Open Call — Antwerp Poster Festival

(What)

ANTWERP POSTER FESTIVAL IS AN INTERNATIONAL POSTER COMPETITION AIMED AT SHOWCASING CONTEMPORARY GRAPHIC DESIGN IN ALL ITS STYLES & VISIONS.

Active
since
2019
and
back,
bigger
than
ever.

Posters are one of the most direct forms of visual communication. They can question, provoke, inform, or simply catch your attention in a way that stays with you. Yet so much great work disappears online, seen for a second and then gone. With APF, we want to change that. We bring together work from designers around the world and give it a physical presence again, placing it in public space, where it becomes part of the city. At the same time, it's about creating a platform. A place where emerging and established designers are shown side by side, where new voices get visibility, and where a global community connects through a shared language: the poster.

[
Introducing
]

Our Jury

Lauwri De Pater (Lobster), Charlotte Rohde, Martin Vácha (Displaay), Primoz Zorko and Davy Denduyver are leading figures in the international design scene. Together, they’ll review all submissions and select the most outstanding works. They evaluate based on creativity, concept, and execution to determine which posters will be exhibited or awarded. With their distinct perspectives on design, we can ensure a bold, creative, and eclectic final selection.

[
Entering APF
]

How Does
it Work?

01

Submit your poster(s) online through our entry form (up to 5 per person).

02

You’ll receive confirmation once your entry is submitted and added to our online archive.

03

Get reviewed by a diverse international jury of leading designers and creative thinkers

04

Be selected to join the official APF 2026 installation, seen by thousands during Us By Night.

05

Get featured in our printed poster catalogue and online showcases.

06

Final selections will be announced publicly in September 2026.

[
Support
]

Small Fee
Real Impact

We are introducing a submission fee of €20, covering up to 5 posters.

Why? In an ideal world we can keep APF completely free, however APF is built entirely on passion and voluntary effort. Every euro goes straight back into the festival, building a unique installation, catalogue and an online platform that showcases your work in the best possible way.

Each poster you submit becomes part of our growing online archive which we’ll be releasing soon. This will be a collection of visual voices from around the world. By entering, you’re not just submitting work, you’re actively supporting the festival and designers worldwide.

Your contribution makes this possible. And for that, we’re very grateful. Thank you for supporting independent design culture. We love you!

[
Reason
]

why enter?

Whether you're an emerging talent or a seasoned professional, APF is not just a competition, it's a chance to be seen and connect with designers from around the world

Global visibility:

Selected work will be part of a high-profile exhibition during Us By Night, one of Europe's top design events.

Respected jury:

Your work will be seen by influential voices in contemporary graphic design.

Unique publication:

Posters will live in our amazing catalogue, where we experiment with paper types, printing techniques, and sustainable production methods. The result is a tactile object that designers and design enthusiasts alike will want to explore, keep, and return to for inspiration.

No theme:

We welcome all styles, voices, and perspectives. Whether you’re a designer, illustrator, artist, or just like getting your hands dirty and create, surprise us and your peers and show us how your designs stand out.

[
Prize
]

What can
you win?

All selected designers are celebrated as winners in our book! If your work is selected you’ll be sent a copy of our unique poster book. However there will be a top three and they will each receive €200 and a ticket to visit Us By Night 2026. As well as an expanded interview feature in our Poster Book and social media. And last but not least they will win a font package by our friends over at Displaay Type foundry. This way they’ve got some nice type to create some more stunning posters for our next edition.

[
You!
]

Who can
enter?

Everyone.

APF is open to students, professionals, collectives, freelancers, artists, … anyone with a passion for posters. You can enter work created for clients, self-initiated projects, student work, or entirely new designs. Anything goes!

There are two rules: entries must be created between 2025 and 2027, and must follow A-format dimensions. We will print all the posters on a uniform size.

We accept static posters (JPG/PNG, max 5MB for submitting, when you’re selected we will require a PDF to print).

We’re also accepting animated posters (GIF/MP4, max 20MB or link to Vimeo/YouTube) which will be shown using AR. Animated entries must include a still image suitable for print.

[
Go!
]

Key Dates

29TH MAY 2026

Open call begins

16TH AUGUST 2026

Open call closes

SEPTEMBER 2026

The final selection will be announced, and selected designers will be notified to submit a print-ready PDF.

24-25-26 SEPTEMBER 2026

Posters exhibited during Us By Night in Antwerp.

[
Stay up to date
]

Join our
newsletter

Posters and publications printed by Zwartopwit on Antalis paper.