Umbrella+Friends MCR 2026
Twelve world-class furniture brands. Three days. One iconic Manchester venue.
We did something a little different this summer. Umbrella Furniture took over O2 Victoria Warehouse in Trafford Park and filled it with twelve of the world’s finest furniture and workspace brands, three days of brilliant design, great conversation, and the kind of event Manchester’s architect and design community hadn’t seen before.
Umbrella+Friends has been part of the furniture world’s calendar for eight years now, but this was the first time we’d brought it North. And Manchester, it’s fair to say, was ready for it.
“The Umbrella+Friends exhibition format has gone from strength to strength since we launched it in London eight years ago at Clerkenwell Design Week. As a business, our growth focus in the North this last year has been a huge success, and to present Umbrella+Friends MCR working with twelve global brands has been hugely exciting. The model works and we can’t wait to see where Umbrella+Friends will travel on its next stop.” Matt Clarke, MD, Umbrella Furniture
A new kind of furniture showcase in Manchester
No crowded trade show floors. No rushing from stand to stand. Instead, Tom Ailes, our Regional Sales Director in Manchester, and the Umbrella team personally walked each practice around the space, brand by brand, at a pace that actually allowed for proper conversation. The kind where you leave knowing something you didn’t before.
“Manchester is one of the most exciting commercial markets in the UK right now, and the pace of growth and activity in the region has been remarkable. We’ve built something real here over the past year: a team, a presence, and a genuine understanding of what the North needs. We’re incredibly proud to have presented Umbrella+Friends MCR alongside twelve brands who share that ambition.” Tom Ailes, Regional Sales Director, Umbrella Furniture
The brands
Twelve international furniture and design manufacturers across 1,858 sq.m of one of Manchester’s most iconic converted industrial spaces. Here’s who was there and what they brought.
Andreu World Bolete Collection at Umbrella+Friends MCR Manchester
Andreu WorldAndreu World brought a collection designed by Patricia Urquiola that puts circular design front and centre. The Bolete Collection is built from BIO thermopolymer, a 100% biodegradable and compostable bioplastic. The Nina lounge chair uses a 100% recycled Pure ECO thermopolymer shell. And the Nuez lounge chair pairs natural bioplastics with a recyclable aluminium base. As a B Corp, carbon neutral and zero waste company, this is sustainability you can actually feel in the products themselves.
Bolon flooring at Umbrella+Friends MCR Manchester 2026
BolonFlooring that makes you stop and look down. Bolon has been designing and making climate-neutral flooring and rugs in Sweden for generations, and their Back2Bolon take-back scheme means old flooring goes back to the factory and becomes new flooring. Full circularity, beautifully done. Manchester got a first look at the new BKB collection alongside their wider climate-neutral range. The fact that Armani, Google and Apple all specify Bolon tells you everything you need to know.
Eikund Norwegian furniture at Umbrella+Friends MCR Manchester
EikundNorway had a golden age of furniture design in the 1950s and 60s. Eikund decided the world shouldn’t have forgotten about it. Over the past decade they’ve gathered the very best of that era under one brand, working directly with original designers and their estates to bring each piece back exactly as it was intended. At Umbrella+Friends MCR they brought the Fluffy lounge chair, Krysset, Hunter and the Veng collection. Pieces that were ahead of their time in 1960 and feel just as right today.
Icons of Denmark at Umbrella+Friends MCR Manchester
Icons of DenmarkGreat design should work as hard as the people using it. Icons of Denmark builds furniture around that idea, creating flexible, reconfigurable pieces that adapt as spaces and working habits change. At Umbrella+Friends MCR they unveiled the new Bark lounge chair in smoked granular cork alongside the BLOX and EKKO modular sofa systems and Crossover, Arena and Skywood seating. A collection that makes specifying across multiple environments feel much more straightforward.
