Festival of Upholstery 2026 tickets are on sale for the 2–3 October event at the National Conference Centre and Motorcycle Museum, Birmingham.
Recognising the isolation many upholsterers experience while working independently, Festival founder Kirsty Lockwood set out to create an event that would bring the upholstery community together in an accessible and inclusive way. The first festival, held at the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst last year, welcomed nearly 500 visitors. Today, it provides a platform for upholsterers of all backgrounds and experience levels to share ideas, discover new materials and techniques, and feel part of a thriving and supportive professional community.
Bringing together upholsterers, makers and designers, it features a programme of courses, talks, demonstrations and workshops celebrating both traditional and contemporary upholstery.
‘We are delighted to bring the Festival of Upholstery back for 2026 and to offer visitors an exciting new programme of events. We listened carefully to the feedback from last year’s festival and have introduced new ideas, experiences and opportunities that we believe will make this year’s event even more inspiring and enjoyable for everyone who attends,’ says Lockwood.
Ahead of the main festival, visitors will also have the opportunity to take part in a series of specialist two- and three-day courses led by respected industry experts. Curated by Gareth Rees, Heritage Crafts Trainer of the Year 2025 nominee, the programme includes seat weaving, traditional fluting, hand-stitching a traditional bolster, construction of a classic French rectangular back (‘dossier à tableau’), and surface-finishing techniques for upholstered furniture.
