That's Copenhagen Design Week to you

Ahead of this bonus issue dedicated to Copenhagen, where we define the week and spotlight some of its most exciting exhibitions, Leo and I want to thank Marc Phillips Rugs for sponsoring the newsletter.

With showrooms in New York and Los Angeles, Marc Phillips Rugs is a leading resource for handcrafted rugs, antique heirlooms, contemporary collaborations, and custom commissions, all grounded in beautiful design and craftsmanship.

Marc Phillips Rugs will be presenting a new collection with interior designer Jamie Bush at Copenhagen’s most talked-about independent fairs other circle - an event playing an increasingly influential role within Copenhagen Design Week (more on that below) and it will be one of our first stops this week.

We hope you enjoy this one!

Hello friends!

We are approaching the last stop on the 2026 Design Grand Tour: Copenhagen!

A lot of people have been asking about 3daysofdesign, Copenhagen’s annual design event, so here’s a quick explainer:

The event began in 2013, when four brands came together to present new work in a Copenhagen warehouse. It soon expanded into a citywide program.

Today, brands pay 3daysofdesign - the organisation behind the event - to participate in its official program and tour schedule.

That fee (a democratic model based on revenue) helps fund a huge international press tour, which brings hundreds of journalists to Copenhagen for three packed days of showroom visits, presentations and (if you know the food scene in Copenhagen) fabulous dinners.

The tour is considered “the trenches” among some journalists. There are lots of funny stories about militant tour leaders (many are school teachers who do this as a side gig, so there is a lot of that “ok kids - pay attention!” energy). During the three days that they own you, you meet a ton of brand execs and fabulous fellow design journalists from all four corners of the earth. My tour had editors from the Financial Times, Elle Decor Japan, The New York Times, and many more. There were maybe 12-16 of us on the tour, and I have no idea how many tour groups there are, but I presume there are a lot.

The tour has expanded significantly, and I believe more than one hotel is completely bought out. 3days has expanded to Professional Tours for buyers and interior designers (Leo is trying that out this year, for Leibal). And last year, my interior designer friend was on that tour (she’s with a huge hospitality firm). She was reprimanded for sneaking off to handle urgent work emails and, as a result, didn’t enjoy the experience.

I have done the tour about five times, and it was very tough. Early mornings to midnight all three days. Jet lag or no jet lag. The downside is that you can end up in a bunch of showrooms that don’t align with your coverage, but generally speaking, the 3days people do a great job sorting out your group’s schedule. It must take a crazy amount of coordination.

Since each brand is paying for your time, you are required to sit at presentations attentively until they are finished. So if there is a delay, it sets off a domino effect that is corrected as you’re about to have a bite of a sandwich during lunch, and you’re rushed out the door to the next showroom. It’s a funny experience, one that many of us dread, but simultaneously feel sad about if we aren’t invited back because we were possibly the bad kids the previous year, or because they are cycling through new journalists.

So in a nutshell, 3days is a press event, but now it has exploded, as all good things in our industry have, and many more interior designers (especially from the USA) are making the big trek to Denmark.

The truth about the event is that you don’t really need to be super prepped for it like Milan - just walk the city, and you’ll see a zillion things, especially on Bredgade, where many showrooms have their permanent locations.

But because the event is becoming so expansive, many independent exhibitions are presenting without being officially on the 3daysofdesign itinerary, to the ire of 3days’ founder, who said in last year’s review of the event on Business of Home, it risks “destroying what’s so beautiful about 3 Days of Design now.”

Unfortunately, you can’t control an entire city, and I am seeing a lot of press kits eschewing the name “3daysofdesign” altogether in favour of the more general “Copenhagen Design Week.”

This is where we are heading.

And for those wondering: Unlike Milan, the fashion world has not yet capitalized on the focused attention on Copenhagen, but surely it will happen soon. But - this should not come as a surprise - Anthropic (Claude) has gotten involved and is hosting a big dinner with 3daysofdesign. There goes the neighborhood!

So with all that said, there is an incredible array of events happening in Copenhagen, and I wanted to spotlight a few that I found most interesting, some of which are off-tour and harder to find. Remember - all our picks for Copenhagen are up on The Design Release’s calendar. Copenhagen’s listings can be found here.

You can also become a user and save events to route from place to place, as well as revisit exhibitions from previous design weeks. A great tool for curators FYI.

We are also so happy to be working with interior designers who are unfamiliar with the landscape on their Itineraries, which include a daily schedule, private openings, parties, cocktails, personal introductions, and brand dinners. We really love creating those, especially specific to people’s businesses and interests. Reach out if you’re interested.

