BOOMSPDESIGN 2026: São Paulo Steps Up as a Global Design Hub

Karim Rashid, Sara Ricciardi and global design leaders converge in São Paulo for the 19th edition of BOOMSPDESIGN, March 9–15, 2026.

São Paulo is once again asserting itself as a powerhouse on the international creative scene. From March 9 to 15, 2026, the BOOMSPDESIGN forum — one of Brazil’s leading platforms for architecture, design and art — holds its 19th edition at Circolo Italiano San Paolo, inside the iconic Edifício Itália building. Conceived and curated by Beto Cocenza, the event turns the city into a stage for debate, sensory experiences, business and design culture.

Sara Ricciardi: Designer of the Year 2026

This year’s edition honors Italian designer Sara Ricciardi as Designer of the Year 2026. To celebrate her experimental and authorial approach, the event presents a brand-new immersive installation spanning multiple materials and languages.

The installation features exclusive wallpaper developed with Papelée, a monumental chandelier created with Drop Iron, ceramic vases and masks produced by ceramicist Richard Calhabeu based on Sara’s designs, and a signature rug by Tapecouro.

Opening Day: Karim Rashid and a Copyright Debate

The opening day program on March 9 blends cultural exchange with critical thinking. At 10 AM, Sara Ricciardi delivers the inaugural talk in the presence of members of São Paulo’s Italian community, strengthening the creative ties between Brazil and Italy.

At 3 PM, at Teatro Itália, the BRADA (Brazilian Authorial Design Association) hosts the conference “Inspiration or Copy?”, bringing together Beto Cocenza, Gisèle Schuartzburd, Renata Buffara, designers Carlos Mota and Jader Almeida, João Caetano (Arquivo Contemporâneo), Ligia Casas (Licenciada Arthur Casas), Mariana Amaral (Itens Iluminação) and architect-designer Roberta Banqueri. The discussion tackles originality, intellectual property and the fine line between reference and reproduction.

At 5:30 PM, internationally acclaimed designer Karim Rashid gives an open-access talk in partnership with Natuzzi. Rashid collaborated with the Italian brand on the Memoria collection, merging contemporary design with Mediterranean heritage.

Amazon Project: Design as Social Change

Among the exhibitors, the Amazon Project presents Caruanas: Depths of the Amazon – Feminine Awakening in Revelations, a social technology developed in the Central Amazon Biosphere Reserve, a UNESCO-recognized territory. Created by the Instituto Zagaia Amazônia, the project weaves together women’s empowerment, ancestral knowledge and regenerative bioeconomy through authorial collections built in dialogue with riverside and indigenous women.

BOOMPOPSHOP: Art, Intervention and Experimentation

The BOOMPOPSHOP space serves as the event’s experimental arm, bringing together exhibitions, artistic interventions and talks. Sandro Vieira presents “ORIGEM” (Origin), a show that transforms papier-mâché sculptures into sculptural light fixtures, playing with surrealism, kitsch and popular culture.

Visual artist João Ansarah displays works exploring memory, displacement and urban daily life through vivid colors and characters that oscillate between humor and strangeness. Both exhibitions officially opened on March 7 with a guest DJ set.

Conviê hosts a performance by artist Ju Amora on an armchair designed by Sergio Mattos. Artist and designer Diego Lemos (Dal), one of Brazil’s top names in urban art, creates a site-specific intervention turning four air-conditioning units in the space into artistic surfaces.

Design 2×2 and Decor Social

The Design 2×2 space showcases a curated selection of Brazilian authorial designers and studios, including Adriana Chamma, Ariah, Elisa Monde, Enzo Sobocinski, Estúdio Sebastiana, Filo a Filo Ateliê, Gabriel Suzarte, Gabriela Moreira, Helen Granzote, Inspires, Iluminoo, Isocks, Juliana Pelegrinello, Larissa Soares, Pakatatu, Pirilampa, Richard Calhabeu and Studio Sadalla.

Decor Social, co-founded by Cátia Perrone, unveils an original collaboration between Keenter Design and the Marisol Group — owner of the Lilica Ripilica and Tigor T. Tigre brands — marking the group’s entry into home décor with a children’s furniture line. A share of sales will fund the NGO’s projects, which have already reached more than 3,000 children and teenagers.

Event Info

Event: BOOMSPDESIGN 2026 — 19th edition

Dates: March 9–15, 2026

Venue: Circolo Italiano San Paolo – Edifício Itália, São Paulo, Brazil

Program: Talks, exhibitions, immersive installations, Design 2×2 and networking events

Registration: Free admission via the official event website

Photo: Press release