16. September 2026
The site of the future Southbank urban district on the right bank of the Danube hosted a meet & greet for the 13th edition of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Live!. During the event, the organisers unveiled this year’s programme, which will, for the first time, bring one of its fashion shows beyond its traditional venue at the Old Market Hall. The freier fashion show will take place directly at Southbank on 30 September.
The meet & greet brought together journalists, influencers, designers and representatives of the Slovak fashion scene. The industrial yet natural setting near Apollo Bridge provided the backdrop for introducing an edition that connects contemporary Slovak fashion with unconventional urban locations.
The choice of Southbank naturally reflects the gradual opening of the site to the public ahead of construction. Penta Real Estate is now in the second season of activating the location through gastronomy, sport, cultural programming and community events. Bufet 24 has become its focal point, while the regular Piatkovica running events and other activities are helping to create a place for meeting, relaxing and spending time by the Danube.
The meet & greet marked the first presentation of the collaboration between Penta Real Estate, Southbank and Mercedes-Benz Fashion Live!. Its main visual highlight will follow on 30 September, when the 13th edition of MBFL! opens with the freier fashion show powered by Ploom. Designer Terézia Feňovčíková will present her new collection outdoors, directly at Southbank.
The setting will be more than a backdrop; it will form an integral part of the show’s overall visual expression. The site’s current industrial character, its riverside landscape and distinctive features will create a visual connection between fashion, architecture and the city’s future development. The show will also be preceded by a fashion editorial photographed on Southbank’s distinctive structure. The daytime shoot and evening programme will therefore reveal the potential of the location in two different forms.
The collaboration with Mercedes-Benz Fashion Live! naturally continues Penta Real Estate’s approach to Southbank, which focuses not only on the buildings planned for the future but also on the life and activities the location can bring to the city today. Creative processes in fashion and placemaking share the ability to change how people perceive and experience a particular place. The fashion editorial and the freier show will therefore present Southbank in a new visual and cultural context.
Southbank is a future mixed-use urban district planned for the right bank of the Danube near Apollo Bridge. Its urban concept was designed by the international studios Snøhetta and Studio Egret West in collaboration with the Bratislava-based studio gro architekti. The district will bring housing, workplaces, retail, services, greenery and public spaces connected by a waterfront promenade.
The activation phase makes it possible for people to use the location and gradually build a relationship with it before Southbank takes on its future form. The meet & greet and the upcoming freier fashion show add another layer to the site’s existing programme, demonstrating that the location of a future urban district can already serve as a setting for culture and new urban experiences.
