24 Apr
•
2026
Let’s Connect: DesignMarch Begins
Read Time
5 min
24 Apr
•
2026
Let’s Connect: DesignMarch Begins
Read Time
5 min
24 Apr
•
2026
Let’s Connect: DesignMarch Begins
Read Time
5 min
DesignMarch 2026 is fast approaching!
Klara Rún Ragnarsdóttir, program manager at DesignMarch, Iceland´s annual design festival, taking place for the eighteenth year in a row, May 6th -10th, gives you a glimpse into this year's diverse program.
There’s a very specific moment when I realized I wanted to do what I do now.
At the time, I was working for fashion designer Hildur Yeoman as she presented her collection, The Wanderer, at Reykjavík Art Museum-Hafnarhús during DesignMarch 2018. It wasn’t just a runway show; it was a performance, bringing together fashion design, music, art, and dance in an atmosphere that felt almost electric.
I had a small role behind the scenes, but even from there, you could feel that something special was happening. At the very end, we ran out from backstage to join the dancers.
That moment, stepping into the space, into the lights, into the energy of the crowd, stayed with me. There was an overwhelming sense of joy and connection, as if everyone in the room was part of the same thing for just a moment.
I remember thinking very clearly: this is what I want to do. I want to work with and for designers, and be part of creating moments like that.
Years later, I still recollect that exact feeling. Still, it now appears in different ways throughout the festival. In the openings of exhibitions, in unique events, and in those unexpected moments you didn’t plan for but end up remembering the most.
DesignMarch 2026 is fast approaching!
Klara Rún Ragnarsdóttir, program manager at DesignMarch, Iceland´s annual design festival, taking place for the eighteenth year in a row, May 6th -10th, gives you a glimpse into this year's diverse program.
There’s a very specific moment when I realized I wanted to do what I do now.
At the time, I was working for fashion designer Hildur Yeoman as she presented her collection, The Wanderer, at Reykjavík Art Museum-Hafnarhús during DesignMarch 2018. It wasn’t just a runway show; it was a performance, bringing together fashion design, music, art, and dance in an atmosphere that felt almost electric.
I had a small role behind the scenes, but even from there, you could feel that something special was happening. At the very end, we ran out from backstage to join the dancers.
That moment, stepping into the space, into the lights, into the energy of the crowd, stayed with me. There was an overwhelming sense of joy and connection, as if everyone in the room was part of the same thing for just a moment.
I remember thinking very clearly: this is what I want to do. I want to work with and for designers, and be part of creating moments like that.
Years later, I still recollect that exact feeling. Still, it now appears in different ways throughout the festival. In the openings of exhibitions, in unique events, and in those unexpected moments you didn’t plan for but end up remembering the most.
DesignMarch 2026 is fast approaching!
Klara Rún Ragnarsdóttir, program manager at DesignMarch, Iceland´s annual design festival, taking place for the eighteenth year in a row, May 6th -10th, gives you a glimpse into this year's diverse program.
There’s a very specific moment when I realized I wanted to do what I do now.
At the time, I was working for fashion designer Hildur Yeoman as she presented her collection, The Wanderer, at Reykjavík Art Museum-Hafnarhús during DesignMarch 2018. It wasn’t just a runway show; it was a performance, bringing together fashion design, music, art, and dance in an atmosphere that felt almost electric.
I had a small role behind the scenes, but even from there, you could feel that something special was happening. At the very end, we ran out from backstage to join the dancers.
That moment, stepping into the space, into the lights, into the energy of the crowd, stayed with me. There was an overwhelming sense of joy and connection, as if everyone in the room was part of the same thing for just a moment.
I remember thinking very clearly: this is what I want to do. I want to work with and for designers, and be part of creating moments like that.
Years later, I still recollect that exact feeling. Still, it now appears in different ways throughout the festival. In the openings of exhibitions, in unique events, and in those unexpected moments you didn’t plan for but end up remembering the most.
