What is The robots are coming?
From 11 February to the end of December 2026, the city will be the stage for a rich and varied programme interweaving art, science, technology and society.
In 2026, Delft will launch a new biennial innovation initiative: a city-wide themed period focusing on robotics. Under the title "The robots are coming", Delft is bringing robotics closer than ever; visible, understandable and accessible to all. The theme period is neither a technical symposium nor a futuristic fantasy, but an invitation to discover how robots have imperceptibly become part of our society and how Delft is making a global name for itself in this development.
From 11 February 2026 to the end of 2026, the city will be the stage for a rich and varied programme interweaving art, science, technology and society. Delft Marketing coordinates this programme in close cooperation with TU Delft, RoboHouse, Innovation District Delft, culture makers, venues, events and educational institutions, among others. This broad coalition makes 'The Robots are coming' a jointly supported and recognisable city programme.
The theme period lets residents, visitors, businesses and talent experience how robotics supports, inspires and challenges us. From installations in the city centre, to programming in theatres, museums, labs, businesses, schools and on the streets. The theme period acts as a catalyst for new collaborations, talent development, innovation education and a fresh, future-oriented profile of Delft as a historical and modern-innovative city: Delft Creating History.
With big crowd-pullers such as Mycogravity by Noor Stenfert Kroese and the Robotic Couture dresses by Anouk Wipprecht, robotics becomes visible in the city. In addition, a large number of partners join in with existing and new programming, from festivals to symposia and lectures, from film to workshops, from makerspace initiatives to entrepreneurial programmes. With this, the new Delft Innovation Festival grows into a recurring pillar in the Delft identity: biennial programmes that will continue until at least 2030.
In short: 'The Robots are coming' is where Delft shows how creativity, technology and human imagination come together. A city-wide festival where everyone can participate, discover and influence how we shape our future.