At last, the pandemic has receded just enough for in-person events to be safely held once more, and there’s never been a better excuse to hit up the best architecture and design festivals near you. This October, international architects, designers, artists and innovators are coming together in cities around the world to present exciting new concepts and discuss how their work can help shape the future. Check out details on Archtober in New York City, Seoul Design 2022, Dutch Design Week, and more.

Archtober — New York, United States

October 1st – 31st

New York City’s architecture festival returns for its 12th year, offering lectures, exhibitions spread across the city, and “Building the Day,” a series of architect-led tours. This year, Archtober is also celebrating the reopening of the city and the ability to hold events in person. Standouts include “Grand Designs: Architecture at Green-Wood,” exploring the Green-Wood cemetery’s monuments and mausoleums; “Pumpkitecture,” a pumpkin carving competition among architects; “Border Crossings: Architecture and Migration in the Americas,” a lecture series by the CCNY Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture; and The Museum of Modern Art’s “Life Between Buildings,” an exploration of how artists have engaged the city’s interstitial spaces.

Tallinn Architecture Biennale — Estonia

September 7th – November 20th

With the theme “Edible; Or, the Architecture of Metabolism,” the 6th Tallinn Architectural Biennale (TAB) invites audiences to reflect on the relationships between food and architecture, and to reimagine how our planet’s food systems could work with architecture’s capacity to perform metabolic processes. Held at the Museum of Estonian Architecture, the festival will include five main events: a Curatorial Exhibition, a two-day Symposium, an Installation Program, and an International Architecture Schools’ Exhibition.

10th Architecture Biennale Rotterdam — The Netherlands

September 22nd – November 13th

Exploring the theme “It’s About Time,” the 10th edition of the Architecture Biennale Rotterdam will be presented a former gas storage facility in the city’s western harbor area. “It’s About Time alludes to the increasing pressure of time: if we are to counteract the consequences of climate change, we must act quickly! The title also focuses on time and speed as crucial factors in the working processes of architecture and spatial design. This way, the Architecture Biennale Rotterdam draws attention to social themes: It’s About Time calls on the profession to work effectively on pressing socioecological issues.”

Seoul Design 2022 — South Korea

October 19th – November 2nd

Organized by the Seoul Design Foundation and set at Zaha Hadid Architects’ Dongdaemun Design Plaza, this design event will present exhibitions, design forums, and a design market offering a global platform to both rising star designers and established international designers to discuss the present and future of design.

Biennale Interieur 2022 — Belgium

October 20th – 24th

The 27th edition of the international design platform Biennale Interior will be held at Kortrijk in Belgium, providing a s pace where rising talent and established brands can mix, and where visitors can be inspired. The event description reads: “In a busy, ever-changing world, INTERIEUR makes a statement by boldly embracing imaginative quality, local connections, and long-lasting relationships. Biennale Interieur brings brands and talent together, exploring meaningful answers in the field of design and interior, life, work and leisure environments.”

Designart Tokyo 2022 — Japan

October 21st – 30th

Presenting art, design, interior design and fashion, Designart Tokyo will explore the theme of “Together” and include a new “green innovation” exhibition bringing together furniture and art by young designers, artists, and manufacturers based on the event’s “sustainability x technology” concept.

Dutch Design Week 2022 — Holland

October 22nd – 30th

The theme of this year’s Dutch Design Week is “Get Set,” highlighting a shift in mentality from preparation to action. The largest design event in Northern Europe will bring together over 2,600 designers to showcase the latest innovations through exhibitions, networking events, lectures, award ceremonies, and debates. Held across various venues in Eindhoven, DDW aims to show how designers around the world are helping to shape a positive future. More than 350,000 visitors are expected.