A vibrant opening to DesignMarch is always guaranteed. Photo: Miðstöð hönnunar og arkitektúrs
A vibrant opening to DesignMarch is always guaranteed. Photo: Miðstöð hönnunar og arkitektúrs
A vibrant opening to DesignMarch is always guaranteed. Photo: Miðstöð hönnunar og arkitektúrs
Connections: The People, The Places, The Moments
For me, DesignTalks is always the place to begin. Walking into Harpa, grabbing that first cup of coffee, you feel the shift, and suddenly it’s no longer months of planning, it’s happening.
People start to arrive, conversations begin, and a familiar buzz fills the air, where you first feel the energy that carries through the rest of the festival.
Design Talks on May 6th
DesignTalks is the festival's signature event, with insightful talks, conversations, and experiences that showcase the unique stories and brilliance of designers and architects from around the globe.
This is not your typical conference: it’s a treasure trove of inspiration!
This year’s lineup includes Stefan Sagmeister, Dorte Mandrup, Kristjana Williams, Hjalti Karlsson, 1Granary, 1+1+1, RANRA, and Terta x Elliðaárstöð.
Here’s a small selection to get you started
The theme for DesignMarch 2026 is Connections. In many ways, it’s the most natural way to describe the festival: connections between people, disciplines, and places across the city.
With over 100 exhibitions and around 150 events, there’s no one way to do DesignMarch. Think of this as a starting point; the real experience comes from diving into the full program and discovering your own route through it.
Connections: The People, The Places, The Moments
For me, DesignTalks is always the place to begin. Walking into Harpa, grabbing that first cup of coffee, you feel the shift, and suddenly it’s no longer months of planning, it’s happening.
People start to arrive, conversations begin, and a familiar buzz fills the air, where you first feel the energy that carries through the rest of the festival.
Design Talks on May 6th
DesignTalks is the festival's signature event, with insightful talks, conversations, and experiences that showcase the unique stories and brilliance of designers and architects from around the globe.
This is not your typical conference: it’s a treasure trove of inspiration!
This year’s lineup includes Stefan Sagmeister, Dorte Mandrup, Kristjana Williams, Hjalti Karlsson, 1Granary, 1+1+1, RANRA, and Terta x Elliðaárstöð.
Here’s a small selection to get you started
The theme for DesignMarch 2026 is Connections. In many ways, it’s the most natural way to describe the festival: connections between people, disciplines, and places across the city.
With over 100 exhibitions and around 150 events, there’s no one way to do DesignMarch. Think of this as a starting point; the real experience comes from diving into the full program and discovering your own route through it.
Connections: The People, The Places, The Moments
For me, DesignTalks is always the place to begin. Walking into Harpa, grabbing that first cup of coffee, you feel the shift, and suddenly it’s no longer months of planning, it’s happening.
People start to arrive, conversations begin, and a familiar buzz fills the air, where you first feel the energy that carries through the rest of the festival.
Design Talks on May 6th
DesignTalks is the festival's signature event, with insightful talks, conversations, and experiences that showcase the unique stories and brilliance of designers and architects from around the globe.
This is not your typical conference: it’s a treasure trove of inspiration!
This year’s lineup includes Stefan Sagmeister, Dorte Mandrup, Kristjana Williams, Hjalti Karlsson, 1Granary, 1+1+1, RANRA, and Terta x Elliðaárstöð.
Here’s a small selection to get you started
The theme for DesignMarch 2026 is Connections. In many ways, it’s the most natural way to describe the festival: connections between people, disciplines, and places across the city.
With over 100 exhibitions and around 150 events, there’s no one way to do DesignMarch. Think of this as a starting point; the real experience comes from diving into the full program and discovering your own route through it.
(L to R) Klara Rún Ragnarsdóttir, Program Manager at DesignMarch and writer of this article. Participants from "The Interior Architect" exhibition and the Threads of Connection program at DesignMarch 2026, Suskin presents a masterful fusion of dance and design, exploring the enduring bond between the human body and timeless leather craftsmanship.
(L to R) Klara Rún Ragnarsdóttir, Program Manager at DesignMarch and writer of this article. Participants from "The Interior Architect" exhibition and the Threads of Connection program at DesignMarch 2026, Suskin presents a masterful fusion of dance and design, exploring the enduring bond between the human body and timeless leather craftsmanship.
