Marmomac 2026:
The 60th Edition Where Natural Stone Meets the Future

From September 22 to 25, Verona will once again be the international hub of the natural stone industry, bringing together materials, technologies, architecture, sustainability, and a renewed dialogue with Carrara.

Some trade fairs showcase products, while others – edition after edition – help define the identity and direction of an entire industry. Marmomac belongs to the latter category. From September 22 to 25, 2026, Verona will host the 60th edition of the international event dedicated to natural stone and the machinery and technologies used to process it, with the slogan “Celebrating natural stone for 60 years.”

This is a significant milestone for an event that began in 1961 in Sant’Ambrogio di Valpolicella as the Mostra del Marmo e delle Macchine (Marble and Machinery Exhibition), came under the management of Veronafiere in 1979, and moved to Verona’s exhibition grounds in 1992. Over time, the name has also evolved: from the historic “Marmomacc” to today’s “Marmomac”— a more immediate name for a community that has become truly international. What has remained constant throughout sixty years of evolution is the ability to bring together every stage of the supply chain in one place: stone extraction, blocks, slabs, finished products, tools, machinery, digital solutions, architecture, and design.

The Figures Behind a Truly International Hub

The event’s significance is reflected in the 2025 figures: 1,400 exhibitors, 50,000 trade professionals, 12 halls, 8 outdoor areas, and more than 76,000 square metres of exhibition space. Even more significant is the international profile of the audience: 66% of industry professionals came from abroad, representing 140 countries.
Looking purely at scale, events such as the Xiamen Stone Fair reach higher figures, reflecting the manufacturing and commercial strength of the Asian market. However, Verona’s distinctive strenght lies in Marmomac’s ability to represent the entire stone industry as a fully interconnected system, bringing together materials from major international districts, processing technologies, companies, buyers, designers, researchers, and universities.

In its halls, a block is never merely raw material, and a machine is not just productive power. The former tells a story of geological origins, a territory, and a world of design possibilities; the latter demonstrates how technical expertise can enhance the qualities of the material, reduce waste, and make forms once considered unimaginable a reality. It is this convergence of business, technology, and design culture that makes Marmomac a privileged observatory for the changes in the industry.

The Bedrock: The Fair’s New Cultural Hub

The 60th edition introduces The Bedrock – Leading the Future of Natural Stone, the new format for Hall 10. The name evokes the bedrock upon which on which everything is built, but also the idea of stone as a starting point for new visions. The space will host the opening ceremony, meetings with buyers, talks, awards, and curated exhibitions, creating an international forum where materials, business, research, and design culture come together in dialogue.

Among the cultural projects is Sulla Pietra, curated by Joseph Grima, which explores the reuse of stone waste, digital fabrication, and research into low-emission materials. Giuseppe Fallacara, meanwhile, explores new possibilities for vaulted stone spaces; Marble Interiors, curated by Davide Fabio Colaci, examines ten projects in which inlay, surfaces, and contemporary craftsmanship become a language of space; while Raffaello Galiotto, with Carisma Materico, explores through four installations the relationship between building traditions, digital design, and the expressive potential of materials.
At the heart of the hall will stand Pantheon, the commemorative project curated by Giorgio Canale: fifteen monumental columns made from four different surfaces, featuring a total of sixty stones sourced from around the world. The number thus becomes architecture, while geological diversity is transformed into a landscape to be explored: a symbolic and spatial device that makes tangible the fair’s international reach.

From Material to Code: The 2026 Events

The programme confirms Marmomac’s focus on those who design with and process stone. On September 22, Carlo Ratti will open the Marmomac Academy talks with From Material to Code: Digital Fabrication and the Future of Making, exploring the shift from material to computational design and new production technologies.

The Technology Forum in Hall 2 will also host a six-session programme focusing on Italian technologies for stone extraction and processing, organised in partnership with ICE – Italian Trade Agency. The sessions will also address safety, preserving the stone’s aesthetic qualities, corporate credibility, architecture, and new surface languages.

The programme also includes the Best Communicator Award, the Mastri della Pietra award, the Donna del Marmo award, and events such as The Future Skin, Generosity in Architecture, and ZEROSTONEWASTE, dedicated to the recovery and reuse of sludge and waste generated by stone processing. Different themes, yet linked by a common question: how can an ancient material respond intelligently to the demands of contemporary design?

