IDS Vancouver 2026: The Ultimate Guide to the Event

Planning to visit IDS Vancouver 2026? Here's everything you need to know before you go, from the key installations and lighting features to talks, trade days, hotels, restaurants and things to do around Vancouver. 

From September 24–27, 2026, Interior Design Show Vancouver returns to the Vancouver Convention Centre West, bringing together designers, architects, makers, manufacturers and design enthusiasts for four days dedicated to contemporary interiors, architecture and innovation.

Known as a major design platform for the Pacific Northwest, IDS Vancouver brings together international and local brands with a programme of exhibitions, installations, keynote presentations and design experiences. The 2026 edition explores how contemporary design is responding to changing ways of living and working, while creating opportunities to discover new materials, products and ideas.

Source: IDS Vancouver

See Also: Essential Design Fairs for Architects and Interior Designers

Vancouver Convention Centre West

Located at 1055 Canada Place, Vancouver Convention Centre West places IDS at the heart of the city's waterfront district. The venue provides a central starting point for exploring Vancouver, with hotels, restaurants, cultural attractions and other destinations located throughout the surrounding downtown area.

For visitors arriving by car, parking is available at the Vancouver Convention Centre, while the venue is also accessible through Vancouver's public transport network.

Source: Vancouver Convention Centre

How We Work

The central theme of IDS Vancouver 2026, How We Work, explores the transformation of contemporary working environments.

As technology, remote work and hybrid models continue to change the relationship between home and workplace, the traditional boundaries of professional spaces are becoming increasingly fluid. IDS explores these changes through an immersive workplace installation developed by design teams and industry partners. The theme reflects a wider question within contemporary interior design: how can spaces adapt to the changing ways people work, meet and live?

Source: IDS Vancouver – How We Work

ILLUMINATE

For those interested in lighting design, ILLUMINATE offers one of the most relevant experiences at IDS Vancouver.

Curated by ThinkL Lighting Studio, the feature creates an industrial-inspired setting for contemporary lighting, bringing together design, technology and innovation. Lighting is presented not simply as a functional element, but as an integral part of the atmosphere and identity of an interior. The programme also includes guided ILLUMINATE tours during the show.

Source: IDS Vancouver – ILLUMINATE

STILL/not still

Created by Synthesis Design, STILL/not still brings the natural landscape of British Columbia into the centre of IDS Vancouver. Crafted entirely from BC wood, the immersive forest installation uses overlapping archways and organic forms to create a flowing spatial environment inspired by the province's natural surroundings.

The installation explores the relationship between material, nature and space, offering a different perspective on how natural elements can inform contemporary interiors.

Source: IDS Vancouver – STILL/not

Nature Adopted

Nature Adopted looks to the landscapes of British Columbia as a source of inspiration.

Created in collaboration with Solstice Landscapes and Broadwell Metal, the installation moves away from rigid, mathematical layouts to celebrate plant communities in their more natural state. The result is a series of informal, tranquil spaces that explore circularity, biodiversity and climate adaptability.

Source: IDS Vancouver – Nature Adopted

Studio North

Studio North creates a gallery-like environment for independent product designers, presenting custom and limited-edition work across furniture, lighting, glass, ceramics, textiles and decorative objects.

The feature offers a closer look at emerging designers and makers whose work sits between product design, craftsmanship and artistic expression.

Source: IDS Vancouver – Studio North — featuring Blackwood Studio.

Prototype

Within Studio North, Prototype focuses on products that are not yet in production.

The platform gives designers an opportunity to present experimental ideas and explore new possibilities for the residential market, making it one of the places to discover concepts that may influence the future of interiors.

Source: IDS Vancouver – Prototype

The District

For visitors interested in discovering and taking home design, The District presents a curated marketplace of furniture, home décor and lifestyle products.

The area connects independent designers and makers with consumers and industry professionals, adding a more accessible retail dimension to the IDS experience.

Source: IDS Vancouver – The District

Night & Day: The Future of Hospitality

Hospitality design also takes a central position at IDS Vancouver 2026 through Night & Day, an immersive exploration of the future of hotels and hospitality interiors.

The feature examines how hotels have evolved beyond places to stay, becoming spaces for meeting, dining, working and socialising. Several environments explore different aspects of the hotel experience, including the bedroom and lobby.