Kvadrat textiles at Umbrella+Friends MCR Manchester 2026
KvadratThe name in design textiles. Kvadrat has spent decades collaborating with some of the world’s most celebrated architects, designers and artists including Patricia Urquiola, Peter Saville and Olafur Eliasson, and it shows in every collection. At Umbrella+Friends MCR their display included Re-Wool by Margrethe Odgaard, Twisted Flower and Technicolour alongside a wider look at their approach to colour, quality and innovation in workplace specification.
Lintex Offset Mobile and glassboards at Umbrella+Friends MCR Manchester
LintexA whiteboard is rarely anyone’s idea of a design statement. Lintex would disagree. This Swedish family business has been making writing boards, glass boards and office screens since 1983, and every product is as considered as any piece of furniture in the room. At the Manchester showcase they presented their sleek glassboards, versatile mobile units and new for 2026, the Offset Mobile crafted from oak. Functionality and beauty, as Scandinavian design intended.
New Design Group Theo collection at Umbrella+Friends MCR Manchester
New Design GroupFifteen years of Theo. What started as a single British-designed and manufactured stacking chair by Simon Pengelly has grown into one of the most complete and cohesive furniture systems around, covering everything from lounge seating and workhubs to shelving, benches and tables. All FSC certified, 100% recyclable, made in the UK. Umbrella+Friends MCR was the perfect moment to celebrate how far the Theo range has come.
Norr11 Jagger sofa at Umbrella+Friends MCR Manchester 2026
Norr11The collection that makes people stop walking and just look. Copenhagen design house Norr11 draws on art deco, 1970s silhouettes and mid-century Japanese influence to create furniture with real personality and warmth. At Umbrella+Friends MCR they brought the Jagger, Studio and Hippo sofas, a selection of lounge chairs, and a first look at the new Prestige high-end textile range. The kind of pieces that feel genuinely inviting rather than just impressive.
Savo office seating at Umbrella+Friends MCR Manchester
SavoAsk most people what makes a great office chair and they’ll give you a fairly predictable answer. Savo have been asking that question differently for over fifty years. Their showcase at Umbrella+Friends MCR celebrated the office chair reimagined by selected creatives, alongside a new white paper exploring the cultural perception of office seating and where the real innovation in workplace seating still lives. Worth a read if you haven’t seen it.
Vantage Spaces biophilic design installation at Umbrella+Friends MCR
Vantage SpacesPlants that do more than sit in a corner. Vantage Spaces brings biophilic design into spaces properly, with planting specified as part of the original design rather than dropped in as an afterthought. At Umbrella+Friends MCR they created living plant areas throughout the venue, presented in planters including options made from ocean waste plastics. With offices in Manchester, London and Leeds they know the North well, and it showed.
Vitra Eames Lounge Chair and workplace collection at Umbrella+Friends MCR
VitraA back catalogue that includes the Eames Lounge Chair, the Noguchi Coffee Table and pieces by Jean Prouvé and Verner Panton. At Umbrella+Friends MCR, Vitra presented three zones: the classics, the launches including the new BETA workplace system, RESET modular landscape system by Stephan Hürlemann and the Scout family by Konstantin Grcic, and a focused task chair edit. Every product manufactured using 100% renewable energy, every piece designed to be repaired rather than replaced.
XAL lighting solutions at Umbrella+Friends MCR
XALLighting that does more than illuminate. XAL brought solutions from across the XAL Group to Manchester, including Wastberg+ and Wever & Ducré, with highlights including the Fractal Code Light in suspended recycled PET felt with sound-absorbing qualities and the Enviva, designed for full circularity and 100% recyclable. Over 35 years working with architects, designers and planners, and an EcoVadis Platinum Certification to show for it.
Thursday evening
After two brilliant days it felt right to close things out properly. Thursday evening brought guests, brand partners and the Umbrella team together at the Victoria Warehouse for food, drinks, a DJ and a few surprises. The kind of evening that reminds you why face-to-face still matters.
