Copenhagen's Coolest Festival, 3daysofdesign, Returns in Less Than 10 Days — These Are the 5 Things Our Lifestyle Editor Can't Wait to See, and Where She'll Go for Food and Drinks
Your guide to Scandinavia's most anticipated creative event is here
We live in an age of infinite connection and profound loneliness, where screens are omnipresent, while presence is rarely felt. The paradox of our time is that the more plugged in we are, the more cut off we feel — from each other, from our surroundings, from ourselves, and from those who create what we like to collect. Design, at its best, has always been the antidote to that. And 3daysofdesign, one of the best design festivals in the world, exists precisely for this reason: to bring people back into the room, and get them to engage with the state of craftsmanship, innovation, and creativity as they stand today.
This year's theme, Make This Moment Matter, arrives like a rallying cry for designers and design lovers alike to slow down, look up, and choose meaning over noise. From June 10 to June 12, Copenhagen will again become a living reminder that the things we surround ourselves with tell a story — a vision that's become a motto here at Livingetc.
These are the highlights, the moments, the makers, and the ideas that we expect to linger long after the doors closed; the showcases set to be on everyone's mind for weeks and weeks after the event has come to a close. Because that's what the best design does — it stays with you, and gives you a reason to stay present.
3dayofdesign 2026 Highlights — 5 of the Best Things to See in Copenhagen June 10-12
Get to 'The Heart of Living' With Tekla's Exploration of Patchwork Quilt
Danish favorite bedding brand Tekla is back with yet another fascinating 3daysofdesign installation, tracing the threads of past, present, and future.
When & Where: Kongens Nytorv 1, 1st Floor, Assembly Hall (Festsalen), 1050 Copenhagen K. June 9-12, 10AM-6PM
Tekla returns to Charlottenborg — the former palace-turned-art-institution in the heart of Copenhagen that proved such a fitting backdrop for the brand last year — with The Heart of Living, an exhibition that turns its attention to the tradition and craft of the patchwork quilt.
Charlottenborg, one of Copenhagen's most iconic landmarks, lends itself to Charlie Hedin's latest investigation into rituality and the material.
Displayed in cabin beds, the enclosed wooden sleeping structures used across Sweden until the 19th century, the pieces draw on colours from Tekla's own archive and reference the quiet rigour of 20th-century Swedish design, shown alongside the brand's heirloom-inspired broderie anglaise collection in a pairing that feels as considered as everything the Copenhagen label does. It is, in miniature, a neat encapsulation of what Tekla has always been about: the idea that the objects we sleep under, wrap ourselves in, and reach for day after day are worthy of the same seriousness of intent as any work of high design — made to be lived in, and made to last. The exhibition design is supported by Mentze Ottenstein.
Celebrate One of the Greatest Design Icons With Louis Poulsen
Exhibitions, talks, and delicious baked goods will punctuate Louis Poulsen's 3daysofdesign presentation this year.
Where & When: Kuglegårdsvej 19-23, 1434 Copenhagen. Pop-up café open June 10-12, 10AM-5PM
One hundred years since Poul Henningsen first presented his System PH to the world, Louis Poulsen is marking the occasion in characteristically considered style. Their 3daysofdesign programme is just as iconic as that design: the centerpiece is Into the Shades, a large-scale installation by Copenhagen design-build studio Penny that interprets the PH's legendary layered shade construction through fabric and wood, the gentle movement of the textile echoing both the lamp's soft, diffused illumination and — in a quietly poetic touch — Henningsen's lifelong passion for kites.
See a giant of Danish design and Copenhagen's favorite conditoriet unite in a limited-edition pop-up.
Talks run throughout the festival, including an intimate session with Mads Wille, the great-grandson of PH himself, who promises to reveal the man behind the myth: his views on light, liberalism and society, with stories shared publicly for the very first time. Then there is the collaboration that nobody saw coming but everyone will be talking about: the renowned Copenhagen patisserie La Glace taking up residence in Louis Poulsen's Kuglegården courtyard, transforming the brand's Hut into a pop-up café serving their world-famous assortment alongside a Louis Poulsen special edition made exclusively for the festival. As CMO Zorayda Perez Pedersen puts it, the week brings together design heritage, cultural relevance and bold innovation in one place. Plus, baked goods. I mean, what else could you ask for?