(L to R) Klara Rún Ragnarsdóttir, Program Manager at DesignMarch and writer of this article. Participants from "The Interior Architect" exhibition and the Threads of Connection program at DesignMarch 2026, Suskin presents a masterful fusion of dance and design, exploring the enduring bond between the human body and timeless leather craftsmanship.
Opening Ceremony May 7th
On May 7, the DesignMarch festival will officially open for the eighteenth year in a row, marking the start of a vibrant celebration of Icelandic design. Immediately following the opening, exhibitions across the city center will open their doors, with events continuing throughout the evening.
The Interior Architect
An immersive exhibition by the Association of Furniture and Interior Architects invites the public into the mind of the interior architect, revealing what often remains invisible: the thinking, the analysis, and the layered decision-making behind every space, as well as the connections that shape how we experience it.
The Interior Architect is more than an exhibition. It is a platform for dialogue about the essential role of professional expertise in shaping human environments.
Threads of Connection
At the Nordic House during DesignMarch, fashion designers take over, transforming it into a vibrant platform for fashion and conversation.
The initiative emphasizes local talent, education, and wellness, promoting a global perspective rooted in Icelandic craftsmanship and tradition.
Guided Architecture Tours
Discover Reykjavík and the surrounding capital area during DesignMarch 2026.
Meet the architects shaping Iceland’s built environment today, and gain a unique behind-the-scenes look at contemporary Icelandic architecture through open studios and guided visits to practices with architects such as ASK, Basalt Architects, Batteríið, Hornsteinar, Trípólí, Krads, Lúdika, Nordic Office of Architecture, s.ap architects, and The Landscape Architect Association of Iceland.
Opening Ceremony May 7th
On May 7, the DesignMarch festival will officially open for the eighteenth year in a row, marking the start of a vibrant celebration of Icelandic design. Immediately following the opening, exhibitions across the city center will open their doors, with events continuing throughout the evening.
The Interior Architect
An immersive exhibition by the Association of Furniture and Interior Architects invites the public into the mind of the interior architect, revealing what often remains invisible: the thinking, the analysis, and the layered decision-making behind every space, as well as the connections that shape how we experience it.
The Interior Architect is more than an exhibition. It is a platform for dialogue about the essential role of professional expertise in shaping human environments.
Threads of Connection
At the Nordic House during DesignMarch, fashion designers take over, transforming it into a vibrant platform for fashion and conversation.
The initiative emphasizes local talent, education, and wellness, promoting a global perspective rooted in Icelandic craftsmanship and tradition.
Guided Architecture Tours
Discover Reykjavík and the surrounding capital area during DesignMarch 2026.
Meet the architects shaping Iceland’s built environment today, and gain a unique behind-the-scenes look at contemporary Icelandic architecture through open studios and guided visits to practices with architects such as ASK, Basalt Architects, Batteríið, Hornsteinar, Trípólí, Krads, Lúdika, Nordic Office of Architecture, s.ap architects, and The Landscape Architect Association of Iceland.
Opening Ceremony May 7th
On May 7, the DesignMarch festival will officially open for the eighteenth year in a row, marking the start of a vibrant celebration of Icelandic design. Immediately following the opening, exhibitions across the city center will open their doors, with events continuing throughout the evening.
The Interior Architect
An immersive exhibition by the Association of Furniture and Interior Architects invites the public into the mind of the interior architect, revealing what often remains invisible: the thinking, the analysis, and the layered decision-making behind every space, as well as the connections that shape how we experience it.
The Interior Architect is more than an exhibition. It is a platform for dialogue about the essential role of professional expertise in shaping human environments.
Threads of Connection
At the Nordic House during DesignMarch, fashion designers take over, transforming it into a vibrant platform for fashion and conversation.
The initiative emphasizes local talent, education, and wellness, promoting a global perspective rooted in Icelandic craftsmanship and tradition.
Guided Architecture Tours
Discover Reykjavík and the surrounding capital area during DesignMarch 2026.
Meet the architects shaping Iceland’s built environment today, and gain a unique behind-the-scenes look at contemporary Icelandic architecture through open studios and guided visits to practices with architects such as ASK, Basalt Architects, Batteríið, Hornsteinar, Trípólí, Krads, Lúdika, Nordic Office of Architecture, s.ap architects, and The Landscape Architect Association of Iceland.
