About Festival
Designblok 2026 will take place 6–11 October 2026. The main theme of the 28th Designblok, Prague International Festival is light!
Designblok will take place from 6 to 11 October 2026 and will introduce the theme Light, which will provide the philosophical and curatorial framework for its 28th edition. The largest design and fashion showcase in Central Europe will once again guide visitors to exceptional Prague venues and present a range of new exhibition projects.
The central theme of this year’s Designblok will be Light—a symbol of knowledge, truth, hope and life. This year, the festival will focus on the influence and role of design in society, and on questions of how design can contribute to the development of human lives and to addressing the socio-economic challenges of today’s world. Curated exhibitions, exhibitors’ installations, discussions on the Designblok Stage, and the programme of the Designblok Talks conference will explore light in both practical and symbolic terms.
The main exhibition will present a showcase of lighting and lamps from Central Europe from the 1950s to the 1980s, curated by Eva Slunečková in cooperation with the Museum of Decorative Arts in Prague. At the National Gallery Prague, Maxim Velčovský will create a monumental light object for the Small Hall of the Trade Fair Palace under the curatorial guidance of Michal Novotný and Michaela Kádnerová. Installations and new works by leading Czech manufacturers and lighting designers will also be presented.
In cooperation with the Prague Castle Administration, Designblok continues to open exceptional buildings within one of the world’s largest castle complexes to the general public. The festival returns to the Prague Castle Riding School, and a special exhibition will also be created in the Chapel of the Holy Cross in the Second Courtyard.
Every year, the Superstudio presents companies, producers, and shops, showing off the newest items by Czech and international producers made in collaboration with designers. The willingness to develop quality products with added value is the basic condition for selecting exhibitors from various design spheres – mostly furniture, lighting, and interior accessories.
The Openstudio is an opportunity for designers, design studios, and schools. This laboratory of contemporary design presents product designers, fashion designers, jewelry designers, and illustrators, offering a juicy showcase of innovative solutions, creative ideas, prototypes, and small-series production.
