Stability in volatile markets: Heimtextil 2026 launches with 3,000 exhibitors and design expertise from Patricia Urquiola

Stability in volatile markets: Heimtextil 2026 launches with 3,000 exhibitors and design expertise from Patricia Urquiola

Frankfurt am Main, 13 January 2026. Heimtextil opens the new season with 3,000 exhibitors from 66 countries – maintaining stability while becoming even more international. The new hall layout increases visibility and connects supply and demand even more efficiently. At the opening, architect and designer Patricia Urquiola and Rosa Bertoli, Global Design Director of Wallpaper magazine, talk about AI, innovative materials and future-oriented design for modern living environments.

With 3,000 exhibitors from 66 countries, Heimtextil sets the course for the new season. In 2026, the world’s leading trade fair for home and contract textiles as well as textile design records increased internationality among exhibitors. It is a knowledge hub and central platform for future-oriented business contacts. The product range spans textile and non-textile interior design solutions – from decorative and upholstery fabrics, bed linen, terry towelling and wallpaper to carpets. A new hall layout provides greater market overview and enables more efficient networking of supply and demand.

The market environment is shaped by economic and geopolitical upheavals. These present companies with new challenges and require adapted business strategies. At the same time, AI is rapidly transforming business models. Heimtextil provides the industry with orientation. It highlights new potential and makes it tangible with best practices and expert knowledge.

“In a dynamic market environment, the global textile industry relies on Heimtextil. We are delighted that the mattress and carpet industries have also chosen Frankfurt as their business hub. While AI is transforming markets, Heimtextil shows how companies can benefit from this technology. As a strategic partner, it highlights business opportunities and future prospects, laying the foundation for potential growth”, says Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt.

Patricia Urquiola: AI and new materials for the interior design of tomorrow

At the opening press conference, designer and architect Patricia Urquiola presents her new design installation ‘among-all’. In conversation with Rosa Bertoli, Global Design Director of Wallpaper magazine, she explains which materials, designs and technologies are shaping the future of interior design. Patricia Urquiola has developed an immersive design world exclusively for Heimtextil. It illustrates the interior design of tomorrow for visitors – with futuristic spacial elements such as hybrid sculptures, inflated figures and hanging grid structures. Visitors are invited to actively shape the space. Their movements become part of the staging through AI. Patricia Urquiola shows how textiles function as transformative and intelligent materials. They form an interface between people, materials and machines.

“I’m very happy to continue this collaboration with Heimtextil for a second year. ‘among-all’ is the second chapter of our research on textiles, developed through objects, processes, and spatial experimentation. Rather than a container, the exhibition takes the form of a temporary ecosystem bringing together installations made from regenerated nylon, textile waste, and bio-based materials”, explains Patricia Urquiola.

Heimtextil 2026: Knowledge hub and market overview with new hall layout

The new hall layout makes it even easier for visitors to find relevant offerings across 17 hall levels. Complementary product segments are located in close proximity to each other for a more efficient trade fair visit. For example, Halls 3.0, 3.1 and 4.1 are the central hub for textile and non-textile interior design. And the Bed, Bath & Living area is located in Halls 5.0, 5.1, 6.0 and 6.1, right next to Smart Bedding in Hall 4.0. This enables short distances for bedding retailers, hospitality, contract business and specialist retailers.

The new hub of the Smart Bedding segment is the Sleep & Meet area in Hall 4.0. It serves as the central meeting point for the mattress and sleep industry. Alongside leading brands, the German Mattress Industry Association (Fachverband Matratzen-Industrie e.V.) is also represented here.

Visitors can find the latest expert knowledge and networking opportunities at the Texpertise Stage in Hall 6.0, the Talk Spot in Hall 3.1 and in Hall 12.0. At the Texpertise Stage, Patricia Urquiola and AI visionary Tim Fu, among other experts, are sharing their knowledge. The Talk Spot in Hall 3.1 is aimed at interior design, architecture and the hospitality industry. The focus here is on professional exchange on functional contract textiles. It is also the starting point for numerous Talks & Tours. The Talk Spot in the Future Floor area in Hall 12.0 offers customised content formats specifically for the flooring and carpet industry.

Carpets & Rugs is expanding to a total of four hall levels in Halls 11.0, 12.0, 12.1 and 3.0. In addition to the established market leaders in the field of machine-made and hand-woven carpets, Carpets & Rugs 2026 offers an exclusive range of high-quality unique pieces. For the first time, the segment is supplemented with non-textile floor coverings.

One highlight is the Heimtextil Trends 26/27 in Hall 6.1. In the Trend Arena, the platform Alcova shows how AI and traditional craftsmanship complement each other under the motto ‘Craft is a verb’. They impressively showcase progressive ideas, materials and technologies.

Heimtextil 2026 takes place from 13 to 16 January 2026.