World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026 kick-off in Hanau! Sining Ceremony will take place on 16 April 2024.
High-ranking representatives from the worlds of design, culture and politics are expected to attend the ceremony in Hanau’s Congress Park. They will deliver inspiring speeches, outline the global perspective of the World Design Organization™ and report on the experiences of previous World Design Capitals. Last but not least, the organisers from World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026 will give a first glimpse of what visitors can expect in 2026 when it comes to actively shaping the atmosphere in which we want to live!
Speakers include:
- Claus Kaminsky, Lord Mayor of the City of Hanau
- Dr. Ina Hartwig, Head of the Department of Culture and Science, City of Frankfurt am Main
- Karin Wolff, Director, Frankfurt Rhine-Main Cultural Fund
- Dr Thomas Garvey, President, World Design Organisation (WDO)
- Matthias Wagner K, CDO WDC FRM 2026
- Hanna Harris, Chief Design Officer, City of Helsinki
- Xavi Calvo, CEO World Design Capital Valencia 2022
- Anna Scheuermann, Programme Director WDC 2026
- Background information
Background
The World Design Organisation™ (WDO), based in Montreal, Canada, has designated Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main region as the World Design Capital 2026. The region given the title based on the theme “Design for Democracy. Atmospheres for a better life” over finalist Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The initiative aims to create a sustainable, participatory international centre for design, design disciplines and design methods for people from all over the world in the Frankfurt RheinMain region.
About the Title
The World Design Capital® is an internationally recognised award driven by the design industry to recognise cities and regions for their effective use of design to promote cultural, economic, social and environmental development. Over the course of a year, the selected city or region is showcased as a centre of design, creativity and innovation through a comprehensive programme of activities. Previous winners include Helsinki, Cape Town, Lille Métropole, Seoul and Mexico City. All of these cities have become major design centres and continue to benefit from their World Design Capital status. As a founding member of the WDO, the German Design Council is a partner in the initiative; Lutz Dietzold, Managing Director of the German Design Council, is also Deputy Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the implementing organization.