(L to R) DesignMarch 2026 features the inventive “About Dragons, Gold, and Electronic Waste,” a festive family collaboration between Farmers Market and Fischersund, and the cross-continental “Hæ/Hi: Vol V | Night Night” exhibition focused on restorative design.
(L to R) DesignMarch 2026 features the inventive “About Dragons, Gold, and Electronic Waste,” a festive family collaboration between Farmers Market and Fischersund, and the cross-continental “Hæ/Hi: Vol V | Night Night” exhibition focused on restorative design.
(L to R) DesignMarch 2026 features the inventive “About Dragons, Gold, and Electronic Waste,” a festive family collaboration between Farmers Market and Fischersund, and the cross-continental “Hæ/Hi: Vol V | Night Night” exhibition focused on restorative design.
About Dragons, Gold, and Electronic Waste
A collaboration by Valdís Steinarsdóttir, Erling Jóhannesson, Freyja Þórsdóttir, and Kolbrún Þóra Löve, this project explores the hidden value of electronic waste.
Combining jewelry made from reclaimed gold with a myth-inspired video work, it uses storytelling to question how we define value in an age of overconsumption.
Farmers Market & Fishersund Family Gathering
Farmers Market & Fischersund are both family-run houses where joy, curiosity, and a gentle sense of chaos are woven into everything they create.
For DesignMarch, the families come together, inviting festival guests to step inside their shared world and celebrate a gathering that feels like a family reunion.
There is much to unfold: the boys perform new music, the siblings and partners introduce the new scent KOT, carrying the red thread that binds it all together, while mother and father tend to the table. A packed kitchen party, bathroom confessions, and acoustic guitars by the campfire. What could possibly go wrong?
In the Company of Objects
45th anniversary exhibition of The Icelandic Association of Ceramic Artists. The exhibition presents works by 34 ceramic artists exploring functional objects.
Ceramics are deeply embedded in everyday life, carrying emotional and cultural significance, from daily dinnerware to heirloom cups and special-occasion pieces that shape moments of connection.
The exhibition highlights the diversity of the association’s members, featuring everything from simple, carefully designed vessels to intricate decorative objects and sculptural works that raise questions about the definition of functionality.
Hæ/Hi: Vol V | Night Night
Hæ/Hi: Designing Friendship, a collaborative project featuring Icelandic and Seattle-based design studios, will address the objects and acts that encourage dreams, desire, play, rest, and sleep in its fifth exhibition, Hæ/Hi: Vol V | Night Night.
Few rooms in the home offer both personal and shared experiences quite like the bedroom. Where most of our days begin and end, the bedroom is often seen as just a place to sleep. When carefully considered, it can be a room to play, retreat, and, of course, rejuvenate.
About Dragons, Gold, and Electronic Waste
A collaboration by Valdís Steinarsdóttir, Erling Jóhannesson, Freyja Þórsdóttir, and Kolbrún Þóra Löve, this project explores the hidden value of electronic waste.
Combining jewelry made from reclaimed gold with a myth-inspired video work, it uses storytelling to question how we define value in an age of overconsumption.
Farmers Market & Fishersund Family Gathering
Farmers Market & Fischersund are both family-run houses where joy, curiosity, and a gentle sense of chaos are woven into everything they create.
For DesignMarch, the families come together, inviting festival guests to step inside their shared world and celebrate a gathering that feels like a family reunion.
There is much to unfold: the boys perform new music, the siblings and partners introduce the new scent KOT, carrying the red thread that binds it all together, while mother and father tend to the table. A packed kitchen party, bathroom confessions, and acoustic guitars by the campfire. What could possibly go wrong?
In the Company of Objects
45th anniversary exhibition of The Icelandic Association of Ceramic Artists. The exhibition presents works by 34 ceramic artists exploring functional objects.
Ceramics are deeply embedded in everyday life, carrying emotional and cultural significance, from daily dinnerware to heirloom cups and special-occasion pieces that shape moments of connection.
