The first edition of the Bucharest Design Festival 2026 will open at the Cotroceni National Museum under the High Patronage of the President of Romania, Nicușor Dan.
Organized by The Institute Foundation between May 20 and June 21, the event is conceived as a creative festival for Bucharest, bringing together professionals in design, art, architecture, and other creative industries, major public and private cultural organizations, international companies, and local entrepreneurs, and more.
The festival has a broad system of exhibitions and events in over 100 spaces across the city. Starting May 20, 2026, the Cotroceni National Museum will host the festival’s first exhibition, titled BDF Highlights: Branding Romania Through Creativity. Open to the general public, the exhibition brings to the forefront creators and landmark projects that have placed Romanian creativity on the international map.
“Hosting the exhibition by the Cotroceni Museum and the Presidential Administration is, in itself, a gesture of institutional recognition of the value of exceptional creative organizations and major personalities, as well as of their potential to consciously become valuable ambassadors of the country brand, both domestically and internationally,” according to the organizers.
In turn, the president expressed appreciation for the event. “Bucharest Design Festival is an important event for the creative scene in Romania and for the way Bucharest asserts its current cultural identity. By granting the High Patronage, I wish to support initiatives that promote Romanian talent and contribute to Romania’s international visibility,” stated Nicușor Dan.
The festival is conceived as a response to the need to connect Bucharest’s creative initiatives within a common framework, highlighting the role of design and art in urban life and supporting the local creative ecosystem.
“Through this event, we aim to bring design closer to the general public and highlight the role of creative industries as a strategic resource for Romania’s image, modernization, and development. The granting of the High Patronage of the President confirms that this vision is also recognized at the institutional level,” said Andrei Borțun, CEO of The Institute Foundation.
(Photo source: Bucharest Design Festival on Facebook)
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