A Guide to the Best International
Interior Design Events 2020
Welcome to our guide to the best international interior design events of 2020. Even if you can’t make it to any of the events you can travel vicariously on Instagram and keep up with the latest happenings and inspirational finds from each event. Start planning!
Edit March 2020: Due to the coronavirus pandemic design events scheduled after February have been postponed or cancelled. Check the websites of individual events for updates. In the meantime, loads of inspiration can be found online and on Instagram from past design events.
January
Formex
14 – 17 January, Stockholm, Sweden
Since 1960 this biannual event has showcased the best of Scandinavian interior design. [Photo, right, from the 2019 event] Find out more here.
IMM Cologne
18 – 24 January, Cologne, Germany
The first event of the year, IMM Cologne is the market-leading trade fair that sets the tone for furniture and interiors trends for the coming year with over 1200 exhibitors from 50 countries. Find out more here.
Interior Design Show Toronto
16 – 19 January, Toronto, Canada
Canada’s premier showcase of products and furniture, emerging designers and new concepts from North America and beyond. Find out more here.
Maison&Objet
17 – 21 January, Paris, France
One of the world’s leading events and an international authority for home decor, interior design, architecture and lifestyle culture and trends. Find out more here.
February
Madrid Design Festival
1 – 29 February, Madrid, Spain
The festival’s cross-disciplinary programme runs throughout the city and encompasses interior design, architecture, graphic design and communications. Find out more here.
Stockholm Design Week
3 – 9 February, Stockholm, Sweden
A celebration of design from Sweden, Denmark and Norway with collection launches and previews of the interior design trends for the year to come.[Photo above right] Find out more here.
Surface Design Show
5 – 7 February, London, UK
Architects, designers and specifiers attend this 3 day event to source new products and innovative materials and to connect with the latest technology. Find out more here.
Ambiente
8 – 12 February, Frankfurt, Germany
Ambiente is a leading international trade fair for consumer goods related to interiors and giving. Find out more here.
Modernism Week
13 – 23 February, Palm Springs, USA
Think everything mid century modern – from interiors to architecture, clothes and art – you’ll find it at Modernism Week. Find out more here.
March
Sydney Design Festival
1 – 10 March, Sydney, Australia
Showcasing both emerging and established designers across various disciplines, the festival champions process, experimentation and the collaborative nature of design. [Photo above left] Find out more here.
Collectible
5 – 8 March, Brussels, Belgium
This unique fair is dedicated exclusively to 21st century contemporary collectible design. Find out more here.
Malaysian International Furniture Fair
6 – 9 March, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
MIFF is the number one furniture fair in Southeast Asia amongst the top 10 worldwide. Find out more here.
Melbourne Design Week
12 – 22 March, Melbourne, Australia
200+ talks, exhibitions, tours and workshops highlight the best of Australian design and how it can shape our future. Find out more here.
Mextrópoli Festival
20 – 23 March, Mexico City, Mexico
Aiming to position Mexico City as a centre of architectural excellence, the festival promotes culture, urban regeneration and artistic heritage. Find out more here.
Boston Design Festival
25 March – 5 April, Boston, USA
Foster recognition of the vital role design plays in our lives, this city-wide festival spans the entire design spectrum to provide an insightful, provocative, and diverse experience. Find out more here.
April
SIDIM Design Show
28 – 30 April, Montreal, Canada
One of the leading events in the North American design calendar showcasing the best international interior and exterior design. Find out more here.
May
NYCxDesign
12 – 20 May, New York, USA
With events, talks, installations and fairs held across all 5 of New York City’s boroughs, this festival showcases design of all disciplines. Find out more here.
ICFF
17 – 20 May, New York, USA
The International Contemporary Furniture Fair, coinciding with NYCxDesign, is North America’s platform for global design, showing what’s best and what’s next. Find out more here.
Clerkenwell Design Week
19 – 21 May, London, UK
In addition to being part of London Design Festival in September, Clerkenwell holds its own week of events mid year. The district boasts the greatest concentration of design, interior design and architecture practices and furniture businesses. [Photo above right from last year’s event] Find out more here.
Design Shanghai
26 – 29 May, Shanghai, China
One of the world’s most prestigious international design events and Asia’s premier design event, showcasing the best design brands and galleries from across the globe. Find out more here.
