Words WAF 2026 and The Kanto team
Images World Architecture Festival
The World Architecture Festival is around the corner, and Kanto is back as an official media partner! In celebration of our six-year partnership, WAF and Kanto will be giving five (5) lucky readers free competition entries into the 2026 festival!
WAF is the world’s largest live architectural competition and has been gathering architects and designers from all over the world since 2008. Participating practices and designers have the opportunity to gain global recognition and expand their networks, while finalists present their projects before their architecture and design peers and heroes. Category winners are announced per day, and the biggest awards are presented at a Gala Night on the last day of the festival.
Read on to find out how you can be part of WAF 2026!
WAF and Kanto giveaway
Standard entry fee to the World Architecture Festival is £895, but you can bring that to £0 by winning this giveaway! The instructions are simple. Enter your details here by April 10, Friday, and then wait for the announcement of winners come April 17! Five (5) lucky readers will be selected by WAF 2026.
If selected, you’ll have until May 15 to polish your project entry. We’ve got a WAF 2026 guide to get you acquainted with the festival, plus tips on how to make your entry stand out! All WAF submissions are also published on the World Buildings Directory, complete with images and a full project description. This means that even before the live competition, you get to share your work and share a stage with the world’s best!
Important dates
- April 10 – Deadline for WAF 2026 and Kanto giveaway
- April 17 – Giveaway winners announcement
- May 15 – Final deadline for entries
- June – Shortlisting
- July – Shortlist announcement
- November 18 to 20 – WAF 2026 in Fort Lauderdale
- November 20 – Gala night and overall winners’ announcement
Note: The WAF 2026 and Kanto free entry will only cover the fee to submit your project. Should you be selected as a finalist, you have to purchase a minimum of two (2) delegate tickets to attend and present your project live at the festival. Delegate tickets are available to purchase via the WAF website, with prices starting at £999.
Filipino designers at WAF
We’ve built a supportive and hopeful community since 2014, when Manny Miñana became the first Filipino shortlisted entrant at the World Architecture Festival. It is no secret that WAF’s founding sponsor GROHE and Kanto’s editors have been sending off and hosting private practice crits for finalists in previous years. GROHE also launched the Young Visionaries Challenge in 2023, where one emerging Filipino design firm is awarded a free entry slot to the festival. Kanto also gave away a competition entry in the same year.
Last year, we made Filipino history in Miami with two WAF 2025 category wins! Luana Farms by Plontur Group was declared the Winner, Future Projects, Leisure-led Development Category, and Acclimated Sports Hall by Avally Design Studio was declared the Winner, Future Projects, Sports Category.
Will any of our five lucky readers bring awards home this year? We’re rooting for you to win a free competition entry, but even if you don’t get selected, there’s still a way in! You can join WAF 2026 until April 24 using our promo code KANTO2026 to get a discounted entry.
“WAF’s finalists, judges, and attendees span the globe,” WAF says. “You’ll develop meaningful connections with peers, collaborators, mentors, and potential clients, creating an invaluable network that lasts long after the festival.”
We can’t wait to see what Filipino architects bring to the WAF stage next! •
Click here for more WAF 2026 details. For further inquiries, reach out to Bernadette Vitug of WAF at bernadette.vitug@emap.com
or +44 (0)20 3953 2214.
