The Munich Creative Business Week (MCBW) is Germany’s largest annual design and creative-industry festival — a week-long celebration that turns the city of Munich into a dynamic hub for design, innovation, and interdisciplinary exchange. With a rich program that spans exhibitions, installations, conferences, workshops, public-space events and curated creative spots across the city, MCBW offers both professionals and the public a broad palette of design-driven experiences. The 2026 edition — under the theme “Playground of Possibilities” — emphasizes a playful, experimental and future-oriented spirit: encouraging creative risk-taking, collaboration, and envisioning design not as a fixed output, but as a living, evolving process.
MCBW is framed as not only a festival, but a platform for community building, networking and cultural dialogue. It invites designers, agencies, companies, students and design-curious individuals to explore the societal, ecological and economic significance of design. Through open calls, opportunities for students and young professionals, and a mix of free public events alongside curated professional sessions, MCBW aims to democratize design engagement — making creativity accessible and participatory.
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Key Details
• Dates (2026): 4–10 May 2026 
• Location: Munich, Germany (various venues across city + public spaces) 
• Focus / Themes: Design, creativity, innovation, interdisciplinary exchange, societal and cultural relevance of design. 2026 theme: “Playground of Possibilities” — encouraging exploration, experimentation and transformation through design. 
• Format / Program Types: Exhibitions, installations, public-space projects, conferences and summits, workshops, panels, design-walks, creative-spot tours, networking events, open-calls for projects and collaborations. 
• Audience: Designers, architects, creative professionals, agencies, companies, students, design-interested public, creative-industry stakeholders. 
• Scale & Reach: The 2025 edition reportedly featured over 200 events, around 390 speakers, about 210 partner organisations and attracted more than 65,000 visitors. 