This year, particular attention is also being given to architects. For the first time, Marmomac will host Osteria dell’Architetto (Architect’s Tavern), a new meeting space in Hall 11 – Stand B2, open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Conceived as a format dedicated to dialogue between architecture, place, and design culture, it brings a more informal and convivial dimension to professional dialogue. At 12, the “Un’ora con…” (“An hour with…”) programme will feature Benedetta Tagliabue – EMBT Architects on September 22, Michele Rossi – Park on September 23, Cino Zucchi – CZA on September 24, and Stefano Pujatti – ELASTICOfarm on September 25. The sessions are free of charge upon registration and offer 2 CPD credits for PPC-registered architects. An initiative that further strengthens Marmomac’s role as a place where knowledge of the material directly meets those tasked with transforming it into architecture and design.

A New Award for Supply Chain Sustainability

Among the most significant new developments is the launch of the International Award for Sustainable Excellence, promoted with the patronage and collaboration of the University of Verona. The award seeks solutions capable of delivering tangible improvements in environmental performance, production efficiency, and the responsible use of resources.

The categories cover machinery and equipment, tools, software, and chemical products, while the Eureka Award is dedicated to startups and emerging projects. Innovations introduced to the international market during 2026 are eligible to compete and will be evaluated by a jury composed of university professors, researchers, and industry experts. The awards ceremony is scheduled for September 25.

The value of the initiative goes beyond the recognition given to the winners. Including sustainability among the criteria by which an international trade fair selects and promotes innovation means recognizing that the future of natural stone will increasingly depend on the ability to measure resource consumption, recover waste, extend the lifespan of materials, improve safety and efficiency, and integrate scientific research with industrial expertise. Sustainability thus becomes a factor of quality and competitiveness, rather than a secondary concern.

Verona and Carrara: Two Stone Capitals in Dialogue

The relationship with Carrara is one of the most interesting aspects of the 2026 edition. The two cities have built distinct trade fair traditions. Marmomac has never held an edition in Carrara: in 1980, the independent Fiera Internazionale Marmi e Macchine (International Marble and Machinery Fair) was established here, later becoming CarraraMarmotec. The first edition covered approximately 48,000 square metres and brought together 376 exhibitors, attracting tens of thousands of visitors.

Its strength lay in offering something that no exhibition centre could replicate: a first-hand experience of the district itself. From the fair, visitors could reach the quarries, storage yards, sawmills, artisan workshops, and the port, experiencing first-hand the marble’s entire journey through the district. Following the 33rd edition in 2016, the last to follow the traditional format, that vocation evolved into new formats, including White Carrara and Marmotec Hub 4.0.

In 2026, this history becomes intertwined with Verona once again through Marmomac and The City, taking place from September 21 to October 11 under the artistic direction of Domenico Raimondi. The collaboration with White Carrara will bring installations, artworks, and urban furnishings to Verona’s historic city centre, created by specialised companies and designed by internationally renowned designers and artists. The initiative ideally connects Carrara, Pietrasanta, and Verona, linking the places where stone is extracted and crafted with the industry’s leading international platform.

It is a relationship that captures the geography of Italy’s stone industry particularly well: Carrara as the world capital of marble, craftsmanship, sculpture, and stone processing; Verona as a major commercial and technological hub capable of bringing this expertise to the global stage.

This connection with Carrara will also have a tangible meeting point within the fair. Franchi Umberto Marmi will be exhibiting at Marmomac in Hall 9, Stand C14, where visitors can discover the company’s materials and learn more about Carrara District, the hub created to connect the excellence of the natural stone industry with international architecture, interior design, and art, supporting professionals from material selection and project development through to final realisation.

Why Visit Marmomac 2026

Visiting Marmomac means discovering materials from around the world, exploring advanced machinery and processing techniques, and meeting companies and designers, but above all, understanding the direction in which the industry is heading. From digital fabrication and waste recovery to new construction systems and formal experimentation, stone reveals possibilities that go far beyond its most conventional applications.

The 60th edition invites us to look at the past and the future together. Because a material formed over millions of years can remain contemporary only when knowledge, design, and technology can reinterpret it. From September 22 to 25, 2026, in Verona, this dialogue will once again speak the language of the world.