From 11 to 15 March 2026, Brussels becomes the global meeting point for contemporary collectible design.
The 9th edition of COLLECTIBLE returns to Vanderborght, with a VIP preview on 11 March, followed by public days from 12 to 15 March.
More than a fair, COLLECTIBLE is a curated landscape of limited editions, one of a kind works, experimental materials and radical forms. It sits at the intersection of art and design, where objects are not simply functional, but intentional.
In a city that moves with quiet confidence, COLLECTIBLE feels right at home.
Ahead of the 2026 edition, we sat down with Clélie Debehault & Liv Vaisberg, founders of COLLECTIBLE, to talk about Brussels, collectible design, and what to expect this year.
COLLECTIBLE has grown significantly over the years. What still feels essential to protect as the fair evolves?
The fair has indeed grown a lot, but we have always stayed faithful to our first value: to showcase and promote one type of design, contemporary collectible design.
We listen carefully to our exhibitors and to the wider public in order to adapt, but we remain very focused - No vintage, no historical pieces, no dilution of the concept.
The moment you start adding everything, you lose your clarity. What feels essential to protect is that sharp positioning and the sense of discovery. People come because they know they will see something new.
We listen carefully to our exhibitors and to the wider public in order to adapt, but we remain very focused - No vintage, no historical pieces, no dilution of the concept.
The moment you start adding everything, you lose your clarity. What feels essential to protect is that sharp positioning and the sense of discovery. People come because they know they will see something new.
Brussels has become an important design destination in March. How do you see COLLECTIBLE shaping the city’s cultural rhythm during that week?
When we launched the fair, March in Brussels was relatively quiet. We chose that moment consciously. Over the years, the week has grown around the fair.
Institutions, galleries and private initiatives now activate the city at the same time. There is a real concentration of energy. You feel it in the streets, in the restaurants, in the museums.
It is no longer just a fair, it is a anchor in the local and international calendar, the COLLECTIBLE week.
Institutions, galleries and private initiatives now activate the city at the same time. There is a real concentration of energy. You feel it in the streets, in the restaurants, in the museums.
It is no longer just a fair, it is a anchor in the local and international calendar, the COLLECTIBLE week.
Collectible design often lives between art and functionality. Why do you think that hybrid space resonates so strongly today?
Because people want their interiors to be personal. They do not just want to hang art on the wall, they want to live with meaningful objects.
Collectible design allows you to acquire something with the same conceptual depth as art, but that you use every day.
It creates a closer relationship. It is intimate. You sit on it, you touch it, you share it. That hybrid space makes design emotionally and intellectually accessible at the same time.
Collectible design allows you to acquire something with the same conceptual depth as art, but that you use every day.
It creates a closer relationship. It is intimate. You sit on it, you touch it, you share it. That hybrid space makes design emotionally and intellectually accessible at the same time.
What kind of visitor are you seeing more of in recent editions? Collectors? Architects? Curious first timers?
All of it, and that is the beauty of the fair.
We started COLLECTIBLE with art collectors in mind. We wanted to convince them to collect functional pieces with the same seriousness as they collect art.
Naturally, architects and interior designers became an important audience as well.
But collectible design, unlike art, attracts a much broader crowd. We see young creatives, first time buyers, design lovers who may never enter an art fair.
At the same time, seasoned collectors have expanded their collections towards design. It is a very mixed audience, and that mix creates a special dynamic.
We started COLLECTIBLE with art collectors in mind. We wanted to convince them to collect functional pieces with the same seriousness as they collect art.
Naturally, architects and interior designers became an important audience as well.
But collectible design, unlike art, attracts a much broader crowd. We see young creatives, first time buyers, design lovers who may never enter an art fair.
At the same time, seasoned collectors have expanded their collections towards design. It is a very mixed audience, and that mix creates a special dynamic.
Design does not exist in isolation. How important is the wider city experience, from where people stay to where conversations continue after the fair closes?
It is crucial. A fair is open for a few hours a day, but relationships are built outside those hours. We always host an off programme across the city.
We chose a moment in Brussels when little else was happening, so the focus is very clear. Of course, there is TEFAF in Maastricht at the same time, and we were aware of that echo. Many international visitors combine both.
The city becomes a meeting point. Dinners, studio visits, exhibitions, that is where conversations continue and projects start.
We chose a moment in Brussels when little else was happening, so the focus is very clear. Of course, there is TEFAF in Maastricht at the same time, and we were aware of that echo. Many international visitors combine both.
The city becomes a meeting point. Dinners, studio visits, exhibitions, that is where conversations continue and projects start.
As hotel partner, The Standard, Brussels is part of the COLLECTIBLE week experience. What role do you think hospitality spaces play in creative ecosystems?
Hotel partners and hospitality in general are very important for us.
When we learned about the opening of The Standard, Brussels, which we know well from our stays in the US, we were very excited. Bernard Dubois, its architect, is also a furniture maker and was part of our Selection Committee a few years back. It all made sense. It is important for the general ecosystem of the fair that our guests are welcomed in a proper setting.
We also see hospitality as an increasingly important market for our designers, as many hotels are now being developed with collectible design.
When we learned about the opening of The Standard, Brussels, which we know well from our stays in the US, we were very excited. Bernard Dubois, its architect, is also a furniture maker and was part of our Selection Committee a few years back. It all made sense. It is important for the general ecosystem of the fair that our guests are welcomed in a proper setting.
We also see hospitality as an increasingly important market for our designers, as many hotels are now being developed with collectible design.
When designers, galleries and collectors gather in one city, something intangible happens. What do you think Brussels offers that other capitals do not?
Brussels has a very particular mix. It is international but not intimidating. There is a strong art scene, many artists, many designers, French speaking, Flemish speaking, and a large community of foreigners. It is a city of layers.
Because it is not overly polished, there is space for experimentation. People feel comfortable here. The scale is human, everything is close, and that creates intensity. Visitors often tell us they love coming to Brussels because it feels open and direct, less hierarchical than other capitals.
Because it is not overly polished, there is space for experimentation. People feel comfortable here. The scale is human, everything is close, and that creates intensity. Visitors often tell us they love coming to Brussels because it feels open and direct, less hierarchical than other capitals.
Looking ahead to this year’s COLLECTIBLE week, what do you think will be your personal highlights?
We are very happy to see how many new initiatives are now being put in place in Brussels during the fair. Lionel Jadot and his Zaventem Atelier crew are taking over Villa Empain, which will be very special. There is also the exhibition at MAD Brussels with 80 birdhouses by 80 designers, and a show at Cloud Seven of collector Frédéric de Goldschmidt with around 30 designers, mainly female voices.
Within the fair itself, we love that we have many new participants this year, from Poland, Germany, Lisbon, and several collectives who applied on their own initiative. It keeps the energy fresh. We also have a strong VIP and talks programme. It feels like a very dynamic edition ahead, with a good balance between new discoveries and established names.
Within the fair itself, we love that we have many new participants this year, from Poland, Germany, Lisbon, and several collectives who applied on their own initiative. It keeps the energy fresh. We also have a strong VIP and talks programme. It feels like a very dynamic edition ahead, with a good balance between new discoveries and established names.
Want to turn COLLECTIBLE into a full design weekend? The Collectible Offer lets you pair the fair with a stay at The Standard, Brussels.
Enjoy a discounted room rate along with reduced-price Collectible tickets — all in one curated offer.
Enjoy a discounted room rate along with reduced-price Collectible tickets — all in one curated offer.