Learn more about Louis Poulsen.
Feel at Home With Fredericia: A Chronicle of Danish Design
Some of the archival materials that informed the making of Fredericia: A Chronicle of Danish Design, one of this year's 3daysofdesign highlights.
Where & When: Fredericia Showroom, Løvstræde 1, 5th floor, Copenhagen. Exhibition open June 10-12, 9AM-6PM. Trisse Bar, June 10, 6-9 PM. Thursday Bar, June 11, 6-9 PM
Few furniture houses can marshal over a century of making into a coherent, emotionally resonant narrative — but Fredericia, it seems, can. The Danish brand arrives at this year's 3daysofdesign with A Chronicle of Danish Design, an exhibition that debuted in Milan Design Week 2026 before landing at the brand's Copenhagen showroom on Løvstræde. It does exactly what its title promises, tracing a continuous thread from the company's earliest works to its most contemporary, through archival material, material studies, and a cast of collaborators that reads like a who's-who of the Nordic canon — Børge Mogensen, Nanna Ditzel, Mogens Koch, Cecilie Manz, Barber Osgerby.
An ink stamp part of the Fredericia's historical archives.
Image credit: Fredericia
A glimpse inside a recent exhibition held by the house at Triennale Milano.
Image credit: Fredericia
It is the kind of show that rewards slow looking, the sort where a joinery detail or a particular choice of timber begins to feel less like a design decision and more like a family trait, passed quietly down the generations. Those looking for a reason to linger will find two: a Thursday Bar on the 10th, and a Trisse Bar on the 12th — the latter marking the relaunch of Nanna Ditzel's Trisse collection, with Fredericia extending an open invitation for "drinks, conversation, and an evening shared with friends of Fredericia celebrating craftsmanship and community." Consider this yours.
Meet the Man Behind the Artist at St. Leo's ¿Jaime, What Are You Doing?
Because design hits harder when it's personal.
When & Where: St. Leo, Trelleborggade 5, 2150 Nordhavn, Copenhagen. June 10-12, 10AM-6PM
There are exhibitions you admire because they show you new ways into art and creativity, and there are exhibitions you love for their emotional resonance. I suspect ¿Jaime, What Are You Doing? — staged at St. Leo's Nordhavn headquarters across 3daysofdesign — to feel like the latter. Conceived by the celebrated Spanish artist and designer Jaime Hayon as a tribute to his late mother, Raquel Benchimol, the show takes its title from a question she asked him throughout his life: simple, direct, and full of care. That gesture of maternal curiosity becomes the show's emotional spine, with sculptures, furniture, and artworks in glass, ceramic, marble, and bronze selected not for their formal qualities alone, but for their sentimental significance — each accompanied by personal anecdotes handwritten directly onto the plinths. It is, in other words, a show about what we carry: the optimism, the sensitivity, the restless imaginative drive that a mother transmits and that never quite leaves you. St. Leo — the Copenhagen interiors company whose mineral-rich wall finishes and plasters, inspired by the shifting of light and the subtle rhythms of daily life, provide a fittingly tactile and intimate backdrop — will keep its gallery, café, and atelier open to the public throughout the festival week.
Discover Some of Norway's Most Exciting New Makers in Volum 01
Where & When: Other Circle, Vermundsgade 40, 2100 Copenhagen. June 10-13
Timed to coincide with 3daysofdesign, Norwegian platform Volum returns to Copenhagen this June for its second edition, and, if the debut showing last year was anything to go by, it will be well worth seeking out. Volum 01, curated once again by the Norwegian-Italian studio Kråkvik & D'Orazio, takes as its subject the '(extra)ordinary': a meditation on the designed objects that populate our daily lives so thoroughly they risk slipping into invisibility — chairs, lamps, kitchen utensils, bowls — the exhibition asks, with quiet urgency, what it truly means for something to be ordinary today.