The exhibition highlights the diversity of the association’s members, featuring everything from simple, carefully designed vessels to intricate decorative objects and sculptural works that raise questions about the definition of functionality.
Hæ/Hi: Vol V | Night Night
Hæ/Hi: Designing Friendship, a collaborative project featuring Icelandic and Seattle-based design studios, will address the objects and acts that encourage dreams, desire, play, rest, and sleep in its fifth exhibition, Hæ/Hi: Vol V | Night Night.
Few rooms in the home offer both personal and shared experiences quite like the bedroom. Where most of our days begin and end, the bedroom is often seen as just a place to sleep. When carefully considered, it can be a room to play, retreat, and, of course, rejuvenate.
About Dragons, Gold, and Electronic Waste
A collaboration by Valdís Steinarsdóttir, Erling Jóhannesson, Freyja Þórsdóttir, and Kolbrún Þóra Löve, this project explores the hidden value of electronic waste.
Combining jewelry made from reclaimed gold with a myth-inspired video work, it uses storytelling to question how we define value in an age of overconsumption.
Farmers Market & Fishersund Family Gathering
Farmers Market & Fischersund are both family-run houses where joy, curiosity, and a gentle sense of chaos are woven into everything they create.
For DesignMarch, the families come together, inviting festival guests to step inside their shared world and celebrate a gathering that feels like a family reunion.
There is much to unfold: the boys perform new music, the siblings and partners introduce the new scent KOT, carrying the red thread that binds it all together, while mother and father tend to the table. A packed kitchen party, bathroom confessions, and acoustic guitars by the campfire. What could possibly go wrong?
In the Company of Objects
45th anniversary exhibition of The Icelandic Association of Ceramic Artists. The exhibition presents works by 34 ceramic artists exploring functional objects.
Ceramics are deeply embedded in everyday life, carrying emotional and cultural significance, from daily dinnerware to heirloom cups and special-occasion pieces that shape moments of connection.
The exhibition highlights the diversity of the association’s members, featuring everything from simple, carefully designed vessels to intricate decorative objects and sculptural works that raise questions about the definition of functionality.
Hæ/Hi: Vol V | Night Night
Hæ/Hi: Designing Friendship, a collaborative project featuring Icelandic and Seattle-based design studios, will address the objects and acts that encourage dreams, desire, play, rest, and sleep in its fifth exhibition, Hæ/Hi: Vol V | Night Night.
Few rooms in the home offer both personal and shared experiences quite like the bedroom. Where most of our days begin and end, the bedroom is often seen as just a place to sleep. When carefully considered, it can be a room to play, retreat, and, of course, rejuvenate.
(L to R) "The Spring awakens at Elliðaárstöð" featuring 2025 Design Award winners, the historically-driven "Shaken & Stirred: Design at Junctions" dialogue by Hvíta húsið and Gilligogg, and the award-winning engineering of Lauf Cycles’ "Elja" mountain bike.
(L to R) "The Spring awakens at Elliðaárstöð" featuring 2025 Design Award winners, the historically-driven "Shaken & Stirred: Design at Junctions" dialogue by Hvíta húsið and Gilligogg, and the award-winning engineering of Lauf Cycles’ "Elja" mountain bike.
(L to R) "The Spring awakens at Elliðaárstöð" featuring 2025 Design Award winners, the historically-driven "Shaken & Stirred: Design at Junctions" dialogue by Hvíta húsið and Gilligogg, and the award-winning engineering of Lauf Cycles’ "Elja" mountain bike.
The Spring awakens at Elliðaárstöð
The winners of the Icelandic Design Awards 2025: Elliðaárstöð, place of the year, Fischersund project of the year, and Lauf Cycles, product of the year, join forces.
The focus will be on creativity, togetherness, and experience in the beautiful and historic surroundings of Elliðaárstöð.
Shaken & Stirred: Design at Junctions
Hvíta húsið creative agency and Gilligogg invite you to a design dialogue. An event where people from the world of design, advertising, and bartending come together to talk about how societal changes have not only shaped advertising through the years, but perhaps the inverse, too.
