DesignMarch 2026: A packed program across the city
DesignMarch 2026, one of Reykjavík's city festivals, kicks off tomorrow, May 6th The festival truly transforms the city, spreading its energy across Reykjavík through May 10th
DesignMarch offers a vibrant platform for ideas, diverse perspectives, and knowledge — a place where Icelandic and international design converge. This creative force sustains the community and drives it forward. The overarching theme for DesignMarch 2026 is Connections. In a world marked by both hyperconnectivity and disconnection, the festival focuses on the most fundamental human need: the need to connect.
A diverse and exciting program across the city
DesignMarch features more than 100 exhibits and 150 events woven into a dynamic whole, uniting about 400 creative minds in a shared festival experience. Spanning the entire city, the festival transforms Reykjavík into a destination for discovery. Exhibits and events will take place throughout the city center, at locations including the Reykjavík Art Museum, the Museum of Design and Applied Art, the Nordic House, Gróska, Elliðaárstöð, Ásmundarsalur, the National Museum of Iceland, the RAFNAR boat builder, Hafnartorg, Gamla bíó, and many more. The festival also reaches more unexpected venues, such as the Vesturbæjarlaug pool, World Class Laugar, and the geothermal beach at Nauthólsvík. Three restaurants in the city center will join the celebration, hosting their own festival programming.
Festivities kick off with DesignTalks at Silfurberg in Harpa on May 6 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., where dynamic Icelandic and international speakers will inspire attendees before the festival swings into full gear. The official DesignMarch opening takes place May 7 at 5 p.m. at Gamla bíó, followed by exhibits opening across the city center and events continuing well into the evening.
DesignMarch serves as an annual celebration of Icelandic design and architecture — a gathering where creative disciplines unite and new connections form. The program encompasses everything from experimental projects and innovation to recycling, craft traditions, and bold ideas about the future.
Open to everyone, the program offers something for all — whether you work as a design professional or simply wonder how design shapes our surroundings.
Explore the DesignMarch program — you will surely find something that resonates with you. Are you connecting?