Commercial Holiday Lighting Trends 2026
From the team at Downtown Decorations Inc.
Earlier this year, our team made its annual trip to Christmasworld in Frankfurt, Germany. The world’s largest festive design trade show, drawing nearly 4,700 exhibitors from 170 countries. From questionable Santa displays to sculptural Christmas trees in fine wood and minimalist geometric forms, the show floor held the future of what public spaces could look like this upcoming season.
Christmasworld named three trend directions for 2026: Brave, Light, and Solid. Since returning, we’ve been thinking about how these themes translate to the markets we serve, so we took a closer look at recent customer orders to see where the connections lie.
Bold, Layered Streetscapes Are In
The Brave trend is all about contrast. Picture warm and cool tones together, classic forms with modern finishes. We’re seeing this reflected in orders that mix cool white pole decorations with warm white accents, and in the growing popularity of multi-color string light sets. If your district has been playing it safe with a single color palette, this is your invitation to layer.
Our stunning Nicky, Isabella, and Feona pole decoration lines are a natural fit here. These light displays are available in both cool and warm white finishes and they’re easy to mix across a streetscape to create visual synergy.
Soft Light is Having a Moment
The Light trend takes on an airy, glowing environment that draws people in. This is why string lights keep climbing our best-seller charts. Our 24V multi-color string light sets are flying out the door right now. They’re programmable and versatile, hence they can work beautifully year-round, not just the holidays.
If you haven’t explored string lights as a standalone feature, it might be worth a conversation.
Invest in Decor That Lasts
Solid was our favorite trend story from Frankfurt. It’s about clean and durable designs—decor that’s intentional year after year without starting from scratch.
This durability is shown yearly, as our tried and true 12″ x 15′ Evergreen pole wrap is our top seller this season, ordered by downtowns from New Jersey to California. Why? It’s understated, it scales well across a community, and it pairs easily with ornaments or bows depending on your color story. It’s the kind of product that does a lot without asking much, and that’s exactly what Solid is about.
Not sure where to start?
That’s what we’re here for. Whether you’re planning your first install or just refreshing a few blocks, our team loves helping customers figure out what actually works for their environment—budget, pole count, aesthetic, all of it.
Reach out anytime. We’d love to help you plan something your community will remember.
—The DDI Team
Request a free quote or call us at (315) 432-0646. We’d love to bring your vision to life!