Dutch Design Week 2026: tickets, dates and highlights in Eindhoven

Dutch Design Week returns to Eindhoven from Saturday 17 to Sunday 25 October 2026. The city-wide festival brings together work by about 2,500 designers at roughly 100 locations. A single festival wristband covers all nine days, while many smaller locations can be visited free of charge.

This year’s theme is R.A.W. (Rebel Authentic Worth), with a focus on ideas in progress, experimental work and design that challenges familiar systems. The programme stretches from Strijp-S and the city centre to Sectie-C, Eindhoven Central Station, the canal area and university locations.

Dutch Design Week 2026 at a glance

• Dates: 17 to 25 October 2026
• City: Eindhoven, the Netherlands
• Usual opening hours: 11:00 to 18:00 at most locations
• Early-booking deadline: 10 October
• Regular ticket: €29.50 until 10 October, then €32.50
• Youth and student ticket: €17.50 until 10 October, then €19.50
• Children aged 11 and under: free

The official Dutch Design Week ticket page says regular and student wristbands are valid throughout the nine-day festival. Prices include VAT and service charges.

What does a festival ticket include?

The wristband gives access to the main ticketed locations, including Klokgebouw, the Design Academy Eindhoven Graduation Show, Van Abbemuseum, Sectie-C and several specialist exhibition spaces. It also gives access to the Design Rides that link official festival areas, although visitors must register for a ride.

Many other DDW locations are free. A few venues also sell single-location admission. Visitors who buy online must exchange their e-ticket for a personal wristband at an official collection point. The main collection points include Klokgebouw, Design Academy Eindhoven, Strijp TX, Sectie-C, Eindhoven Centraal and Van Abbemuseum.

Physical ticket desks accept debit and credit cards, not cash. The official DDW frequently asked questions also advises checking individual programme pages because opening hours and access rules can vary.

Five programme strands worth exploring

1. Design Academy Eindhoven Graduation Show 2026

The graduation show is one of the clearest places to see emerging ideas from a new generation of designers. It brings together projects that address social questions, materials, technology and everyday life. The first Saturday opening is later than usual, at 13:00.

2. Biomaterials Library: Lithuanian & Baltic Creators

At BioArt Laboratories, this project presents material samples and design objects made with agricultural, food and industrial by-products, alongside mycelium, algae and natural fibres. It is a useful stop for visitors interested in Baltic design, circular materials and cross-border collaboration.

3. REWOVEN

Noud Sleumer and the Academy of Design Sri Lanka examine how discarded aluminium cans can retain more value for the people who collect and process them. The project links material reuse with local livelihoods, making it a strong example of design working across countries and economic systems.

4. Manifestations: Art Tech Fun AI Robots

Manifestations returns with work by more than 50 mainly young artists. Its 2026 theme, MUTE, asks how algorithms and digital platforms decide which voices are amplified and which disappear. The exhibition combines art, technology, artificial intelligence and robotics.

5. Het Parlement der Dingen

This Dutch-language masterclass and workshop at Van Abbemuseum takes place on 23 October from 16:00 to 18:00. Held under UNESCO patronage, it asks participants to consider how objects, animals, plants and ecosystems might be represented in public decision-making. A DDW ticket is required.

The full, searchable Dutch Design Week programme can be filtered by date, location, subject and type of event.

How to plan a useful visit

Do not try to cover the whole festival in one day. Pick one or two areas, save several priority projects in the DDW app and leave time for smaller studios nearby. Strijp-S is a practical starting point for major exhibitions, while the centre combines museum venues and smaller presentations.

Most locations do not offer lockers or cloakrooms, so travel light. Popular venues may have queues, even for wristband holders. Visitors using wheelchairs pay the regular ticket price, but one companion can receive a free wristband at a physical ticket point. Accessibility differs by location, so check each programme listing before travelling.

International visitors arriving by train can collect or buy wristbands at Eindhoven Centraal. An NS rail-and-festival combination ticket may also be offered through the Dutch railway’s Spoordeelwinkel.

Before you book

Ticket prices rise on 11 October. Workshops, talks and tours may require separate registration even when the venue is covered by the main wristband. Programme details can change, so confirm the time, language, access requirements and location on the official page for each event.

Information checked against official Dutch Design Week pages on 4 October 2026.

Featured image: visitors at Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven on 18 October 2025. Photo: Max Kneefel / Dutch Design Week press image library.