Grand Opening of the World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026

The Grand Opening of World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026 marks the start of a twelve-month programme that sees design in Frankfurt RheinMain as a tool for participation, dialogue and social transformation. Under the theme ‘Design for Democracy. Atmospheres for a better life’, the region is positioning itself as an internationally visible stage for forward-looking design.

The evening will be opened by Carolina Romahn, Managing Director of World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026. Speakers will include Boris Rhein, Minister-President of Hesse, Hanno Benz, Mayor of the Science City Darmstadt, and Andréa Springer, Managing Director of the World Design Organisation. In their contributions, they will set the stage for a year that understands design as a social, cultural and spatial force.

The Grand Opening combines content-related themes with artistic perspectives. The programme includes a choreographic work by Paula Rosolen / Haptic Hide, jazz improvisations by Manuel Seng, the premiere of the official WDC image film, and the musical presentation of the WDC song by the children's and youth choir of the Staatstheater Darmstadt. A keynote speech by Prof. Dr. Martina Löw will shed light on design as a socially effective practice and classify it from a spatial sociological perspective.

Projects of the World Design Capital Frankfurt RheinMain 2026

Another focus of the evening will be the presentation of selected projects from the WDC year. Among others, the WDC Hub, the Open Design Week Frankfurt RheinMain, the first superblock in Hesse in Wiesbaden, the Main-Light project for sustainable street lighting, and the cultural use of Saalbaustraße 37 in Darmstadt will be presented. The range of projects illustrates the regional and thematic aspirations of World Design Capital 2026. Following the official programme, a get-together will provide an opportunity for informal exchange between project partners, designers and guests.

The WDC 2026 annual programme