FORWARD FESTIVAL 2026: ONE SEASON, THREE CITIES
Three cities, four months, more than 100 speakers. The 2026 season of Forward Festival opened with a sold out premiere in Frankfurt, brought more than 2,000 visitors to HKW in Berlin, and closed in front of more than 1,300 people at Gartenbaukino in Vienna. Along the way, a new issue of Forward Magazine went to print.
FRANKFURT: A SOLD OUT PREMIERE AT WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL 2026
Forward Festival came to Frankfurt for the first time on June 11 and 12. The new edition took place at Massif E as part of Open Design Week Frankfurt RheinMain, the central public festival of World Design Capital 2026. The premiere sold out, and the World Design Organization later counted Forward among the main audience draws of the design week.
The setting gave the program a clear frame. World Design Capital 2026 asked how design can shape democratic participation and social change, a question that sits close to how Forward thinks about creative work. Over two days, the stage brought together art director and designer Mike Meiré, the Dutch agency Studio Dumbar, Amsterdam's Erik Kessels, digital artist Johanna Jaskowska, and many more voices from design, branding, and digital art. Frankfurt's own creative scene stood right next to the international guests, in the audience and on stage.
BERLIN: MORE THAN 50 SPEAKERS & 2,000 VISITORS AT HKW
At the end of August, Forward returned to Haus der Kulturen der Welt. On August 27 and 28, more than 50 speakers took to three stages, and over 2,000 visitors came through the doors.
Stefan Sagmeister brought a brand new talk to Berlin. Swiss type foundry ABC Dinamo, Montreal artist Gab Bois, Fluoro, and Mr Bingo were part of a lineup that moved between type, image, humor, and commercial practice, and many more speakers filled the two days with work in progress, honest failures, and the stories behind finished projects.
The festival also reached beyond the stages. Side events gave visitors more ways to meet, talk, and keep conversations going after the talks ended, and HKW hosted the launch of the new Forward Magazine.
VIENNA: THE SEASON FINALE AT GARTENBAUKINO
On October 1 and 2, the season came to a close in Vienna. More than 1,300 people gathered at Gartenbaukino for talks by more than 25 speakers, including Annie Atkins, Jim Stoten, Erik Kessels, and Gabriela Namie.
Annie Atkins, known for her graphic props for Wes Anderson films, showed how much story a single object on screen can carry. Illustrator Jim Stoten and artist Gabriela Namie brought color, character, and play to the program. Erik Kessels returned after his talk in Frankfurt and closed the circle of the season with a case for saying no, choosing honesty over polish, and finding ideas in mistakes and amateur photography.
SEASON 2027 DROPPING SOON
After a premiere, a full house in Berlin, and a finale in Vienna, the next season is already in the works. The program for Forward Festival 2027 will be announced soon. Sign up for the Forward newsletter to hear first when cities, dates, and tickets go live.