"The campaign explores the meeting between the human body and the ordinary object, the unnoticed things that quietly shape our everyday lives...
Image credit: Anne Valeur. Photography assistance: Cronje Strøm. Creative Direction: Kråkvik & D'Orazio. Talent: Aslak Aune Nygård. Graphic Design: Alejandro Rojas
Through instinctive and impulsive interactions, a dancer encounters familiar objects in ways that feel both intimate and unexpected...
Image credit: Anne Valeur. Photography assistance: Cronje Strøm. Creative Direction: Kråkvik & D'Orazio. Talent: Aslak Aune Nygård. Graphic Design: Alejandro Rojas
Allowing movement and reaction to unfold naturally in the moment." — Jannicke Kråkvik, Volum's co-founder
Image credit: Anne Valeur. Photography assistance: Cronje Strøm. Creative Direction: Kråkvik & D'Orazio. Talent: Aslak Aune Nygård. Graphic Design: Alejandro Rojas
Across 14 pieces by some of Norway's most compelling makers, the selection champions material honesty and purposeful craft, from Anna Maria Øfstedal Eng's sculptural tin serving utensils and Tale Berger Hølmebakk's pared-back floor lamp in cast iron, Oregon pine and washi paper, to Nicholas Michalov's genuinely remarkable 'Decay Design' stool — 3D-printed in a bacteria-produced, biodegradable material that slowly decomposes over time, migrating from designed object to something altogether more elemental. For collectors and design enthusiasts alike, it's a persuasive argument that the objects most worthy of attention are not always the showiest, but those that earn their place through years of daily, devotional use. A show for both the eye and the heart.
Where to Stay in Copenhagen — A 3daysofdesign Holiday Home Special
A new apart-hotel in the Danish capital, Locke Copenhagen rejects traditional Scandinavian neutrals to embrace earthy pops of colors and sculptural shapes with a 1970s feel.
It's not every day that one gets to stay in one of the best hotels in Copenhagen, so when you do get the chance, you might as well savor it till it lasts. Our curation of spiritedly furnished stays, first released on the occasion of last year's 3daysofdesign, has stood the test of time, and still gathers ten of the most exciting city boltholes for a design-conscious Danish escape — including Scandinavian furniture house Vipp's charming guesthouses, the soothing, golden-lit NH Copenhagen Grand Joanne, and the quirky Hotel Bella Grande.
Still, we hear there is a new icon in the capital, with communal areas crafted by prolific London-based studio A-nrd, the duo behind cult Big Smoke establishments including Fonda, Bar Lina, and Canal.
Sitting within Postbyen, Copenhagen's former postal district, currently in the throes of an energetic regeneration, Locke's first Scandinavian outpost called on A-nrd to transform the ground floor into a sequence of social spaces shaped by materials and everyday usability. The brief was a significant one: a vast, monolithic shell of exposed concrete, floor-to-ceiling glazing, and expansive terrazzo that the London studio had to coax into life — and their first hospitality project on the continent, to boot.
Rising in the city's former central postal district of Postbyen, Locke Copenhagen is home to one of London-based studio A-nrd's latest hospitality designs.
Image credit: Cody Bamford. Design: A-nrd
The social areas on Locke Copenhagen's ground floor were conceived "as a layered sequence of distinct yet cohesive spaces for dining, and socialising", and comprise a reception, a restaurant, and a cafe-cum-bakery.
Image credit: Cody Bamford. Design: A-nrd
"An exercise in softening and humanizing the building's vast architectural shell", the result injects a sense of familiarity through crafted furniture, textiles, and art.
Image credit: Cody Bamford. Design: A-nrd
Rather than aiming to match the architecture's considerable scale, A-nrd's strategy strived to soften it through crafted furniture, layered zoning, and an earthy palette informed by Copenhagen's architectural landscape. Three core tenets guided the approach: formal clarity, a connection to nature, and a sense of home — with dusty pinks, moss greens, and tranquil blue-grey shades meeting refined lime surfaces and warm oak accents throughout.