And as a thank you to our paid readers, we have a shortened itinerary below the paywall of some great parties (and RSVP links - of course!!!! Anyone who does a design week round-up that includes private events without RSVP links should be locked in a basement.)

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A NOTE FROM OUR SPONSOR

MARC PHILLIPS RUGS × JAMIE BUSH FIELD STUDIES

A new collection exploring the rug as landscape, artwork, and architectural element. Inspired by aerial views of cultivated terrain, Jamie Bush’s painted compositions are translated into richly layered surfaces of wool, silk, hemp, and allo.

Handcrafted with variations in fiber, texture, and pile height, each piece reflects Marc Phillips Rugs’ commitment to materiality, global craftsmanship, and enduring design.

Discover FIELD STUDIES at other circle during 3daysofdesign, and follow them here.

Everything below is open during the 3daysofdesign official dates of June 10-12, some independent exhibitions open on the 9th. Please visit the linked listings for individual dates and hours.

Vanitas in Use I
Vanitas in Use I, at the new Innenkreis gallery, reconsiders the vanitas tradition through functional objects and lived environments, asking how ideas of transience, fragility, and value are carried through things made to be handled and used. Bringing contemporary works in glass, metal, ceramic, and wood into dialogue with historical design, the exhibition treats objects from different periods as part of the same ongoing present.

Display / Displayed: A Group Exhibition
Display / Displayed, presented with Simone Book Services, examines objects made for display across books, design, and photography. The exhibition challenges the idea that decorative objects are frivolous, proposing instead that visibility, use, and meaning often strengthen one another.

Portrait of Korean Living
Korean design brands rareraw, ILKW, and flat point come together for a collaborative exhibition of furniture and lighting, each bringing a distinct approach to how everyday objects shape the way we live and inhabit space. Exhibition paintings by Jieun Lee.

Knife, Fork, Spoon Curated by Dung Ngo
Marta and curator Dung Ngo present Knife, Fork, Spoon, bringing together 12 contemporary flatware designs by leading artists and designers, each 3D-printed in stainless steel.

For Scale Only
For Scale Only, conceived by Frederik Nystrup-Larsen and Nick Ross, pairs six chairs with six artworks to examine how scale shapes the way we see. By using the chair as a physical point of reference, the exhibition exposes how art is measured, positioned, and absorbed into the domestic interior.

other circle
Launching its second edition from June 10–13, other circle brings together art, design, fashion, food, and music in a curated, cross-disciplinary setting. The exhibition responds to a growing appetite for independent formats with a distinct cultural point of view.

Ukurant
Ukurant’s 2026 edition unfolds at Fabrikken for Art & Design, a working creative hub that brings together makers across disciplines and generations. Centered on community, experimentation, and process, the exhibition reveals the tests, decisions, and craftsmanship behind each finished piece.

Japan Modern Poster
Japan Modern Poster brings together 110 works tracing the development of Japanese graphic design from the 1950s to today. Organised with the DNP Foundation for Cultural Promotion, the exhibition reveals how poster design has reflected, and often playfully questioned, Japan’s changing cultural and historical landscape.

North Quarter
During 3daysofdesign, A-N-D opens its first European flagship in Copenhagen with North Quarters, a three-floor exhibition of Canadian lighting and design. The presentation moves from gallery-style installations and large-scale brand imagery to prototypes, floor lamps, and a top-floor café setting illuminated by the brand’s Column and Vale collections.

Room for Resonance
Room for Resonance presents furniture, lighting, and textiles by New Zealand design house Resident as a cohesive exploration of craft, material, and atmosphere. Curated by Asca Studio and Relief Gallery, the installation considers how design can shape an environment that is not only seen, but felt.

FRAME STUDIO
FRAME STUDIO presents an immersive dinner setting shaped by conversation, materiality, and the heart of the home. In collaboration with DM GROUP partners, the installation brings together rugs, sculptural lighting, handmade porcelain, and curated lifestyle objects to create a layered environment centered on connection and shared experience.

And with that, one more very big thank you to Marc Phillips Rugs for supporting this special issue. They will be presenting their new collection at other circle, so be sure to visit them while you’re there.

TDR is not typically a sponsored publication, which makes the support of an established brand especially meaningful. We are very grateful.

Up next for our paid readers: our personal Copenhagen itinerary, complete with parties, addresses, and RSVP details. See you there!