September 2026 – Geelong Design Week will return from 1-11 October 2026 with its biggest program yet, presenting more than 100 exhibitions, workshops, talks, tours, performances and public activations.
Staged across Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design, the biennial event will showcase the people, projects and ideas shaping the region.
The flagship event of the 2026 program will be the inaugural Victorian Regional Design Fair at the newly opened Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre. Running from 1-4 October, the Fair will bring together more than 50 designers, studios and creative businesses from Greater Geelong and regional Victoria.
Visitors to the Fair will encounter work ranging from furniture, fashion and ceramics to landscape design, advanced manufacturing and emerging technologies. A dedicated timeline will place this contemporary work within more than 60,000 years of design and innovation in Djilang. A comprehensive talks series will reveal the ideas behind the work, while a pop-up shop will feature over 100 locally designed and manufactured products.
Highlights from across the wider Geelong Design Week program will include What A Ripper!, Tim Ross’ live celebration of Australian design icons. The National Wool Museum will host On the Move, an interactive family exhibition created with illustrator James Gulliver Hancock. At Platform Arts, Extra Lives will combine a live band, comedy and gaming in an adventure controlled by audience votes.
Other highlights will include a conversation with Peter King and Simone LeAmon about the design of Discovering the Impressionists exhibition at the Geelong Gallery. At Deakin University, historic drawings, photographs and student responses will bring McGlashan Everist’s 70-year architectural archive to life. Its ARC Research Hub for Future Fibres will host talks and facility tours exploring textile circularity and sustainable materials.
The program will conclude on Sunday 11 October with a free community runway and block party celebrating Geelong’s independent fashion scene, alongside the Geelong Design Market at the historic Mills building in Newtown.
Greater Geelong Mayor Stretch Kontelj OAM said it’s an unmissable event.
“Geelong Design Week continues to demonstrate why our region is recognised as Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design,” Major Kontelj said.
“It showcases the creativity, innovation and talent that shape Geelong’s design culture and provides a platform for designers to make their mark in the industry.
“The previous Geelong Design Week in 2024 attracted over 40,000 people across 86 events, with visitors travelling from regional Victoria, Melbourne and interstate. Bringing together designers, industry leaders and design enthusiasts strengthens Greater Geelong’s reputation as a global leader in creativity and design excellence.”
City of Greater Geelong Chief Executive Officer Ali Wastie said the 2026 program would showcase Geelong’s creative strengths and expand opportunities for designers across regional Victoria.
“We’re proud to present our biggest Geelong Design Week yet and invite people to discover the ideas, places and creative talent that make our region distinctive,” Ms Wastie said.
“The inaugural Fair will connect regional designers with industry and new audiences, helping turn four days in Geelong into relationships and opportunities that last.
“As Australia’s only UNESCO City of Design, we want visitors to see why design matters here and feel part of what comes next.”
The full Geelong Design Week 2026 program is available at www.geelongdesignweek.com.au.
