Design Shanghai
Shanghai Exhibition Centre
March 19 – 22, 2026

Design Shanghai, Asia’s leading international design event, announces its thirteenth edition, taking place between March 19 – 22, 2026. After six years, the show will return to its birthplace, the historic Shanghai Exhibition Centre, where it will debut an enhanced programme and elevated visitor experience showcasing the most innovative and cutting-edge design emerging from Asia. Design Shanghai brings together the world’s leading brands and professionals for a vibrant showcase of creativity, innovation and culture. The 2025 edition attracted over 76,000 visitors, reinforcing its status as a major international design event. The Shanghai Exhibition Centre holds a special place in the hearts of design brands and audiences alike, thanks to its prime central location and its distinctive architectural character. It was here in 2014 that Design Shanghai made its debut, opening a new chapter in the dialogue between Chinese and global design.

Design Shanghai 2026 presents an expanded roster of international and Chinese exhibitors, highlighting a nuanced dialogue between global craftsmanship and contemporary Chinese design. International names include Roche Bobois with French contemporary classics, Lasvit’s sculptural glass lighting, and Artisan Love Wood and Foxx Chair’s natural timber pieces. Miyazaki and Waldmann showcase precision furniture and lighting, while VIPP and Reflections Copenhagen bring Scandinavian minimalism and art deco glassworks. The Belgian Baobab Collection adds sculptural scented objects, and heritage brands Villeroy & Boch and Liebherr anchor the showcase with refined European lifestyle innovations. From China, SHANG XIA expresses maison-style luxury and craftsmanship; FNJI and PUSU underscore material-driven contemporary design; LEEDARSON bridges lighting and smart technology; and PAST TO NOW captures the evolving language of modern Chinese living. Together, these exhibitors shape a narrative where Eastern tech meets Western craft in a shared sensibility of design and storytelling.

TALENTS, launched in 2020, is a key exhibition curated by renowned designer Frank Chou and dedicated to presenting exceptional creativity from designers under the age of 35. This year’s theme “About Time”, invites ten emerging Chinese and International designers to explore the multidimensional meaning of “time”. Made in JDZ, curated feature programme by designer Ryan Ran, brings together a rich blend of ceramics, metalwork, and lacquer art to explore the dynamic intersection of design and traditional craftsmanship. Jingdezhen is now attracting outstanding creators and brands from various craft disciplines exploring cross-disciplinary craftsmanship through a contemporary lens. The exhibition highlights craft as it steps beyond traditional contexts into fashion and everyday life. Collectible Design & Art brings together a curated selection of limited-edition artworks and designs from across the globe, including painting, sculpture, installation art, and photography, offering audiences a rich array of artistic forms and styles.  This year, it will collaborate with galleries, artists, and designers such as Hugo Design (UK), EsArt Society and BRIGS.

Beyond Craft explores the beauty of Asia through materials and craft and emphasises the contemporary value of traditional craftsmanship. The 2026 exhibit will feature creations from over ten brands spanning jewelry, objects, furniture, precision components and optical devices. These works encompass traditional handmade techniques like Nishijin-ori weaving, gold leaf application, lacquer art, washi paper, braided cords, ceramics, glass engraving, and metal inlay. From material selection and structural conception to surface treatment, the hands of artisans and artists vividly interpret the continuity and renewal of traditional crafts in a contemporary context for the Beyond Craft. In 2026, materials expert Chris Lefteri will once again create the “Materials First” interactive materials lab. Within three thoughtfully curated interactive sections – “Digital Speckles,” “Colour Distortion,” and “Pattern twist” – visitors can freely overlay interactive materials like lenticular films and colour filters onto various textured base materials. Through the immediate changes in visual and tactile perception, they will personally explore the infinite possibilities of material evolution and re-creation.

more. www.designshanghai.com