For designers and architects working across residential and hospitality interiors, the feature offers an opportunity to explore how ideas traditionally associated with hotels are influencing other types of spaces.

Source: IDS Vancouver – Night & Day 

Talks, Keynotes & Design Conversations

Beyond its exhibition spaces, IDS Vancouver brings together architects, interior designers, editors, artists and other creative professionals for a programme of talks and keynote presentations.

The 2026 speaker programme includes professionals from studios and organisations such as Kasian, ZGF Architects, Falken Reynolds, CHIL Design, Revery Architecture, ThinkL Studio, Western Living, House & Home and Azure Magazine.

Topics range from hospitality and workplace design to residential interiors, sustainability, colour, restoration and the future of home design.

Among the September 26 programme are conversations exploring hospitality in the contemporary workplace, the spaces we live in and the relationship between design and cuisine.

On September 27, the programme continues with conversations around hyper-personal interiors, the evolution of home design and what makes a well-lived home.

Source: IDS Vancouver – Speakers

When Is IDS Vancouver 2026?

IDS Vancouver takes place from September 24–27, 2026 at Vancouver Convention Centre West.

September 24
Opening Night Party — 7 PM–10 PM

September 25
Professional Trade Day — 9 AM–6 PM

September 26
Trade & Public Day — 10 AM–5 PM

September 27
Public Day — 10 AM–5 PM

The different formats allow industry professionals to access the trade programme and seminars while opening the weekend to a wider public audience.

Source: IDS Vancouver - Trade Day

The IDS Party

IDS Vancouver begins with its Opening Night Party on Thursday, September 24, from 7 PM to 10 PM.

The evening brings together design professionals, exhibitors, speakers and design enthusiasts on the show floor, creating an informal setting for networking and discovering the exhibition before the main programme begins.

Source: IDS Vancouver – Night & Day

Where to Stay During IDS Vancouver

For visitors travelling specifically for IDS, staying close to Vancouver Convention Centre can make it easier to move between the show and the city's wider design destinations. IDS Vancouver has announced a partnership with Azur Legacy Collection Hotel, offering exclusive discounted rates for attendees.

Beyond the official accommodation partner, downtown Vancouver provides access to a wide range of hotels within walking distance of the Convention Centre, making it easy to combine the IDS experience with the city's restaurants, cultural destinations and design scene.

Source: Azur Legacy Collection Hotel

Where to Eat Near IDS Vancouver

One of the advantages of IDS Vancouver's location is the concentration of restaurants and cafés surrounding the Convention Centre.

The waterfront area around Canada Place offers everything from casual cafés to restaurants, while the Convention Centre itself is home to LOT185 Café + Wine Bar, located in the West building. The café serves locally roasted coffee, house-made pastries and a selection of food throughout the day.

For a design-focused trip, the surrounding neighbourhoods also provide an opportunity to experience Vancouver's contemporary hospitality scene, where architecture, interiors and food increasingly form part of the same experience.

Source: LOT185 Café + Wine Bar

What to Do Beyond the Show

IDS Vancouver can easily become the starting point for exploring the city rather than the only destination on the itinerary.

The Convention Centre sits directly on Vancouver's waterfront, with Jack Poole Plaza and the seawall just outside the building. From there, visitors can explore the downtown core on foot or continue towards Gastown, Robson Street and the city's cultural institutions.

For those staying longer, Vancouver's location between the Pacific Ocean and the North Shore Mountains also makes it possible to combine a design-focused visit with outdoor experiences, from cycling and kayaking to hiking and exploring the surrounding region.

Source: Vancouver Convention Centre – Jack Poole Plaza

IDS Vancouver 2026: A Meeting Point for Design

For visitors travelling from outside Canada, it is an opportunity to discover both the international design community represented at IDS and the particular creative perspective of Vancouver.

This year, Castro Lighting will also be part of the event alongside APIMA and Made in Portugal Naturally, at Stand #1018, bringing Portuguese design and craftsmanship to the Vancouver design community.

For four days, IDS Vancouver becomes a meeting point between ideas, materials, makers and people, making it a relevant stop for anyone interested in where contemporary design is heading.

Source: APIMA