Seventh edition17–20 February 2026Four days · four keynotes · 22 sessionsMitsuhama Soko No. 3, Matsuyama
Yohaku
余白
余白The power of what's left out · 17–20.02.2026
The seventh Matsuyama Design Festival asked what design gains by leaving things out. Four days in a converted port warehouse, four keynotes, 680 people, and a lot of deliberate empty space.
Headline keynote
Alex Longson
Finding a start-up's story in three shapes and the space between them. British-American art director. Co-founded CombiniCo (exited 2020), founded Longson Studio; brand repositioning for American Express, Mastercard, Santander and fast-growing start-ups.
Portrait · Alex Longson · speakers/alex-longson.jpgreal photo tbc
Alex Longson
Art Director, Founder, Longson Studio · Italy / UK / Japan
Headline keynote
Portrait · Ingrid Halvorsen-Okafor · speakers/ingrid-halvorsen-okafor.jpgplaceholder
Ingrid Halvorsen-Okafor
Founder, Creative Director, Halvorsen Okafor · Oslo
Opening keynote
Portrait · Raphaël Benros · speakers/raphael-benros.jpgreal photo tbc
Raphaël Benros
Founder, Producer, Snackbox Games · London
Keynote
Portrait · Mariko Senda · speakers/mariko-senda.jpgplaceholder
Mariko Senda
Brand Strategist, Senda & Co. · Tokyo
Closing keynote
680 of you came. 412 stayed for the quayside party on Thursday. Thank you for filling the gaps with conversation instead of asking where the content was.
Haruka Ochi · 22 Feb 2026
Recap
By the numbers
680Attendees
23Countries
4Keynotes
22Sessions
6Workshops
3Rooms
15:30
Studio 2
Talk · Cancelled
Packaging for the Post-Shelf棚なき時代のパッケージ Cancelled · Bastien was unwell. Our apologies; his slides will join the archive.
21:00
Dōgo (off-site)
Social
MDF NightMDFナイト Recap
Four days at the port
Hall 1 from the back, keynote in progress · recap/recap-01.jpgplaceholder
Poster Wall at dusk, quayside · recap/recap-02.jpgplaceholder
Workshop: Grid Systems by Hand, Loft 3 · recap/recap-03.jpgplaceholder
Lanyards and programmes, registration · recap/recap-04.jpgplaceholder
Dōgo Onsen, MDF Night · recap/recap-05.jpgplaceholder
Mitsuhama Soko No. 3, exterior, morning · recap/recap-06.jpgplaceholder
Panel: Is Branding Still a Craft? · recap/recap-07.jpgplaceholder
Camellias outside Hall 1 · recap/recap-08.jpgplaceholder
Iyotetsu tram to Mitsuhama · recap/recap-09.jpgplaceholder
Audience, Hall 1, Thursday 17:00 · recap/recap-10.jpgplaceholder
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Next edition
MDF 08 · September 2027
The eighth edition moves to September. Theme, dates and first speakers are announced shortly. Early-bird tickets open to the list first, at 2026 prices.
You're on the list. Early-bird tickets open to you first.