On Saturday, 20 June, the 19th edition of Gdynia Design Days – one of Poland’s most important design festivals – gets underway. This year’s theme, ‘Closer’, sets the tone for the programme, which encourages a shift in perspective: from the distant and abstract to the real, local and achievable here and now. For nine days – from 20 to 28 June – Gdynia will become a space for discussions about design, the city, relationships and the everyday practices that shape our surroundings.
This year, participants at Gdynia Design Days can look forward to nearly 20 exhibitions, most of which are located within the premises of the Pomeranian Science and Technology Park in Gdynia. The exhibitions will be open daily from 12:00 to 20:00 between 20 and 26 June, whilst the remaining projects can be viewed at partner venues across the city. Admission to all exhibitions is free.
This year’s programme also includes a wide range of accompanying events: talks, workshops, themed walks, physical activities and meetings, which will allow visitors to immerse themselves in the festival atmosphere and discover a variety of design perspectives. Events take place both on the PPNT site and at partner venues. Curator-led tours are also scheduled during the festival – a unique opportunity to learn about the contexts, processes and ideas behind the projects on display. This is a chance to talk to the artists, ask questions and see the exhibitions from a completely different perspective. The schedule of guided tours is available on the festival website.
Check out the programme for this year’s edition HERE.
The first ‘on-stage’ events will take place on the opening day. A conversation between Aneta Lehmann and Anna Orska will officially open the festival, drawing attention to traditional craftsmanship and the value of materials that are often underappreciated. In subsequent sessions, Małgorzata Szczepańska will introduce four designers, whilst discussions on closeness and community will also extend to the realm of the senses – taste will serve as a starting point for reflecting on the relationship between design, art and science. Ewa Gołębiowska will speak about wool as the material of the future, whilst Malwina Luto and Maja Gaszyniec will examine human-centred design, which is already evident at the stage of developing a product range. Paweł Grobelny will introduce an urban perspective, analysing how to design public architecture that supports everyday relationships and ‘third places’.
On Saturday, we’re opening all the exhibitions, and during the official programme, festival guests can look forward to a conversation between Aneta Lehmann and Anna Orska, as well as an event organised in collaboration with Strefy Czasowe. Each day will feature meetings, workshops, guided tours, talks and activities that allow visitors to experience design up close – not just by looking, but also by participating and being together – says Urszula Kasińska from the Gdynia Design Centre.
The programme also addresses technology-related topics. The panGenerator collective will invite participants to take a critical look at digital immersion, whilst Dr Marta Aleksandra Flisykowska will help make sense of the abundance of contemporary predictions and point the way towards safe approaches to thinking about the future.
And Gdynia has a unique energy at this time of year. The festival blends naturally with the rhythm of the city, the sea and leisurely strolls. You can visit an exhibition in the morning, take part in workshops in the afternoon, and in the evening sit by the water and spend a little more time reflecting on all these topics and conversations. And I think it is precisely this kind of experience –calmer , more mindful and communal – that is so badly needed today,” adds Urszula Kasińska.
As part of this year’s edition of Gdynia Design Days, the public will be able to see the exhibition ‘Momento Sospeso. Towards Closeness’ by Barańska Design – a project that fits in perfectly with the festival’s theme, ‘Closer’. The exhibition will be open throughout the festival, from 20 to 28 June, between 12:00 and 20:00, at the Barańska Design studio in PPNT Gdynia.
“Momento Sospeso. Towards Closeness” is a story about relationships, presence and the art of sharing time together. At the heart of the exhibition is a five-metre-long table designed by Edyta Barańska – a symbol of encounter, conversation and mindfulness. It is set with sculptural tableware by MAKOS, created by Maria Kostrzak, which lends the space the character of an intimate, shared experience. The exhibition is complemented by the premiere of the light installation ‘TENT’, created in collaboration between Edyta Barańska and Ola Ziarek, an interior designer known as the ‘Architect to the Stars’, who also co-designed the exhibition’s layout.
The project invites you to pause amidst the hustle and bustle of everyday life – to savour that brief moment between one word and the next, to spend a little more time together than we usually allow ourselves in our daily routine. It is a space where closeness becomes an experience, and design a tool for building relationships. For more information, visit the official website at https://gdyniadesigndays.eu.
Check out the programme for this year’s edition HERE.
Gdynia Design Days 2026
20–28 June 2026
12:00–20:00
Pomeranian Science and Technology Park, Gdynia
al. Zwycięstwa 96/98, Gdynia
partner venues
Organisers of Gdynia Design Days: Gdynia, Pomeranian Science and Technology Park Gdynia, Gdynia Design Centre.
The visual identity for GDD 2026 was created by Ada Zielińska and Patryk Hardziej.
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