Some of the most enduring objects in our homes are acquired not by design, but by discovery. A retro-inspired lamp sourced in Scandinavia, a hand-set mosaic table carried home from Italy, a porcelain vase from Shanghai adorned with intricate motifs: these pieces carry with them not only aesthetic value, but memory and narrative. They anchor a room in experience.
As the international design calendar gathers momentum in 2026, there is all the more reason to take a spontaneous trip. However, rather than relying on chance encounters in galleries and boutiques, visitors can align their itineraries with major design fairs where some of the best creative minds in the world of interior is gathered in one place, a nice addition to those days when you want to get lost and wander the streets of a foreign city.
Design Doha Biennial 2026, Qatar
Design Doha Biennial returns for its second edition this year, a festival dedicated to creative innovation and design. Held every two years, the city-wide event transforms Doha into a living design map. More than 20 venues, from heritage sites to contemporary cultural institutions, host upwards of 27 exhibitions, alongside public art commissions, mentoring programmes and special events. It’s the kind of occasion that invites you to explore slowly: one moment you’re stepping into a thoughtfully curated gallery show, the next you’re stumbling upon a large-scale installation in the open air.
Led by Artistic Director Glenn Adamson, with Fahad Al Obaidly as Acting Director, the biennial aims to spotlight the rising Qatar’s creative sector. And coming on the heels of Art Basel Qatar earlier this month, there’s a strong sense that there is momentum. In Doha, art and design is not just display for display’s sake, but genuine dialogue about craft, material and the future of design in the region.
12 April – 30 June , Doha
Milan Design Week, Italy
For those in the know, one of the most important events of the European design calendar is Milan Design Week. Taking place at the Salone del Mobile trade fair, where thousands of brands and studios unveil new collections in furniture, lighting and interior accessories. It is here that commercial direction is set and aesthetic trends first take shape.
New for this year is the debut of Salone Raritas, which will focus on collectable design in the form of unique, one-off pieces.
Yet Milan’s Design Week extends far beyond the fairgrounds. Across the city, historic palazzi throw open their doors, transforming private salons and hidden gardens into theatrical backdrops for installations. Showrooms pulse with collection previews and conversation. The result is a week in which the entire city feels animated by ideas, experimentation and exchange.
20 April – 26 April, Milan
Global Design Forum, Turkey
Global Design Forum will take place outside the UK for the first time this year, moving from its longstanding home within the London Design Festival to Istanbul. The forum has been a meeting place for the industry’s creative minds, where the event has held talks, conferences and workshops centred on themes occupying creative minds today. With its new location, this is expected to continue, offering insight on areas such as sustainability, technology and ethical design.
Global Design Forum will take place outside the UK for the first time this year, moving from its longstanding home within the London Design Festival to Istanbul. The forum has been a meeting place for the industry’s creative minds, where the event has held talks, conferences and workshops centred on themes occupying creative minds today. With its new location, this is expected to continue, offering insight on areas such as sustainability, technology and ethical design.
Global Design Forum will take place outside the UK for the first time this year, moving from its longstanding home within the London Design Festival to Istanbul. The forum has been a meeting place for the industry’s creative minds, where the event has held talks, conferences and workshops centred on themes occupying creative minds today. With its new location, this is expected to continue, offering insight on areas such as sustainability, technology and ethical design.
13–16 May, Istanbul
3daysofdesign, Denmark
Copenhagen’s annual design festival has really come into its own in recent years and is quickly becoming one of Europe’s standout events. Instead of being centred around one big trade hall, it takes place all over the city, with exhibitions and showcases popping up in shops, galleries and beautiful historic buildings.
The focus is firmly on Scandinavian design, bringing together well-known heritage brands and emerging designers who are pushing more modern ideas into the Nordic style.
10–12 June, Copenhagen
Dubai Design Week, United Arab Emirates
Set against the dynamic backdrop of the city’s creative quarter, Dubai Design Week has become an essential stop on the global design fair circuit. Anchored by Downtown Design, the region’s leading contemporary design fair, the week brings together international studios, collectible design, architecture-led installations, and emerging Middle Eastern talent, all within Dubai Design District (d3). What sets it apart is its sense of place: commissions respond to the desert climate, urban density, and cultural hybridity of the UAE, while talks and pop-ups bridge craft, technology, and sustainability. For design-led travellers, Dubai Design Week offers an immersion into how global design conversations are being reinterpreted through a distinctly regional lens.
3 – 8 November, Dubai
