WONDER Festival 2026

Most design festivals keep you inside a convention hall. WONDER Festival 2026 sends you walking through Kortrijk instead, from a converted factory on BUDA Island to a medieval tower, a neo-Baroque chapel and empty townhouses waiting for their next life. For two weeks this autumn, Belgium’s UNESCO City of Design hands its rooms to more than 300 designers, artists, companies, organizations and schools.

Key Highlights

• Pay what you want. Entry is free with an optional contribution, and your registration also covers the Flanders Technology & Innovation Festival Kortrijk running alongside it.
• A factory as the front door. The Budafabriek hosts reception plus a dozen exhibitions, including the HOF – Regenerative Pavilion by joranmarijsse architecture and Adrianus Kundert’s Weaving Rocks.
• Heritage rooms, new work. Exhibitions fill three floors of the medieval Broel Tower North, a neo-Baroque chapel, and an 18th-century patrician house hosting DINE WITH US.
• Buildings between lives. At Vakwerk, a townhouse set to become Veldhuis Architectuur’s headquarters in 2027, the exhibition ECHOES OF THE EARTH occupies the raw shell spaces.
• An architecture lecture worth planning around. On October 29, Matthias Armengaud and Aglaée Degros present Towards Territorial Transition, on large-scale decarbonization in architecture and urban planning.
• Interiors in real shops. Interior store de Beste Kamer hosts an &Tradition exhibition, while lighting studio coup-de-foudre invites designer Oscar Santens into its showroom.
• Circular design, hands-on. The November 6 CIRCO Class workshop teaches circular design and business models to product, interior and furniture designers. Places are limited.

Why WONDER Festival 2026 Matters

WONDER grew out of Kortrijk’s Design Week and has run under its current name since 2020, organized by Designregio Kortrijk. What makes it worth the trip for architecture and interiors people is the format: you judge new work inside real buildings, from industrial heritage to vacant homes, not on booth walls. Last year’s edition drew more than 18,000 visitors, and the blend of student work, industry meetups and talks makes it most rewarding for designers, architects and anyone scouting new talent.

Grab a map at the Budafabriek, wear comfortable shoes, and give yourself more than one afternoon.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the opening hours?

Venues open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. from Tuesday to Friday in the first week, then 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. from October 31 to November 8, closed Monday, November 2. A few venues keep adjusted hours, so check the city map.

Where should I start, and how do I get there?

Begin at the Budafabriek reception to register and pick up a city map; every venue is within walking distance. Kortrijk station is about a 10-minute walk away, and the Broeltorens car park about five.

Is WONDER a good outing with kids?

Yes. Several installations are designed especially for children, and you can grab a kids’ tour guide at the Budafabriek reception.