Guests journey through key moments in Icelandic history, from the women’s rights movement to the digital age, through conversations and cocktails inspired by each era. Exploring how imagery reflects and shapes its time, the event offers a space to connect past, present, and future in good company.
Thrown into Design
The project is a collaboration between Húsasmiðjan and the Association of Product and Industrial Designers, built around a simple question:
What happens when waste materials end up in the hands of designers? At the exhibition, visitors will see a wide range of responses to that question.
Some designers explore new material combinations, while others investigate processes or systems that can extend the lifespan of materials and reduce waste.
What all the projects share, however, is that they give materials a second life. The exhibition highlights the qualities of design and creative thinking as tools for seeing materials and processes in a new light, spotting opportunities that both reduce waste and create value.
In the end, it all connects.
It’s there in the first morning at Harpa, in the people you meet, the exhibitions and events you experience, and in the way the city fills with ideas and energy.
And somewhere in the middle of it all, that same feeling from years ago returns: a mix of excitement, a bit of chaos, and a lot of joy.
The Spring awakens at Elliðaárstöð
The winners of the Icelandic Design Awards 2025: Elliðaárstöð, place of the year, Fischersund project of the year, and Lauf Cycles, product of the year, join forces.
The focus will be on creativity, togetherness, and experience in the beautiful and historic surroundings of Elliðaárstöð.
Shaken & Stirred: Design at Junctions
Hvíta húsið creative agency and Gilligogg invite you to a design dialogue. An event where people from the world of design, advertising, and bartending come together to talk about how societal changes have not only shaped advertising through the years, but perhaps the inverse, too.
Guests journey through key moments in Icelandic history, from the women’s rights movement to the digital age, through conversations and cocktails inspired by each era. Exploring how imagery reflects and shapes its time, the event offers a space to connect past, present, and future in good company.
Thrown into Design
The project is a collaboration between Húsasmiðjan and the Association of Product and Industrial Designers, built around a simple question:
What happens when waste materials end up in the hands of designers? At the exhibition, visitors will see a wide range of responses to that question.
Some designers explore new material combinations, while others investigate processes or systems that can extend the lifespan of materials and reduce waste.
What all the projects share, however, is that they give materials a second life. The exhibition highlights the qualities of design and creative thinking as tools for seeing materials and processes in a new light, spotting opportunities that both reduce waste and create value.
In the end, it all connects.
It’s there in the first morning at Harpa, in the people you meet, the exhibitions and events you experience, and in the way the city fills with ideas and energy.
And somewhere in the middle of it all, that same feeling from years ago returns: a mix of excitement, a bit of chaos, and a lot of joy.
The Spring awakens at Elliðaárstöð
The winners of the Icelandic Design Awards 2025: Elliðaárstöð, place of the year, Fischersund project of the year, and Lauf Cycles, product of the year, join forces.
The focus will be on creativity, togetherness, and experience in the beautiful and historic surroundings of Elliðaárstöð.
Shaken & Stirred: Design at Junctions
Hvíta húsið creative agency and Gilligogg invite you to a design dialogue. An event where people from the world of design, advertising, and bartending come together to talk about how societal changes have not only shaped advertising through the years, but perhaps the inverse, too.
Guests journey through key moments in Icelandic history, from the women’s rights movement to the digital age, through conversations and cocktails inspired by each era. Exploring how imagery reflects and shapes its time, the event offers a space to connect past, present, and future in good company.
Thrown into Design
The project is a collaboration between Húsasmiðjan and the Association of Product and Industrial Designers, built around a simple question:
What happens when waste materials end up in the hands of designers? At the exhibition, visitors will see a wide range of responses to that question.
Some designers explore new material combinations, while others investigate processes or systems that can extend the lifespan of materials and reduce waste.
What all the projects share, however, is that they give materials a second life. The exhibition highlights the qualities of design and creative thinking as tools for seeing materials and processes in a new light, spotting opportunities that both reduce waste and create value.
In the end, it all connects.
It’s there in the first morning at Harpa, in the people you meet, the exhibitions and events you experience, and in the way the city fills with ideas and energy.
And somewhere in the middle of it all, that same feeling from years ago returns: a mix of excitement, a bit of chaos, and a lot of joy.