Recap: Forward Festival Berlin 2026

The Forward Festival Berlin 2026 once again turned Haus der Kulturen der Welt into a temporary creative campus. On August 27th and 28th, three stages brought together more than 50 international creative voices for two days of talks, workshops, and side events under the theme "Turn Ideas into Action".

Among the many highlights, Vera van de Seyp and holy motors offered insights into their work, their working methods and their activist thinking. Stefan Sagmeister premiered a brand-new talk, openly sharing the single worst job of his career—and what he ultimately took from it. Canadian art-and-design director Gab Bois offered a surreal, object-based take on image-making, while Brooklyn duo Anton & Irene, represented by Irene Pereyra, dug into what it means to shape culture through digital design. British illustrator Mr. Bingo brought his sharp wit to the stage, motion studio FutureDeluxe blended design and technology into emotive visual worlds, and type foundry Dinamo unpacked how typography carries identity and attitude. A candid panel with Sagmeister, The Rodina, Florian Kaps, and Viktoria Renner tackled AI, change, and where creativity is heading next. The thing Magazine provided a critical and editorial voice at the festival.

The festival's visual identity, once again crafted by Austrian studio Zwupp, pushed the three-dimensional, kinetic language they introduced the year before—new posters, next-speaker bumpers between talks, and video-wall installations across the site. The Mill premiered the festival's new Main Titles, adding a cinematic layer to the atmosphere at HKW.

Beyond the main stages, the expo area and side events gave the festival its hands-on character: an open stage let attendees pitch their own ideas directly to speakers and get advice on the spot, while studio tours offered a look inside Berlin's creative agencies.

Once again, Forward Festival Berlin proved to be a place to meet old acquaintances, make new contacts, and exchange ideas in a creative and collaborative atmosphere. We are already looking forward to the next stop of the season—Vienna in October—and to the next Berlin edition in 2027.

Further information here.