behind the W São Paolo, which translated the lines of Brazilian modernism into a very modern hotel skyscraper. With interiors by Nini Andrade Silva, it’s a vibrant reflection of a country reasserting its place on the design map. From £380 per night, w-hotels.marriott.com

April: Milan

The exponential expansion of Salone del Mobile (21-26 April) and the wider Milan design week looks set to continue this year as the fair itself, held every year at Rho Fiera, embraces the world of collectible design for the first time. The debut of Salone Raritas – curated by Annalisa Rosso and to be located within a specially designed space by Formafantasma – cements the rise of ‘unique pieces, limited editions and outsider objects’. As one of the most-attended events in the design calendar, finding the best place to stay is competitive, but the effort would be worth it if you secured a room at The Carlton, which opened towards the end of 2025. Designed by Olga Polizzi, in collaboration with Paolo Moschino and Philip Vergeylen, its interiors are both luxurious and unmistakably Milanese. From £1,120 per night, roccofortehotels.com

May: New York

Visiting the Big Apple at this time of year, before summer’s scorching heat descends, is a treat. But the main reason to make the hop across the pond is for NYCxDesign (14-20 May) and the International Contemporary Furniture Fair (17-19 May) – the former has a focus on diversity and inclusion (issues under threat in the US of late) within the design world. Channel the event’s youthful energy and positivity by booking a stay at Faena New York. Only the third hotel by founder Alan Faena, its interiors, by London-based Peter Mikic, feature plenty of glossy red-lacquered walls and a penchant for leopard print. From £1,048 per night, faena.com/new-york

June: Copenhagen

3 Days of Design (10-12 June) allows design insiders and the public to access events in historic venues, hidden courtyards, rooftops and more in the Danish capital. Founded by four Danish brands – Montana, Erik Jørgensen (now owned by Fredericia), Anker & Co and Kvadrat – it is carefully curated, but its success has seen satellite events pop up. Other Circle (10-13 June) combines furniture with music, art, fashion and food for a 360-degree experience. Book a room at 1 Hotel Copenhagen. Its look – neutrals, reclaimed wood and sustainable fabrics – was a collaboration between Norm Architects, AvroKO, Arkitema Architects and Synergy Architects. From £292 per night, 1hotels.com/copenhagen

July/August: Venice

What could be more pleasant than summer in Venice? Perhaps days exploring the pavilions of this year’s Biennale Arte (9 May-22 November). The programme for 2026 was curated by Cameroonian-Swiss art curator Koyo Kouoh, who sadly passed away unexpectedly in 2025,
but her vision, titled ‘In Minor Keys’, will be fulfilled, making this a poignant reflection on art today. The artists invited to the 61st exhibition include Lubaina Himid, who will take over the British Pavilion with a major show of her own work. We suggest booking in at a brand-new hotel that creates its own immersive world: Airelles Venezia is spread across three historic buildings, including the 16th-century Palladio, Santa Maria della Presentazione (a church with two bell towers) and a villa once home to Italian nobles. If you can, extend your stay, as ‘Homo Faber 2026: An Island of Light’ opens on 1 September, with artistic direction by Es Devlin. From £1,226 per night, airelles.com

September: London

Details of this year’s London Design Festival (12-20 September) are still firmly under wraps, but we do know that once again the capital will become a lightning rod for talent. Choose a central location as a base before exploring everything from Shoreditch Design Triangle in the east to the revitalised Brompton Design District in the west. The Zetter, soon to open in Bloomsbury, is adjacent to The British Museum. With interiors by designer and antiques expert James Thurstan Waterworth’s studio Thurstan, this Georgian outpost will be decorated with vintage furniture and objets d’art inspired by the house’s historic former residents. Consider it a calming counterpoint to the abundance of newness and innovation you’ll encounter across the week. From £301 per night, thezetter.com/bloomsbury

October: Eindhoven

With a reputation as the home of avant-garde creativity, Dutch Design Week (17-25 October) is a rich hunting ground for revolutionary studios and fresh ideas. It’s brilliantly bold, but there is another side to Dutch design, one that’s calmer, more reserved and artfully restrained, and it’s this friction that makes the country’s scene so interesting. One of its biggest established names is designer Piet Boon – he’s involved in a landmark project that will see a 635-year-old castle outside of Eindhoven turned into a five-star hotel, part of Hilton’s Curio Collection. Sadly, that will not be open in time, but you can experience his interiors (designed to embody the Dutch concept of gezelligheid – a welcoming and cosy atmosphere) at the recently opened Rosewood Amsterdam, set within an equally historic building: the former Palace of Justice. At just over an hour away by train, it’s an easy commute. From £630 per night, rosewoodhotels.com

November: Mumbai

When the first Design Mumbai was announced back in 2024, even its founders are unlikely to have envisioned how far it would come in just three years. The 2026 edition (25-28 November) looks set to continue that trajectory, offering memorable installations by homegrown brands – a highlight of the recent 2025 event was Jaipur Rugs’s ‘Court of Carpets’, with the brand’s female artisans playing against Indian tennis legend Rohan Bopanna. The fair’s aim is to open the world’s eyes to the design heritage and contemporary talent found across India, and both are on display in Fairmont Mumbai, a hotel inspired by the city’s art deco past and rich craft scene. A Walk in the Gardens, a glittering artwork that greets guests in the lobby, features traditional repoussé metal, carved wood blocks and intricate embroidery. From £130 per night, fairmont.com

December: Miami

This is the year that collectible design enters the mainstream, with Salone del Mobile dedicating a space to pieces that sit on the boundary between furniture and art, but it is important to look to the events, such as Design Miami (2-7 December), that have been championing it for decades. An incredibly popular stop in the design calendar, the city also simultaneously hosts Alcova Miami, at Miami River Inn, the city’s oldest hotel. A hotel with a similarly long history is the Delano Miami Beach. Built in 1947, the art deco gem underwent a Philippe Starck and Ian Schrager redesign in the 90s, but now, after a five-year redevelopment, it’s all quiet minimalism – the work of Elastic Architects and Ennismore’s in-house design team. From £716 per night, delanohotels.com/miami-beach