During three vibrant days in Copenhagen, our global design community came together to explore design's power to make a difference. Creators, makers, industry professionals, thought-leaders, journalists, and design enthusiasts travelled from around the world, united by a shared belief that design can help shape a better future. 

This year, 3daysofdesign featured 572 exhibitors from over 37 countries and 894 events all across the city. Copenhagen Design Week was awash with interesting concepts, collections, launches, interiors, installations, talks, workshops, and immersive experiences. A record number of 125.000 visitors from more than 140 different nations filled the city’s streets, showrooms, galleries, and cultural institutions.

Reinforcing our position as one of Europe's leading design destinations. 

As Denmark’s Official Design Festival, it was an amazing gathering of people with a shared passion for design. A testament to our belief that when creatives and consumers come together, design becomes a powerful force for reimagining the world. Not someday, but now. Starting today.

A Radical Mindset Reset – Being Present 

Our 2026 theme, "Make This Moment Matter," champions a radical mindset reset from more to meaningful. Inviting participants to engage fully with the present while recognising that today's decisions will shape tomorrow's reality. 

The theme encourages a shift from nostalgia for the past and speculation about the future, towards awareness, engagement, and action in the present. We were pleased to see that designers, manufacturers, the global press and guests embraced the opportunity to focus on what matters right now.

It’s an idea that resonated strongly in this year’s festival Symposium ”Entering the Now”. Bringing together influential voices from design, architecture, art, culture, and business, the Symposium examined how creativity can help us navigate the complexity and uncertainty of the times we live in. Through thought-provoking discussions and inspiring presentations, participants reflected on how design can have a meaningful impact in the here and now. 

Similarly, the Design Walks at each of our 8 Design Districts encouraged visitors to slow down and experience Copenhagen with renewed attention. Exploring neighbourhoods, architectural landmarks and exhibitions, festival guests discovered how design shapes everyday life, and how presence can transform the way we experience our surroundings. 

Because the most memorable moments often take place not from looking backwards or forwards, but from being fully immersed in the present.

What's Your Why? – Purpose 

Implicit within our theme is an invitation to examine the "why" behind design. 

Design informs the emotional landscape around us. It influences how we experience our homes, workplaces, public spaces, and communities. The ideas we create shape the environments we inhabit, and in turn, those environments shape us. 

Throughout our festival, designers showed a growing commitment to creating with intent. Their work addressed social, environmental, and cultural questions while exploring how design can contribute positively to people's lives. 

This sense of purpose was reflected across exhibitions and installations that explored wellbeing, inclusivity, material innovation, accessibility, and cultural identity. Rather than presenting design as a purely commercial endeavour, brands used their exhibitions to encourage reflection, conversation, and meaningful engagement. 

Our Design Ambassadors and dedicated 3daysofdesign team played an important role in bringing these ideas to life. Acting as guides and storytellers throughout the city, they connected visitors with the people, places, and projects behind the exhibitions.

A move on our part to keep the personal, intimate atmosphere that our festival is known for, while adding to the caring, inclusive and human-centred festival experience.

From Superficial to Substance – Things That Matter 

One of the strongest sub-themes throughout this year's festival was a renewed focus on substanceover surplus. 

Designers challenged traditional notions of value, asking whether the objects we create truly contribute to our lives, our culture, and the preservation of our planet. Posing the ultimate question to ask ourselves: if it doesn’t add, why not subtract it?

Visitors encountered projects that prioritised durability, reparability, craftsmanship, and responsible production. Material experimentation featured prominently, alongside innovative approaches to circular design and resource efficiency. 

There was a clear movement away from excessive consumption towards meaningful, considered creation. Across disciplines, exhibitors demonstrated how design can foster deeper connections between people, materials, and place. 

All of which reflected a growing desire to create products, systems, and experiences that endure emotionally and culturally. 

The Legacy You Leave Behind – Waste 

Waste is an ongoing concern in the designindustry, and a topic we wanted to tackle at our festival.

We were pleased to see so many designers exploring how surplus materials can be repurposed, how products can be designed for longevity, and how circular principles can be integrated into every stage of production. There was renewed attention to bio-based materials, artisan skills, ethical manufacturing, local sourcing, cultural integrity, and regenerative thinking. 

These conversations highlighted an important shift within the industry. Increasingly, success is measured not only by what is produced, but by the long-term impact those creations have on the environment and society at large. 

After all, a designer's legacy will outlive the lifecycle of a product. Every decision leaves an imprint. Every design strategy, material choice, method of production and distribution contributes to the bigger picture. The future we are building together. 

Which is why our theme encourages both creators and consumers to consider the legacy they leave behind, and the responsibility that comes with that choice. 

Every Moment Is an Opportunity 

While change is often envisioned as something immediate and monumental, our festival demonstrated that transformation begins in moments. In conversations between strangers. Encounters with new ideas. Shared experiences. And the simple act of coming together. 

Some of the most meaningful examples of this spirit were found at our  Long Table Dinners, where designers, manufacturers, industry insiders, journalists, and students gathered to exchange ideas and perspectives. These communal gatherings fostered openness, curiosity, and genuine connection, creating opportunities for dialogue that extended far beyond the dinner table. 

The Ripple Effect

Over three intense days, there were countless moments of connection and collaboration. New discoveries were made. New partnerships were formed. New conversations were started. New perspectives were gained. 

Life is, after all, a mosaic of moments. 

Every move we make creates a ripple effect with the potential to inspire others. 

As another edition of 3daysofdesign came to a close, the message of "Make This Moment Matter" remained clear: meaningful change begins in the present. Through exhibitions, events, Symposiums, Design Walks, Long Table Dinners, and spontaneous encounters, our festival proved that every moment is an opportunity to create impact. 

And together, this year, we made those moments matter. 

We look forward to seeing you at our next3daysofdesign from 9 - 11 June 2027.