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WONDER is unique as a vibrant showcase and a hub for the creativity and innovative ideas of talent.
From 27 October to 8 November 2026, WONDER Festival will transform the centre of Kortrijk, a UNESCO City of Design, into a vibrant journey of discovery through design, technology, art and innovation.
WONDER Festival, an initiative of Designregio Kortrijk, is a unique, vibrant platform and connector for the creativity and innovative ideas of emerging talent and established names, both nationally and internationally. In a world that speeds, yells and grinds, creative minds provide a counterbalance. They encourage reflection, foster open-mindedness and boldly inspire us towards a better future.
Following a successful edition in 2025, which attracted over 18,000 visitors, WONDER continues to grow into a leading platform for creativity and imagination.
WONDER Festival, an initiative of Designregio Kortrijk, is a unique, vibrant platform and connector for the creativity and innovative ideas of emerging talent and established names, both nationally and internationally. In a world that speeds, yells and grinds, creative minds provide a counterbalance. They encourage reflection, foster open-mindedness and boldly inspire us towards a better future.
Following a successful edition in 2025, which attracted over 18,000 visitors, WONDER continues to grow into a leading platform for creativity and imagination.
Design throughout the city
In March 2026, an open call for entries was issued throughout Belgium (and internationally). The organisers received over 300 entries, which were assessed by a professional jury. Twenty-three unique venues – ranging from a derelict hospital campus and retail premises to listed buildings in the centre of Kortrijk – will serve as the backdrop for exhibitions and installations in collaboration with over 300 designers, artists, companies, organisations and schools.
Thematic strands
The future is being shaped right now — in studios, classrooms and businesses. WONDER brings together the people who are shaping it: designers, artists, businesses, students and the public, centred on one key question: how do we want to live, create and coexist?
Based on the selection made by the independent jury, the curators have defined six overarching themes that link the many projects together. Once again, there is a particular focus on a new generation of designers, artists and makers who are experimenting with materials, technologies and social issues.
The six themes reveal underlying connections and invite visitors to experience the festival not merely as a collection of individual exhibitions, but as a journey through ideas, materials and visions of the future.
The six thematic strands demonstrate how design today can take on a variety of roles: as a social meeting place, as a playful force of imagination, as a critical reflection on technology, as a driving force for ecological transformation, as a transparent creative process, and as a vehicle for regional craftsmanship. Together, they form a lens through which to discover the richness of the selected projects and illustrate how design continually forges new connections between people, materials, industry, technology and society.
DINE WITH US
The table as a living, sensory and symbolic space where matter, nature and humanity converge, and where dining becomes a ritual of connection, time and shared experience.
Based on the selection made by the independent jury, the curators have defined six overarching themes that link the many projects together. Once again, there is a particular focus on a new generation of designers, artists and makers who are experimenting with materials, technologies and social issues.
The six themes reveal underlying connections and invite visitors to experience the festival not merely as a collection of individual exhibitions, but as a journey through ideas, materials and visions of the future.
The six thematic strands demonstrate how design today can take on a variety of roles: as a social meeting place, as a playful force of imagination, as a critical reflection on technology, as a driving force for ecological transformation, as a transparent creative process, and as a vehicle for regional craftsmanship. Together, they form a lens through which to discover the richness of the selected projects and illustrate how design continually forges new connections between people, materials, industry, technology and society.
DINE WITH US
The table as a living, sensory and symbolic space where matter, nature and humanity converge, and where dining becomes a ritual of connection, time and shared experience.
DESIGN IS PLAY
Design as an invitation to wonder, experiment and play. From interactive installations and playful objects to designs that stimulate the imagination and encourage movement: these projects demonstrate how play can be a powerful driver of creativity, social interaction and learning.
Design as an invitation to wonder, experiment and play. From interactive installations and playful objects to designs that stimulate the imagination and encourage movement: these projects demonstrate how play can be a powerful driver of creativity, social interaction and learning.
DIGITAL POWER
On the one hand, a critical exploration of how digital technology shapes our world. Not as an intangible layer, but as a material, political and sensory network in which humans, machines and bodies are constantly intertwined. On the other hand, an insight into how digital technology stimulates innovation, entrepreneurship and social progress, and opens up new possibilities for the future.
On the one hand, a critical exploration of how digital technology shapes our world. Not as an intangible layer, but as a material, political and sensory network in which humans, machines and bodies are constantly intertwined. On the other hand, an insight into how digital technology stimulates innovation, entrepreneurship and social progress, and opens up new possibilities for the future.
ECHOES OF THE EARTH
Design and art as living, ongoing processes. Through bio-based materials, circular systems, growing ecosystems and regenerative practices, these projects explore new relationships between people, materials and the environment.
Design and art as living, ongoing processes. Through bio-based materials, circular systems, growing ecosystems and regenerative practices, these projects explore new relationships between people, materials and the environment.
UNFOLDING DESIGN
Design as an open process. From material experimentation and engineering to prototyping, research and production: these projects reveal the ideas, decisions and techniques behind the final result and bridge the gap between design, knowledge and industry.
Design as an open process. From material experimentation and engineering to prototyping, research and production: these projects reveal the ideas, decisions and techniques behind the final result and bridge the gap between design, knowledge and industry.
TOUCH TEXTILE
A tribute to the region’s rich textile heritage and its future. By bringing together craftsmanship, innovation, digital technology and materials research, the selected projects demonstrate how textiles continue to evolve and remain a source of creativity, collaboration and industrial innovation.
A tribute to the region’s rich textile heritage and its future. By bringing together craftsmanship, innovation, digital technology and materials research, the selected projects demonstrate how textiles continue to evolve and remain a source of creativity, collaboration and industrial innovation.
WONDER Creativity Festival has its origins in Week van het Ontwerpen, but since 2020 it has been organised under the name WONDER. The festival is organised and curated by Designregio Kortrijk and made possible thanks to our enthusiastic partners:
Supporting partners: Polestar, Omer Vander Ghinste, Fedustria, POM West-Vlaanderen & Domaine De Graux
Founding partners: Howest, Kortrijk Xpo, Intercommunale Leiedal, Stad Kortrijk, Voka West-Vlaanderen & Imog
