MDF2026 Turns Madrid into an International Design Destination in February

The ninth edition of Madrid Design Festival (MDF), organized by La Fábrica, once again turns Madrid into the nexus of international design between February 5 and March 8, 2026. Under the motto Redesigning the World, this year’s program is structured around four concepts that define the scope of design: responsibility,  responding to contemporary challenges; transcendence, as a lasting mark on the way we live; impact, in the transformation of environments and structures; and transmission, as a link between generations and knowledge. 

The following stand out among the scheduled activities: from February 6 to April 19, the exhibition at the Fernán Gómez Cultural Center: “André Ricard. Design in Use”. Inspired by “Le design au quotidien”, and curated by Ricard himself, the exhibition brings together a selection of everyday objects arranged according to their area of use; likewise, from February 6 to May 3 in the same venue, there will be the  exhibitions“Textile Art in Guatemala: Design and Identity,” and “Mediterranean Manifesto” a collectible design exhibition in collaboration with Cosentino, bringing together a selection of objects by more than 30 artists and designers who reflect on how to safeguard and renew the legacy of “Mare Nostrum”.

At the Institución Libre de Enseñanza (ILE), MadridDesignPRO will take place from February 18 to 21. A professional event consisting of lectures, talks, roundtables, workshops, and meetings with national and international designers that address the major current topics in design. This year gathers leading figures such as Patricia Urquiola (2025 National Design Award), Luca Nichetto, Emma van der Leest, Marc Morro, Christien Meindertsma, Héctor Serrano (2024 National Design Award), Loumi Le Floc’h, Benjamín Iborra (Mesura) and Liza Enebeis (Studio Dumbar), alongside designers such as Yanki Lee and Petra Janssen, leading figures in social and community design. The program also addresses the application of artificial intelligence to design with Alba de la Fuente, and brings in key voices to reflect on other contemporary challenges, such as Manuel Maqueda, an international expert in the circular economy and regenerative leadership. 

These sessions will be complemented by “Fiesta & Design”, a space within the ILE that collects, from February 12 to 22, projects that showcase the breadth of contemporary design and its ability to connect creativity, research, and everyday life. At this venue, Amazon will present “Generational Handover,” which focuses on the transmission of knowledge between generations and on the continuity of traditional trades as living heritage. Castilla-La Mancha will return with an intervention dedicated to tinplate as part of the Materia Expandida project, directed by Tomás Alía, which champions this material as a symbol of identity and cultural legacy. Guatemala will participate with an exhibition that presents creators and artisans from the country. Signus, alongside Gianluca Pugliese, will present an installation that transforms tire noise into a space of silence and reflection on the cycle of materials. Finsa will present an ephemeral garden created by Enorme Studio and Alex Fenollar that transforms the archetype of the forest into a sensory space for relaxation. Clinica Studio will create the interactive installation We Need to Talk, which will invite the public to reconstruct images and messages through kinetic panels. The Wool Alliance will present the installation “Matter in Transit: Centered on Transhumance. For his part, Víctor García will reinterpret the Backboardless basket from a sculptural perspective that connects sport, material, and color. And the design schools will present their students’ projects and work. 

As a new feature this year, “FORMA Design Fair Madrid” will be held at Matadero Madrid in collaboration with DIMAD, from March 4 to 8. It is the first international fair dedicated to collectible design and will gather together some of the most exciting studios, galleries, brands, and designers on the current scene.

The following are worth mentioning among the remaining activities: the “Madrid Diseña” program, in which nearly three hundred venues take part with exhibitions, installations, routes, workshops, open studios, showrooms and meetings with designers in the districts of Carabanchel, Tetuán and Prosperidad, joined this year by Chamberí as a new design district; and the MDF 2026 Awards, which in this edition recognize the professional careers of designers Konstantin Grcic and Juli Capella, as well as gallerist and patron Rossana Orlandi.