After a long hiatus,
Lying dormant,
CounterPlay is rising from its slumber
Dancing itself awake
To the tune of invigorating laughter
Gathering playful souls from near and far
To explore the promises of playful futures to come.
Yes, CounterPlay is coming back in 2026 with a new version of the play festival. This time, it takes place at Kolding School of Design on May 7-9, 2026.
It will at the same time be CounterPlay as you know it, three full days with the same vibrant, playful spirit as always – yet many things will have changed, not least because of our move from wonderful Dokk1. This time, the festival is hosted by Lab for Play Design at Kolding School of Design.
We will open for submissions soon, so you can all share your experiences, activities, thoughts, installations and so on with the wonderful play community.
Here are a few things you can do while you wait:
Reflections from a recent gathering of playful souls that rekindled the CounterPlay spirit.
Here’s why we thought – and still think – you should come to CounterPlay.
Download our book ‘The Power of Play: Voices from the Play Community‘.
Or check out these videos from CounterPlay ’19 that still bring smiles to our faces: