Sofia hosted the 20th edition of the European Design Festival and European Design Awards, 11-14 June, welcoming designers, agencies, educators and communication professionals from across Europe for four days of conferences, exhibitions, workshops, networking events and celebrations of excellence in communication design.
The event marks an important milestone for Bulgaria’s meetings and creative industries. For the first time, Sofia served as host city for one of Europe’s leading professional design gatherings, following a successful international bid led by Studio Komplekt with the support of Meetings by Visit Sofia, the Bulgarian Convention Bureau and a network of local partners.
According to the organisers, the 2026 edition attracted submissions from 40 European countries, while award winners represented 24 countries.
Festival highlights included the open-air exhibition 20 Years of European Communication Design at the National Palace of Culture, curated by Studio Komplekt.
The event also strengthened Sofia’s international profile through the continued collaboration with the International Council of Design (ICoD), which held its regional meeting in Sofia during the festival.
“The successful hosting of the European Design Festival demonstrates the value of collaboration between the creative industries, destination partners and the meetings sector. It is another example of how Sofia continues to attract specialised international communities and events that contribute to the city’s visibility, knowledge economy and international profile,” said Teodora Jilkova, executive director of the Bulgarian Convention Bureau.
The European Design Festival will move to Copenhagen in 2027.
More information: www.europeandesign.org