June
Interior Lifestyle Tokyo
3 – 5 June, Tokyo, Japan
A major Japanese trade fair showcasing global interior design trends. Find out more here.
Barcelona Design Week
12 – 20 June, Barcelona, Spain
Attracting more than 40,000 visitors last year, Barcelona Design Week has a full schedule of conferences, exhibitions, installations, workshops and events. Find out more here.
Milan Design Week
16 – 21 June, Milan, Italy (new dates due to coronavirus)
The biggest annual event in the design calendar, Design Week is a series of events and happenings throughout Milan that see the whole city come to life. Find out more here.
Salone del Mobile
16 – 21 June, Milan, Italy (new dates due to coronavirus)
The Salone del Mobile is the main attraction of Milan Design Week and the most important furniture fair in the world. [Photo below from last year’s event] Find out more here.
Denfair Melbourne
18 – 19 June, Melbourne, Australia
A curated design event featuring hundreds of local and international brands for professional designers, architects, interior stylists and design-lovers. Find out more here.
San Francisco Design Week
16 – 25 June, San Francisco, USA
SFDW is an essential week long city wide festival that showcases the unique intersection of ideas, design, business & entrepreneurism. Find out more here.
July
AIFF
16 – 19 July, Melbourne, Australia
Part of Decor + Design, the Australian International Furniture Fair is Australia’s longest running furniture buying event, showcasing the best furniture from Australia and New Zealand. [Photo above of chair from AIFF 2019] Find out more here.
Decor + Design
16 – 19 July, Melbourne, Australia
In its 16th year, this 4 day event is part of the AIFF and features the latest in furniture design and innovation. The International Seminar Series celebrates Australian design and the industry’s future trends and topics. Find out more here.
August
São Paulo Design Weekend
16 – 23 August, São Paulo, Brazil
São Paulo hosts an urban festival that aims to promote design culture and its connections with architecture, art, decoration, urbanism, social inclusion, business and technological innovation. Find out more here.
September
Helsinki Design Week
3 – 13 September, Helsinki, Finland
With around 250 events every year, Helsinki Design Week is targeted towards both professionals and the general public. The programme takes place throughout the city from museums to markets and seminar halls to secret shops. Find out more here.
Paris Design Week
3 – 12 September, Paris, France
Encompassing part 2 of Maison & Objet 2020, Design Week is held throughout Paris and focuses on students and emerging design talent. Find out more here.
Furniture China
8 – 12 September, Shanghai, China
Both contemporary and traditional furniture designs are featured in China’s international furniture expo which is associated with Maison Shanghai and Shanghai Home Design Week. Find out more here.
London Design Festival
12 – 20 September, London, UK
Design Districts have events within short walking distance of each other, enabling visitors to navigate the 400 events across the city. There are five separate major events: 100% Design, Decorex, designjunction, Focus and London Design Fair. [Photos above from LDF 2019] Find out more here.
Feria Habitat Valencia
22 – 25 September, Valencia, Spain
This furniture and lighting design fair features the best of Spanish and international design. Find out more here.
Beijing Design Week
24 September – 1 October, Beijing, China
Conferences, exhibitions and installations showcase national cultural innovation and development. Find out more here.
October
Dutch Design Week
17 – 25 October, Eindhoven, The Netherlands
With over 2600 participating designers, Dutch Design Week in Eindhoven is the largest design festival in Northern Europe. The event aims to encourage emerging talent and looks to the future of design. Find out more here.
November
Dubai Design Week
9 – 14 November, Dubai, UAE
The event programme includes Downtown Design, which showcases over 175 international contemporary design brands including 40 regional designers. Downtown Editions curates limited edition and bespoke design by young brands and designers with a focus on the Middle East. Find out more here.
December
Design Miami
3 – 8 December, Miami, USA
Exhibitions of twentieth and twenty first century furniture, lighting and objets d’art feature alongside progressive cultural programming, collaborations with designers and design institutions, and events led by luminaries from the worlds of design, architecture, art and fashion. Find out more here.
World Festival of Interiors
2 – 4 December, Lisbon, Portugal
Inside Festival combines an international awards programme and conference where the interiors community come together to create global connections and celebrate the world’s finest examples of interior design. Find out more here.
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