The Best Graphic Design Conferences in Europe

For graphic designers, staying inspired and connected is key to pushing creative boundaries. Across Europe, design conferences bring together top creatives, industry leaders, and emerging talent to share insights, showcase innovations, and spark new ideas.

Whether you're looking to refine your skills, network with like-minded professionals, or simply immerse yourself in the latest design trends, these conferences offer the perfect opportunity.

Graphic Design Conferences Europe

From Berlin to Barcelona, here’s a look at the must-attend graphic design conferences that should be on your radar this year.

OFFF Barcelona

Where:
Barcelona, Spain
When:
16-18 Apr 2026

OFFF Barcelona is a leading festival and community for contemporary visual creativity where innovative and emerging talents share their creative processes and explore the future of the global creative industry. It brings together designers, artists, developers, and thinkers for inspiration and collaboration.

NOW26 Conference

Where:
Paris, France
When:
30 May 2026

NOW26 Conference is a celebration of typography featuring inspiring speakers from graphic, web and motion design, publishing, visual identity, communication, and type design, with talks, discussions, workshops and more.

Pictoplasma

Where:
Berlin, Germany
When:
7-10 May 2026

Pictoplasma is the leading festival for contemporary character design, bringing together illustrators, animators, designers, and visual artists from around the world. Hosted in Berlin, it offers talks, exhibitions, screenings, and workshops that explore the future of character-driven storytelling and visual culture.

Forward Festival Berlin

Where:
Berlin, Germany
When:
27-28 Aug 2026

Forward Berlin is a two-day gathering with 50+ talks across three stages from designers, directors, and other creative professionals. It also offers workshops, interactive formats, and networking focused on practical knowledge exchange.

POV Budapest

Where:
Budapest, Hungary
When:
16-20 Sep 2026

POV Budapest is a design conference centered on visual practices. It mixes talks and workshops with performances, design walks, and curated side events that spotlight an often overlooked creative scene.

Birmingham Design Festival

Where:
Birmingham, UK
When:
Jun 2026

Birmingham Design Festival is a city-wide celebration of design, bringing together creatives from graphic design, illustration, digital, product, and beyond.

It offers talks, workshops, exhibitions, and plenty of chances to meet fellow designers while exploring Birmingham’s vibrant creative scene.

Us By Night

Where:
Antwerp, Belgium
When:
24-26 Sep 2026

Us By Night is a design and creativity festival featuring inspirational talks, a vibrant nightmarket, and club programming, built to bond, inspire, and reenergize the creative community.

Hatch Conference

Where:
Berlin, Germany
When:
16-18 Sep 2026

Hatch Conference is an invite-only event for senior professionals, with a strong focus on UX and product design.

UX Nordic

Where:
Aarhus, Denmark
When:
15-16 Apr 2026

UX Nordic is an international, high‑quality, deep‑dive conference for user experience design featuring top‑notch speakers, cutting‑edge topics, and hands‑on workshops. It offers ample opportunities to learn, meet, and network with UX professionals from around the world.

SXSW London

Where:
London, United Kingdom
When:
1-6 Jun 2026

SXSW London is the new European edition of the iconic SXSW festival, bringing together creativity, culture, technology, and innovation in one multidisciplinary event.

It features talks, performances, exhibitions, and networking opportunities that connect global thinkers, artists, and creators in the heart of London.

All Flows

Where:
Milton Keynes, UK
When:
13–15 May 2026

All Flows is an international creative, design and digital festival bringing together leading artists, designers and innovators for talks, workshops and inspiration. Expect a curated lineup of boundary-pushing speakers and immersive sessions designed to spark fresh ideas and connections.

munich creative business week

Where:
Munich, Germany
When:
4-10 May 2026

Munich Creative Business Week (MCBW) is Germany’s largest design event, bringing together creatives, companies, and cultural institutions for a full week of talks, exhibitions, and workshops.

It’s a platform to explore new ideas in design, business, and innovation while connecting with the creative community across Munich.

Forward Festival Vienna

Where:
Vienna, Austria
When:
1-2 Oct 2026

Forward Festival convenes 1,500+ creatives across industries for 25+ talks by established and emerging voices, sharing insights into creative processes, challenges, and breakthroughs. Interactive workshops and immersive formats invite hands-on experimentation and new ways of thinking.

ADCE Creative Week

Where:
Barcelona, Spain
When:
19-21 Nov 2025

ADCE Creative Week is the new format of the annual festival of Art Directors Club of Europe. Taking place in Barcelona from 19–21 November, it brings together creatives from across Europe for talks, awards, portfolio reviews, and fresh inspiration.

Forward Festival Frankfurt

Where:
Frankfurt, Germany
When:
11–12 Jun 2026

Forward Festival arrives in Frankfurt for the first time, bringing its signature mix of design, creativity, and visual storytelling to the city. Expect two days of inspiring talks, workshops, and fresh perspectives from leading creatives.

The Design It; Build It (DIBI)

Where:
Edinburgh, UK
When:
19-20 Mar 2026

Design It; Build It (DIBI) brings together designers, developers, and digital professionals to explore the latest trends in product design and technology.

It features talks from industry leaders, hands-on workshops, and opportunities to connect with others working across digital design and development.

MOUVO

Where:
Prague, Czech Republic
When:
26-27 Mar 2026

Mouvo is a digital art and motion design conference featuring talks, screenings, and workshops.

Leading Design London

Where:
London, UK
When:
11-12 Nov 2026

Leading Design is a two-day conference for design leaders curated by Clearleft. Sessions cover hiring, culture, team structure, stakeholder management, and wellbeing.

London Design Festival

Where:
London, UK
When:
12-20 Sep 2026

London Design Festival is an annual design event presenting landmark commissions, installations, exhibitions and talks. It includes the Global Design Forum, a partner programme and the London Design Medals.

Brno Bold

Where:
Brno, Czech Republic
When:
date 2026 tba

Brno Bold is a design festival in the Czech Republic that brings together graphic designers, visual artists, and creative thinkers for talks, workshops, and exhibitions. It’s a place to explore contemporary design, get inspired, and connect with the wider creative community.

Creative Lunch Club

Where:
in over 100 cities
When:
every month

Creative Lunch Club is not a conference, but a great way to meet and connect with other creatives besides big event. It brings creatives together for small-group lunches to connect and exchange ideas.

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I love Creative Lunch Club because it harnesses the most human way of connecting, sharing a meal. It's an effortless way for creatives to build diverse connections and friendships across various fields and meet people they wouldn't otherwise.

Júlia Mota Albuquerque
Illustrator & Muralist, Berlin

Thanks to Creative Lunch Club I found friends and inspiring conversations and connections with people that I probably would not have met otherwise. The process is easy and straight forward and everyone is so friendly, interesting and talented - what an amazing experience.

Danii Pollehn
Illustrator, Lisbon

The CLC is great because I can easily get to know previously unknown creative people in the city, gain new inspiration, expand my talent network and also discover new corners and restaurants in the city. I think CLC members are curious and open-minded people by nature. It's always exciting to learn more about the city's creative scene and its projects. At my previous meetings, we always had interesting discussions and the time for lunch was often far too short. I'm already looking forward to my next CLC.

Markus Wohlhüter
Graphic Designer, Zürich