The results are quietly assured. A peach-toned stone bar with a live-edge oak countertop pushes back against the exposed steel and concrete, while crescent-shaped banquettes form a sculptural centrepiece beneath softly diffused pendant lighting of A-nrd's own design. The café, meanwhile, pays homage to the understated mastery of Hans Wegner and Børge Mogensen — oak, stone, and cognac-hued leather evoking the timeless ease of a great neighborhood bakery.
As for the bedrooms, envisioned by Grzywinski+Pons, they come bathing in sunshine, blending artisanal warmth and functional simplicity, and wrapped in oak, bright concrete features, and sage green textiles for a comfortably stylish sojourn.
Book your stay at Locke Copenhagen.
Where to Eat in Copenhagen — A 3daysofdesign Guide to the Chicest Foodie Hangouts
The unsung protagonist of 3daysofdesign, food takes center stage at this year's festival in the Long Table Dinners, a series of hosted meals housed in some of Copenhagen's most spectacular settings across secluded gardens, artisan workshops, rooftops, and boats.
Local design and architecture studio BRIQ has breathed new life into the 1922 iconic post office building that's now home to Post, head chef Dave Harrison's Scandi-infused take on modern French Cuisine.
Image credit: Line Klein for Meyers. Port
Sidelining the ENIGMA museum in Copenhagen's Østerbro neighborhood, this wood and upholstery-clad, cocooning space bathes in sunshine in the early hours, transforming into a softly glowing jewel come the night.
Image credit: Line Klein for Meyers. Port
Conceived to simultaneously meet the mood of a laid-back wine bar, a lively daytime café, and a moody eatery, Post continuously engages visitors through an alternating play of sleek and textural surfaces.
Image credit: Line Klein for Meyers. Port
Copenhagen's culinary flair precedes it, and it's only right to think of food and drinks as a complementary aspect of your 3daysofdesign itinerary.
To help you distinguish between worthwhile establishments and tourist traps, I have turned to my local intel in the Danish capital and asked them to identify trusted restaurants and bars where aesthetics, standout cocktails and meals, and great vibes are always on offer.
From modern rustic coves serving up the finest seasonal ingredients to tucked-away Asian-infused eateries taking Japan's painstakingly precise gastronomy to Mariehamngade, our edit of the best restaurants in Copenhagen is for those who care as much about the menu as they do about inspiring, out-of-the-box expressions of style.
Use it wisely, get snacking, and see how Scandinavian design is finding a new, bolder edge among the dining tables and outdoor terraces of the city's hottest reservations
Not planning on getting a ticket? Keep your exploration of taste city-wide, starting by local-favorite wine and listening bar Laban.
Image credit: Laban
The atmosphere, drinks, and bites hit the sweet spot of elevated nonchalance, perfect for an impromptu, snacky meal or friends and work catch-ups.
Image credit: James Jackman. Laban
Cheese, olives, and cured meats abound, so if you ever feel short on energy to keep strolling around, Laban will fix you up throughout 3daysofdesign.
Image credit: Laban
As the global capital of organic wine, Copenhagen knows a thing or two about getting drinks just right, and that's one more of the pleasures you should indulge in during 3daysofdesign.
From the hippest breweries in town to the chicest addresses for people watching and a good glas af vin, our 3daysofdesign 2026 Map reunites Copenhagen's finest in one, easily navigable dashboard — whether you're looking to party or carry on exploring.
Save it on your smartphone for a seamless festival experience, or pin it on your mobile for a later Copenhagen visit. Oh, and don't forget to share it with friends.
4. Livingetc 3daysofdesign 2026 Map
Eight districts and hundreds of exhibitions and activations await you throughout 3daysofdesign 2026. Click on the map to kick start your Copenhagen trip.
Make the city your own with our all-in-one guide to Copenhagen's coolest festival, 3daysofdesign, or revisit our highlights from last year's edition with our deep dive into 3daysofdesign 2025, including three big thoughts that kept interiors editor Emma Breislin up at night after visiting the event last year.
Looking for holiday destinations that can help your mind switch off while cultivating your sense of style? Take time to digest our travel trends 2026 report for insights on the countries driving the conversation in hospitality, art, and decor.
