A new design festival for Berlin
The first edition of Currents. Design in Berlin will take place from 10 to 12 September 2026: this decentralised festival will be spread across the entire city of the capital. Design studios, brands, manufacturers, galleries and universities will organise their own programme events and open their premises to the public. The events will therefore take place where design, production, research and exhibitions occur.
Participants announced so far include, for example, the industrial designer Konstantin Grcic; the manufacturer Kaldewei, which produces high-quality shower trays, washbasins and bathtubs made of steel enamel; and the design company Bolon, which develops woven vinyl flooring for public spaces. The Berlin University of the Arts and the Weißensee Academy of Art are also taking part with exhibitions and projects from their teaching and research programmes.
Currents. Design in Berlin was initiated by journalists Jasmin Jouhar and Laura Ewert, who developed the festival in collaboration with representatives of Berlin’s design scene. The aim is to raise the profile of various players in the industry on a shared platform and to promote professional exchange. The initiators also highlight the growing international interconnectedness of Berlin’s design scene. “Far too little attention is paid to just how diverse and international Berlin’s design scene has become. With Currents, there is now a platform to connect creatives with one another and showcase their work,” says Jasmin Jouhar.
The programme includes exhibitions, product presentations, workshops, talks and open studios. It is complemented by the Currents Agenda, which brings together discussions on topics relating to design, society and the economy on every day of the festival. Afterwards, the Currents Bar in the Eternithaus – built in 1957 by Paul Baumgarten in the Hansaviertel – serves as a meeting place for conversation and networking. Guests on the talk programme include not only Berlin-based speakers but also participants from Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Norway.
Currents is organised without public funding and is financed by the participants and private partners. In the long term, the aim is to involve participants from other regions of Germany and abroad as well.
Currents. Design in Berlin
10 to 12 September 2026
