Design Wave Festival 2026

Imagine. Create. Transform.

25–27 November 2026 | KOKA Riga, Latvia | Onsite & Online

What happens when fashion meets technology, art meets sustainability, and creative minds from different disciplines start working together?

Welcome to Design Wave Festival 2026 — three days of creativity, experimentation, collaboration and new possibilities!

The festival brings together fashion and costume designers, artists, digital creators, technologists, students, entrepreneurs and creative professionals from across Europe to explore new forms of creative expression and how creativity can shape a more sustainable future.

Part of the European Time for (S)Heroes initiative, Design Wave Festival combines inspiring talks, practical masterclasses, an interdisciplinary creative hackathon, fashion and digital showcases, exhibitions, mentoring and international networking.

Whether you have an early idea, an experimental prototype, a finished collection, or simply want to discover new creative directions, the festival offers a place to learn, collaborate, create and present your work.

The future needs new heroes. Could you be one of them?

Heroism is not only about extraordinary individuals or legendary achievements. It is also about the artists, designers, innovators and communities who challenge the present and create positive change.

At Design Wave Festival 2026, we invite participants to explore what it means to be a hero in today's world.

Can a fashion designer become a hero by transforming discarded textiles into something valuable? Can digital technologies help us create without wasting physical resources? Can art, costume design and performance challenge established thinking, inspire collective action or make invisible problems visible?

The festival's creative hackathon brings together sustainable fashion, digital design, new materials, art, performance and emerging technologies to explore these questions and develop innovative forms of creative expression.

Through interdisciplinary collaboration, participants are encouraged to rethink heroism through sustainability, inclusion, care, resilience, responsible production and new relationships between people, technology and the environment.

Sustainability becomes a form of heroism — using creativity to challenge the present and shape a better future.

You don't need superpowers to become an (S)Hero. You need imagination, initiative and the willingness to make a difference.

Get inspired. Develop your ideas. Find collaborators. Show your creativity to the world.

Design Wave Festival is more than a conference or exhibition. It is a meeting point where creative ideas can become collaborative projects, prototypes and future opportunities.

Discover & Learn

Explore emerging trends in digital fashion, artificial intelligence, creative technologies, sustainable materials, circular design and innovative artistic practices through expert talks, masterclasses and practical workshops.

Create & Experiment

Bring your own idea, take on a creative challenge, or join an interdisciplinary hackathon team. Work with people from different backgrounds, experiment with new approaches and turn creative visions into tangible outcomes.

Meet Experts & Collaborators

Connect with international designers, artists, technologists, mentors, educators and entrepreneurs. Find the skills, expertise and partnerships needed to move your work forward.

Showcase Your Creativity

Present your idea, prototype, fashion collection, digital creation, costume, installation or performance to an international audience through pitches, catwalk presentations, exhibitions and creative showcases.

Compete for International Residencies

Participants in the IDEA and PROTOTYPE competition tracks can compete for further development opportunities through the CREASheroes programme, including international creative residencies in Finland and Spain.

Build Your Creative Future

Explore mentoring, business development, international cooperation and opportunities to bring your creative work to new audiences, partners and markets.

Come with an idea, a skill, a product, or simply curiosity. Leave with new knowledge, connections and possibilities.

Design Wave Festival 2026 connects creative disciplines, emerging technologies and sustainable practices through a diverse range of activities.

Fashion, Costume & Creative Expression

Discover new approaches to physical, digital and hybrid fashion, costume design, wearable art, collections, installations and performative arts.

Digital Creativity & Emerging Technologies

Explore 3D garment design, virtual fashion, digital prototyping, AI-assisted creativity, immersive experiences, animation, audiovisual media and interactive technologies.

Sustainability & Circular Design

Rethink materials, production and consumption through upcycling, reuse, repair, sustainable textiles, circular design and new approaches to responsible creative production.

Creative Hackathon & Co-Design

Bring your own idea, take on a predefined creative challenge, or join an interdisciplinary team. Explore how fashion, art, technology and sustainable design can reinterpret heroism and create positive change. Develop your concept or prototype with expert mentoring and present your results during the festival. IDEA and PROTOTYPE Track teams can compete for further development and international residency opportunities.

Catwalks, Exhibitions & Digital Showcases

Experience physical and digital fashion presentations, experimental designs, costumes, installations and audiovisual performances that bring creative ideas to life.

Creative Entrepreneurship & International Networking

Meet creative professionals, industry representatives and innovation experts. Explore opportunities for collaboration, business development, knowledge exchange and international partnerships.

One festival. Different disciplines. Endless opportunities to create something new.

Whatever stage your creative work has reached, there is a place for it at Design Wave Festival 2026.

The festival welcomes ideas, challenge solutions, experimental prototypes, finished products, fashion collections, digital creations, art installations and performances.

The creative challenge is to rethink heroism and explore how fashion, costume design, art, digital innovation and sustainability can contribute to positive change. Whether you are developing an early concept, experimenting with a prototype or presenting a finished work, we invite you to show how your creativity can make a difference.

To help participants identify the most suitable development and presentation opportunities, submissions are divided into three tracks based on Creative Readiness Levels (CRL 1–9).

IDEA Track — CRL 1–3

IMAGINE IT!

For early-stage ideas and creative concepts that are still being explored or developed. Present your vision, find collaborators, receive mentoring and work towards a clearly defined concept.

IDEA Track participants will pitch their projects on Friday, 27 November, competing for opportunities to continue development through the CREASheroes pre-residency and international residency pathway.

PROTOTYPE Track — CRL 4–6

MAKE IT!

For projects with constructible designs, experimental samples, physical or digital prototypes, or creative works undergoing testing and refinement.

Participants can demonstrate their prototypes through pitches, digital presentations, installations or catwalk showcases, including presentations on Thursday, 26 November.

PROTOTYPE Track participants also compete for further development opportunities through the CREASheroes pre-residency and international residency pathway.

PRODUCT Track — CRL 7–9

BRING IT TO LIFE!

For completed or near-completed products, fashion collections, costumes, digital creations, installations and other creative works ready for public presentation.

Showcase your work through a catwalk, exhibition, performance, digital demonstration or professional presentation, connect with potential collaborators and explore opportunities for future development.

The PRODUCT Track is a showcase pathway and does not form part of the residency competition.

Your Next Creative Step

Outstanding IDEA and PROTOTYPE projects may be selected to progress towards international residencies in Finland and Spain, offering opportunities for mentoring, interdisciplinary collaboration and further creative development.

Your work does not have to be finished to make an impact. Sometimes the most exciting creations start with a simple idea.

Dates: 25–27 November 2026

Venue: KOKA Riga, Krāsotāju iela 12, Riga, LV-1109, Latvia

Format: Hybrid — onsite participation in Riga and online access to selected festival activities.

Working language: English

Festival organiser: Latvian Technological Center (LTC), in cooperation with the CREASheroes and Nordplus Digtex project partners.

The festival is organised within the Time for (S)Heroes project, co-funded by the European Union under the Creative Europe Programme.

Travel & Accommodation

Participants attending in person are generally responsible for arranging their own travel and accommodation unless specific arrangements have been agreed with the organisers.

Questions?

Contact the organising team at techcenter@techcenter.lv.

Find out more about the project at timeforsheroes.eu.