Berghs Festival 2026: Where Friction Sparks the New

Every year, Berghs School of Communication brings people together for two intense days of talks, mingling, exhibitions, installations, and ideas that refuse to be smoothed over. On May 22–23, the doors open to thousands of visitors. This year’s theme is Friction Festival — a manifesto for the courage to think differently and the importance of staying with what feels challenging.

It’s easy to talk about change, but harder to push through the resistance it requires. Berghs students encourage us to stretch beyond the familiar, to act at the edges of what we know, and to hold on to an idea longer than feels comfortable. Yet much of what we see today has been shaped to minimize that very resistance. Risk is filtered out early, ideas are polished before they’ve had a chance to take form, and what remains may function — but rarely transforms anything.

“We’re starting to tire of the overly polished, the kind that passes by without leaving a trace. Resistance is often seen as something negative, but that’s where engagement is born. Some expressions trigger a reaction that isn’t always easy to explain — a sense that something is actually at stake,” says Sophie Edoff, PR student at Berghs.

The theme emerged from the belief that thinking differently requires more than new tools. It takes the courage to stay with what isn’t finished, to test what hasn’t yet been proven, and to make decisions that don’t feel entirely obvious from the start.

“One thing that stood out to us was how the ‘ugly-beautiful’ can create meaning through contrast. Friction isn’t a problem to be solved — it’s often the very condition needed for something new to emerge,” says Fiona Östlund, copywriting student at Berghs.

Berghs Festival is more than an exhibition — it’s a full experience where visitors actively engage through installations and graduation projects. The festival also offers entertainment, food, and drinks curated by this year’s student agency. Among this year’s assignments are 22 communication solutions presented at the festival, developed for organizations such as the Swedish Armed Forces, Svenska Spel, White Arkitekter and the organization MÄN for Gender Equality.

“Each year, Berghs Festival focuses on what matters most right now. Everything is moving faster, but our memory is getting shorter, and we need a counterforce that leaves a lasting impression. We see a clear need for greater courage to challenge and stretch established ways of thinking. Friction Festival is our way of highlighting exactly that. In friction, energy is created — it’s where ideas are truly tested and where development moves forward,” says Camilla Wallander, CEO of Berghs.

Berghs Festival 2026 takes place on May 22–23 at Berghs School of Communication, Bobergsgatan 48 in Stockholm. Free entry with registration.

Berghs Student Agency 2026:
Alice Carlqvist (Art Director)
Amanda Sjödahl (Production Management)
Ava Urdén (Growth Marketing)
Caspar Persson (Strategic Communication)
Emil Holmsten (Digital Design and Strategy)
Fiona Östlund (Copywriter)
Hanna Hovlund (Production Management)
Lina Olsbro (Production Management)
Marcus Bengtsson (Communication Design)
Melker Snöwall (Communication Design)
Sophie Edoff (Public Relations)