How to make the most of Circular Textile Days 2026
Two days, professionals from across the textile value chain under one roof and a programme covering everything from European legislation and recycling to materials, innovation and new collaborations. With so much happening at Circular Textile Days 2026, the question is not only what to see – but how to make the most of your visit.
On September 30 and October 1, Circular Textile Days returns for its sixth edition to the Koepelhal in Tilburg. The theme, From ambition to reality, reflects a shift visible throughout the textile sector. Circular ambitions have now been stated; the focus is increasingly shifting towards implementation.
This also means there is a lot for visitors to choose from. The programme combines conference elements with a trade fair floor, workshops and Round Tables, in-depth tours, matchmaking and networking opportunities. Instead of trying to see everything, it can be helpful to come to Tilburg with a number of specific questions.
Start with what is changing
European textile legislation is rapidly changing the conditions in which the sector operates. It is becoming increasingly important for brands, retailers, producers and other companies in the chain to know not only what developments are coming, but also what they mean in practice.
Circular Textile Days brings together companies and experts who are closely involved in these developments. The programme focuses on upcoming European laws, regulations and policy, but especially on their practical consequences. What do new requirements mean for products, processes, data and business decisions?
In addition, topics will be covered ranging from product life cycle and circular business models to recycling, materials and implementation. This creates the opportunity to look beyond a single rule or development and see how different changes are interconnected.
Use the tours to navigate the exhibition
An exhibition covering different parts of the textile value chain can also present a practical challenge: where do you start?
On September 30, three short, in-depth tours will help visitors to familiarise themselves with various themes and exhibitors in a targeted way.
At 4pm, the Closing the Loop: From Collection to New Feedstock tour will start, focusing on the steps needed to reintroduce collected textiles into the chain as a new raw material. This is followed at 4:30pm by Materials & Product Innovation: From Better Materials to Better Products, which features developments in materials and products. The final tour, Making Circularity Work: From Ambition to Implementation, begins at 5pm and will centre on solutions that help to put circular ambitions into practice.
For attending press, there will also be a separate press tour at 3:30pm, highlighting new developments and innovations from exhibitors.
The tours are deliberately compact. They offer an initial introduction to relevant companies and solutions, after which visitors can return to an exhibitor to delve deeper.
Don't leave the right connection to chance
Circularity is rarely achieved within a single company. Brands need producers; recyclers depend on the right material flows; innovators look for partners in the industry. New regulations also increasingly require information to be available throughout the entire chain. Finding the right people is therefore at least as important as finding the right information.
Through the matchmaking programme, visitors can identify relevant organisations in advance and schedule one-on-one meetings during Circular Textile Days. This way, an important meeting does not have to depend on being at the same stand at the right time by chance.
At the same time, there is still room for spontaneous conversations. The trade fair floor, the Circular Textile Days Café and other networking moments bring different links in the chain together in a more informal setting.
Go beyond the main stage
Not every question can be best answered from a large stage.
Workshops, Round Tables and smaller sessions offer the opportunity to explore specific challenges in more depth and exchange experiences with other professionals. The topics range from technical developments and sustainability to implementation and the practical consequences of circularity.
For visitors coming to Tilburg with a specific challenge, these smaller formats can be particularly interesting. Here, it is not just about what is changing; there is also space to discuss what that change actually means in practice.
Plan your visit around your own challenge
With two days of content, trying to take in everything is probably not the best strategy.
For example, a brand preparing for new European requirements can structure its visit around legislation, data and implementation. For designers and product developers, materials and product innovation may be more relevant. Companies working with post-consumer textiles can focus on collection, sorting and recycling, while other visitors can use Circular Textile Days primarily to find new collaboration partners.
The common denominator is that the sector is increasingly shifting from talking about circular ambitions to the question of how they can actually be realised.
Getting the most out of Circular Textile Days does not necessarily mean seeing as much as possible. It means arriving with the right questions, finding the relevant knowledge and people, and leaving Tilburg with a clearer idea of what the next step might be.
Circular Textile Days 2026
September 30 and October 1, 2026
Koepelhal, Tilburg