AI Couture, 500 Brands, Free Entry: World Design Cities Conference Returns To Shanghai This Month

Shanghai's biggest design event of the year will follow Mid-Autumn Festival.

The 2026 World Design Cities Conference (WDCC) is scheduled to take place from September 28 to September 30. The main exhibition will open two days earlier – on September 26 – and will offer free admission to the public.

Co-hosted by Shanghai and UNESCO, the fifth annual event will take place in Huangpu District and feature over 100 events across the city.

It's a fitting showcase for a city that has worn the UNESCO "City of Design" badge since 2010 and now boasts a creative design industry worth more than 1.7 trillion yuan (about US$240 billion).

AI takes center stage

Five dedicated "AI + design" forums will tackle everything from human-machine collaboration to AIGC-driven transformation, while an AI-themed exhibition zone will feature smart cockpits from EV makers IM Motors and NIO, Petkit's intelligent pet appliances, and ASUS smart devices.

Fashion is getting the AI treatment, too. The Shanghai GALA will stage a "Heritage Next" runway show reinterpreting traditional crafts through AI creative tools, alongside the launch of an "AI + Fashion" industry co-creation platform.

The "Fashion From The Orient" show will present over 60 avant-garde looks exploring where technology meets couture.

A treasure chest of Shanghai design

The 15,000-square-meter main exhibition will feature nearly 500 brands and over 3,000 exhibits, 20 percent of which are international and 40 percent trendy up-and-comers.

Design buffs and shopaholics can raid the "city gift" boutique, a pop-up featuring 50-plus Shanghai brands – fashion label ICICLE, designer fragrance brand DOCUMENTS, natural skincare brand Forest Cabin, dairy giant Bright and heritage cosmetics house SHANGHAI VIVE, among them – offering limited editions, collaborations and first drops.

Star power included

A digital design experience zone featuring actor-singer Jackson Yee in the main hall and city gifts designed by actor Gong Jun at the Shanghai Design 100+ pavilion, where visitors can shoot their own magazine cover, should draw crowds.

The International Design 100 Forum will bring together nearly 1,000 experts, scholars, and industry leaders, including former MIT Media Lab director Dava Newman and Milan's Vertical Forest architect Stefano Boeri.

Representatives from over 30 UNESCO Creative Cities, including London, Paris, Zurich, Dubai, Busan, and Kuala Lumpur, will share notes and launch open design specifications.

See the city by design

Four themed CityWalk routes link more than 20 spots across Shanghai – from United Imaging's medical technology and the South Bund's tailoring ateliers to the Columbia Circle lifestyle hub and the M50 art district – tracing how design powers industry, fashion, customization and urban renewal.

If you go

What: World Design Cities Conference 2026 Main Exhibition

When: September 26–30 (conference program September 28–30)

Where: No. 689, Jumen Road, Huangpu District

Cost: Free, but reservations are required

How: Book exhibitions and forums via the official "World Design Cities Conference" (世界设计之都大会) WeChat mini-program.