Dutch Design Week 2026 (DDW26) runs from Saturday 17 to Sunday 25 October 2026 at venues across Eindhoven, in the south of the Netherlands. Most locations open daily from 11:00 to 18:00 local time. A regular ticket, exchanged on site for a wristband valid all nine days, costs €29.50 until 10 October and €32.50 from 11 October. You only need it for the ticketed venues; many other locations, including the public installations, are free.

The 26th edition's theme is R.A.W. (Rebel Authentic Worth), which puts rough, experimental work on show next to finished products. According to the organisers' highlights release, more than 2,500 designers take part.

Dates and opening hours

  • Dates: Saturday 17 to Sunday 25 October 2026 (nine days).
  • Hours: most locations are open 11:00–18:00 every day. Some keep different hours, so check them in the programme. On Saturday 17 October, the Design Academy Eindhoven Graduation Show opens at 13:00.
  • Time zone: all times are local, CEST until Saturday 24 October and CET on Sunday 25 October, when clocks go back one hour.

Tickets and prices

These prices come from the official DDW ticket page as checked on 5 October 2026 and include VAT and service fees.

  • Regular ticket: €29.50 (early-bird rate) until 10 October, €32.50 from 11 October.
  • Youth and student ticket (ages 12–17, or with a valid student card): €17.50 until 10 October, €19.50 from 11 October.
  • Children aged 11 and under: free.
  • Single venues: Kazerne and Dutch Invertuals cost €5 per visit and New Order of Fashion costs €2.50.

An online e-ticket has to be exchanged once for a personal wristband. You can do this at Klokgebouw, the Graduation Show, Strijp TX, Sectie-C, Eindhoven Centraal station or the Van Abbemuseum. During DDW these desks also sell tickets, but they take debit or credit cards only, not cash. If you cut the wristband off, it stops being valid.

Which venues are free?

The wristband gives access to Klokgebouw, the Graduation Show, Van Abbemuseum, Sectie-C, Building TT, Building TX, Designing Society, De Kruisruimte, the HUB Bouw aan morgen, the Young Graduates HUB and the Philips Museum. Kazerne, Dutch Invertuals and New Order of Fashion are included too, or you can pay for a single visit. The Van Abbemuseum, Philips Museum and Next Nature Museum also accept their own regular museum tickets. Apart from these, the DDW FAQ says all other DDW locations are free. That includes eight large-scale installations in public spaces in the city centre and Strijp-S, such as Atelier Van Lieshout's Consultation Room of the Future on the Markt.

What to see

Main hubs

  • Klokgebouw, Strijp-S: a central ticketed venue. DDW Beacon Emma van der Leest shows her Biodesign Warehouse in Hall D.
  • Design Academy Eindhoven Graduation Show: more than 200 graduation projects, near Eindhoven Centraal.
  • Building TT and Building TX: a new cluster for collectible design on the way to Piet Hein Eek, with a large group show by Dirk Duif in Building TT. Both are ticketed.

Picks for tech and startup visitors

  • Building SFF (Bosch), Strijp-S: projects on digital design and AI, including Mees Boeijen's transparent.citizen, in which a home AI records a week of the designer's life and prints it live.
  • Are we autonomous yet? Studio Falkland and visitors chart how reliant the Netherlands is on digital services from outside Europe.
  • House of Lights by TAM Industries: a life-size 3D-printed house whose façade is printed in one piece from recycled plastic.
  • TU/e Industrial Design: Eindhoven University of Technology's department marks 25 years with 20 graduation projects and two open labs.
  • Mission Days: the programme for professionals has one theme per weekday. Digital futures is on Wednesday 21 October.

Dutch Design Awards

Building TX shows the 15 designers in the Dutch Design Awards Class of 2026. Three of them will win the Emerging Talent Award of €10,000 each, and the winners will be announced on Saturday 17 October.

Getting there and around

  • Train: intercity trains stop at Eindhoven Centraal, and local trains also call at Strijp-S station.
  • Car: garages in the centre and at Strijp-S can be busy. Instead, you can park at P+R Meerhoven (buses to Strijp-S and Stationsplein) or P+R Genneper Parken (buses to Stationsplein). The return bus fare is €0.50 per person.
  • Bike: OV-fiets bikes are available at Eindhoven Centraal, and Adams Fietsverhuur rents bikes at Ketelhuisplein and Fuutlaan from 10:30 to 18:00 (ID required).
  • Polestar Design Rides: electric cars run between official locations from 11:00 to 18:00 daily for registered wristband holders. Registering does not reserve a ride.

Details are on the DDW reachability page.

How to plan a one-day visit

  1. Pick two areas at most, for example Strijp-S and the station area.
  2. If you arrive by train, collect your wristband at Eindhoven Centraal.
  3. Travel light: most locations have no cloakroom or lockers.
  4. Check each venue's opening hours in the programme before you go.

For more events, see our festivals section, the Maker Faire Rome 2026 guide and our tech conference calendar.

Frequently asked questions

When is Dutch Design Week 2026?

From Saturday 17 to Sunday 25 October 2026, in Eindhoven. Most venues open 11:00–18:00.

How much is a Dutch Design Week ticket?

Until 10 October, early-bird prices are €29.50 for a regular ticket and €17.50 for a youth or student ticket. From 11 October, they rise to €32.50 and €19.50. Children aged 11 and under get in free.

Can I visit Dutch Design Week without a ticket?

Partly. You only need a wristband for the ticketed venues. Other DDW locations and the public installations are free.