Heimtextil 2026 Opens With 3,000 Exhibitors
Heimtextil 2026 opened in Frankfurt with 3,000 exhibitors from 66 countries, maintaining exhibitor stability despite a volatile global backdrop while becoming even more international in scope. The fair repeats its position as the leading global platform for home and contract textiles and textile design, serving as both a knowledge hub and strategic marketplace for the season ahead.
A redesigned hall layout spanning 17 levels enhances market clarity, grouping related segments closer together to strengthen commercial matchmaking between buyers and suppliers.
The event launches amid economic uncertainty, geopolitical shifts and rapid digital transformation. With AI reshaping business models and supply chains, Heimtextil aims to provide the sector with orientation through best practices, expert knowledge and future-focused product showcases across textile and non-textile interior solutions from bedding and upholstery to carpets, wallpaper and innovative décor materials.
“In a dynamic market environment, the global textile industry relies on Heimtextil. While AI is transforming markets, Heimtextil shows how companies can benefit from this technology,” said Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt. “As a strategic partner, it highlights business opportunities and future prospects.”
Opening day spotlighted renowned designer and architect Patricia Urquiola, who unveiled her immersive installation ‘among-all’ and joined Rosa Bertoli, Global Design Director at Wallpaper, to discuss how AI, new materials and evolving design languages are shaping future living spaces. Urquiola’s installation introduces a futuristic spatial environment featuring inflated figures, hybrid sculptures and suspended grid structures, where visitor movement is integrated into the exhibition through AI.
She emphasized textiles as intelligent, transformative interfaces connecting people, materials and machines. “‘among-all’ is the second chapter of our research on textiles through objects, processes, and spatial experimentation,” she said, noting that the temporary ecosystem incorporates regenerated nylon, textile waste and bio-based materials.
The new hall configuration places textile and non-textile interior design in Halls 3.0, 3.1 and 4.1, while Bed, Bath & Living occupies Halls 5.0, 5.1, 6.0 and 6.1, directly adjacent to Smart Bedding in Hall 4.0. The Smart Bedding segment features a new Sleep & Meet hub serving as the central meeting point for the mattress and sleep industry and includes leading brands alongside the German Mattress Industry Association (Fachverband Matratzen-Industrie e.V.). Knowledge formats and networking opportunities are distributed across the fairgrounds: the Texpertise Stage in Hall 6.0 welcomes Patricia Urquiola, AI specialist Tim Fu and others; Hall 3.1 hosts a Talk Spot for architects, designers and the hospitality sector with guided Talks & Tours; and Hall 12.0 offers targeted content for flooring and carpet professionals.
The Carpets & Rugs segment expands significantly for 2026, occupying Halls 11.0, 12.0, 12.1 and 3.0. Alongside established market leaders in machine-made and handwoven carpets, visitors will find exclusive one-off pieces and, for the first time, non-textile floor coverings marking a strategic broadening of the product portfolio. A major highlight is the presentation of Heimtextil Trends 26/27 in Hall 6.1, where Alcova explores the theme ‘Craft is a verb,’ illustrating how AI and traditional craftsmanship can complement each other through forward-looking materials, techniques and creative technologies.
