Applications are now open for participation in the XIII edition of Zagreb Design Week, the largest design festival in this part of Europe, taking place this September across more than 30 venues throughout Zagreb.
Each year, Zagreb Design Week gathers more than 400 designers and attracts over 25,000 visitors, transforming the Croatian capital into a dynamic meeting point for contemporary design, creativity and cultural exchange. Through exhibitions, installations, talks, fashion shows and public events, the festival demonstrates that design is not merely something we observe, but something that actively shapes everyday life.
International applicants are invited to apply for participation in the following programmes:
- ZGDW Award
- Installations and Spatial Interventions
- Food Design
- Fashion Shows
- Universities and Schools Exhibition
Applications for the ZGDW Award are open across the following categories:
- Graphic Design
- Digital Communications and Interaction Design
- Product Design
- Spatial Design
- Textile and Fashion Design
- Design for Social Innovation
The application deadline is 1 July 2026.
This year’s festival theme, Friction, explores the tensions and confrontations that drive the creative process forward. Ideas are tested against one another, challenged and refined through moments of conflict, experimentation and decision-making. Friction becomes an essential stage of design development — a catalyst that ultimately leads to clarity, innovation and stronger creative outcomes.
The XIII edition of Zagreb Design Week will once again position Zagreb as a regional centre of design for two weeks, bringing together designers, institutions, brands, universities and audiences from across Europe and beyond.https://zagrebdesignweek.com
