The latest edition of Designblok, Central Europe’s biggest celebration of design and fashion, kicks off in Prague on Tuesday.

Over the next five days, the festival will showcase the work of more than 200 carefully selected designers, studios, and brands.

Now in its 27th year, Central Europe’s largest festival of design and fashion returns with a theme that feels perfectly timed: Courage.

This year’s edition will transform Výstaviště Praha in Holešovice into the festival’s central hub, filling the Křižík pavilions and the New Spiral Theater with cutting-edge creations from hundreds of designers and producers from across Europe.

Visitors can expect an engaging mix of installations, exhibitions, and interactive zones – including Designblok Talks, a new platform produced in collaboration with Dezeen magazine, featuring panel discussions and interviews with leading international guests.

There will also be plenty for families: Designblok for Kids invites the youngest visitors to explore design through play, while the Designblok Stage offers educational programs, and the festival’s food and chill-out zones provide a relaxed setting for conversation and inspiration.

One of this year’s key exhibitions, High Craft, will once again take over the Royal Summer Palace at Prague Castle, celebrating artisans and brands that are pushing Czech craftsmanship into new creative directions. Meanwhile, the Museum of Decorative Arts will host several standout exhibitions, including Between Unity and Diversity, which presents the work of twenty women shaping the fields of design, architecture, and applied arts.

Among the festival highlights will be solo exhibitions by Czech jeweler Zdeněk Vacek and acclaimed designer Jiří Pelcl, who marks his 75th birthday this year with a retrospective show.

The festival’s guest of honor, Mary McCartney – photographer, documentarist, and activist – will present her work in the new Loggia space at Galerie Rudolfinum, underscoring Designblok’s expanding international reach. The School Today exhibition will showcase daring concepts from young designers across Central European schools, while the Diploma Selection and Talent Cards programs will shine a light on emerging talent ready to shape the future of design.

Speaking ahead of the festival, Jana Zielinski, Director of Designblok, explained why Courage was chosen as this year’s theme:

“I think these times we live in require courage. I also wanted to highlight the importance of women in design and architecture, because until recently, these fields were still dominated by men. So I think it’s very important to hear the stories of contemporary Czech designers and female architects.”

Zielinski points to the main exhibition, Odvaha (Courage), as a key moment in the festival. It brings together twenty women from different generations — from legendary architect Eva Jiřičná, now 86, to up-and-coming creators in their early thirties — each with their own story of creativity and perseverance.

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