Budapest Design Week Has Kicked Off

On the 10^th of October 2024, Budapest Design Week, the country’s largest design festival, organised by the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency (HFDA), kicked off. The event will run for ten days, until the 20^th of October, welcoming those interested in creative fields and artworks in Budapest and across the country at over 100 locations.

This year, Budapest Design Week awaits the public interested in product design and the creative industry with a diverse range of innovative and craft programs. Across more than 100 venues throughout Budapest and various cities in the countryside, visitors can enjoy exciting events, workshops, temporary exhibitions, guided tours, toasts, and other experience-based events.

In addition to the programmes in the capital, Sopron and Pécs also join the event series. The Sopron Design Week is held for the 9^th time, with the organisers aiming to raise awareness of the economic and social role of design. With its various initiatives, DesignPécs draws attention to one of the hidden assets of Baranya County, the local design and creative industry.

Budapest Design Week’s opening event, the ELLE DECO International Design Awards (EDIDA), is held on the 10^th of October 2024, acknowledging the most exceptional creators and inspiring works in the Hungarian design profession. The internationally acclaimed EDIDA, also known as the Oscars of the design world, has been awarding the best in the profession for 20 years. The sponsor of the Young Talent of the Year category this year is once again the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency.

The central exhibition of Budapest Design Week, the Red Dot Award-winning 360 Design Budapest presents the best pieces of domestic and regional design for the fifth time between the 15^th and the 20^th of October 2024. This year, the exhibition is hosted by the historic former waiting room of Nyugati Railway Station. The Red Dot Award-winning event aims to enhance the international recognition of Central European creative artists and support design brands in entering the global markets, with a focus on sustainability. The exhibition underlines the role of design in everyday life while opening a gate for regional designers to debut on the international scene.

A key professional event at Budapest Design Week will be the creative industry roundtable discussion and presentation discussing topics and questions such as developing the domestic creative industry, assisting its entry into the international market, and enhancing its competitiveness. The programme on the 17^th of October will take place in the imposing ArtHab building.

Another accentuated side event of Budapest Design Week is the Art Market Budapest, held between the 17^th and the 20^th of October at Millenáris. The largest international contemporary art fair in Central and Eastern Europe showcases the latest contemporary artworks with over 100 exhibitors from 30 countries.

Those who want to take home a unique piece of Hungarian design and craft can purchase them directly from the artists at the fair hosted by the Independent Contemporary Art Salon (FIKSZ).

Today marks the start of the Budapest Design Week event series, showcasing a broad spectrum of creative sectors where visitors can explore both traditional craftsmanship techniques and the latest innovations. Visitors can gain a deeper insight into the different aspects of design, be it product design, cultural heritage, jewellery making, or interactive installations.

You can find the detailed programme on the HFDA.hu website.