City of Dreams Sri Lanka to Host Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, Strengthening Colombo’s Regional Creative Position
Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts Senior Vice President-Colombo Hotels and Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams Sri Lanka General Manager Kamal Munasinghe (right) with AOD Founder and Chairperson Linda Speldewinde
COLOMBO, October 6, 2026 — City of Dreams Sri Lanka is set to host Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Sri Lanka 2026 from October 7 to 11, bringing together designers, buyers, international media and creative industry professionals from across South Asia and positioning Colombo as a growing regional destination for fashion, design and creative business.
The five-day event is being held in partnership with AOD and DIMO, with the organizers aiming to use the international fashion platform to strengthen Colombo’s profile as a cosmopolitan design and lifestyle city.
For City of Dreams Sri Lanka, the event brings together its hospitality, dining, entertainment and event facilities with one of South Asia’s established fashion platforms, creating an opportunity to attract international visitors and connect the city’s tourism and hospitality offering with the creative economy.
“City of Dreams is designed to bring together entertainment, culture, fashion and business in one connected destination, and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Sri Lanka is a natural fit for that vision,” said Kamal Munasinghe, Senior Vice President – Colombo Hotels, Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts and General Manager of Cinnamon Life at City of Dreams Sri Lanka.
He said the event would provide an opportunity to showcase Colombo’s capacity to host major regional creative and cultural events while bringing together designers, industry leaders, media and visitors from across the region.
Positioning Colombo as a Fashion Destination
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Sri Lanka has been conceptualised and presented by AOD and powered by DIMO since its launch in 2017. Now entering its ninth edition, the event forms part of the international Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week network, which includes fashion destinations such as Berlin, Tbilisi and Prague.
The organizers are using the platform to promote Colombo not only as a venue for fashion shows, but as a destination where international designers, buyers and media can stay, network and experience the city.
Linda Speldewinde, Founder and Chairperson of AOD, said the objective is to create an event with an economic and destination-marketing impact extending beyond the runway.
She said international participation from designers in India, Bangladesh and Bhutan, together with visiting media including Vogue Italia, is helping bring greater international attention to Colombo.
City of Dreams Sri Lanka will provide a central base for participants, combining accommodation, dining, entertainment and event facilities within one destination. According to the organizers, this creates opportunities for increased hotel stays, visitor spending and wider exposure for Colombo’s hospitality and tourism sectors.
Fashion, Luxury and Business Converge
The partnership also focuses on the broader lifestyle and commercial dimensions of the Mercedes-Benz brand.
During the fashion week, the Mercedes-Benz Fashion Lounge at City of Dreams Sri Lanka will serve as a key networking and social venue. On October 10, it will also host the invitation-only launch of She’s Mercedes in Sri Lanka, conceptualised by AOD and powered by DIMO.
The 2026 programme features five runway formats, including The Colombo Edit, Future Craft and Destination Island, showcasing South Asian designers and creative talent while incorporating a distinctly Sri Lankan perspective.
The organizers expect the event to facilitate connections between emerging Sri Lankan designers and established regional and international industry participants, creating opportunities for commercial partnerships, media exposure and market access.
“Sri Lanka is a place the world already wants to see,” Speldewinde said, adding that the combination of an international fashion platform and City of Dreams Sri Lanka could strengthen Colombo’s role as a gateway connecting South Asian creative talent with global markets.
The event also sets the stage for the 10th anniversary edition of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Sri Lanka, scheduled for October 2027.
Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Sri Lanka 2026, presented by AOD and powered by DIMO, will take place from October 7 to 11 at City of Dreams Sri Lanka.
