Surface Design Show 2026 promises to be an unmissable event, bringing together surface specialists from all over the world.
Held from 3-5 February at the Business Design Centre in Islington, London, SDS26 is the key event where the entire design community comes together to immerse itself in the latest and most inspiring materials for the built environment. Well-loved returning features include Surface Spotlight, Stone Tapestry, Innovation Gallery, Green Grads and the Surface Design Awards. The 2025 edition saw over 5,000 visitors flock to the show ensuring that they were the first to discover the most inspirational materials that the industry has to offer. Â Â
The theme for 2026 is ‘Material Evolution’ which calls for a rethinking of newness and how we can make a shift from waste to worth. ‘Material Evolution’ celebrates thoughtful design and redefines what it means to be new whilst championing circular systems, material transparency, and inventive reuse.
Surface Spotlight will return alongside the Stone Tapestry with a collection of surfaces and materials that visitors can touch and feel. Surface Spotlight is a material showcase curated around this year’s theme ‘Material Evolution’, with every material carefully selected by design and trend expert Sally Angharad. The Stone Tapestry is a unique natural stone showcase presented by the Stone Federation, the trade association for the natural stone industry.
Also announced for the 2026 Show is a strategic partnership with Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA). As part of the exciting collaboration SDS will serve as a host partner for two of RIBA’s most significant annual events, RIBA Future leaders and RIBA AI in Practice Summit.
The highly anticipated Surface Design Awards will return this year, attracting entries from the UK, Europe and Asia. The awards will celebrate the excellence in material and surface innovation. This year’s judging panel includes judges from the UK’s leading architectural practices along with expert representatives from various sectors include Muyiwa Oki – President RIBA Tina Norden – Principal at Conran & Partners, Arthur Mamou-Mani – Director of Mamou-Mani, Seetal Solanki- Founder and Director of Ma-tt-er, Barbara Chandler- Founder of Green Grads, Oscar Pearce- Co-Founder of Design Burger, Michael Grubb- Founder of Michael Grubb Studio and Tim Bowder-Ridger- Principle and Partner at Conran and Partners, Roddy Clarke – Design Journalist, Presenter & Consultant and Tim Gledstone – Partner at Squire & Partners.
The Green Grads will once again grace the innovation gallery with their experimental projects that push the boundaries of design and materiality. Last year we saw tennis balls, breadcrumbs and hand spun textiles to name but a few. This year we will continue to see the best of what Barbara Chandler’s green grads have to show.
SDS26 is a must in the design calendar to explore all creative things within the material and surface world.
