IF YOU believe in reading of tea leaves, Feng Shui has been dropping breadcrumbs for about 2,000 years. It works off the old Chinese Farmer’s Calendar, a system that reads time the way a stage manager reads a cue sheet, watching how metal, water, wood, fire, and earth jockey for position behind the curtain of the universe.
Every year, I take a look at those cues to see what’s coming down the pike for the events industry. And let me tell you, 2026, the Year of the Horse, is shaping up like a blockbuster opening night with a few loose pyrotechnics.
This is a Yang Fire Horse year, which in Feng Shui terms means fire on top of fire. Translation: energy, visibility, speed, and not much patience for rehearsal. Yang Fire is the Sun. Bright, popular, life-giving. Also hot-headed, impulsive, and inclined to burn through the budget if nobody’s watching.
For events, this is good news with a warning label.
Fire years are about confidence and momentum, and confidence is the fuel of live experiences. Expect packed calendars, bigger ambitions, bolder creative, and clients suddenly remembering why shaking hands in the same room beats another Zoom meeting. Festivals, brand activations, concerts, exhibitions, and experiential marketing all get a strong tailwind, especially from spring through summer.
But fire doesn’t whisper. It rushes.
That means shorter planning cycles, faster decisions, and higher expectations. Clients will want things bigger, flashier, and sooner. The upside is opportunity. The downside is burnout, blown timelines, and tempers flaring backstage.
The Horse loves motion, not meetings. The Horse is also a classic “Peach Blossom” sign, the old Chinese shorthand for romance, glamour, and scandal. In modern terms: entertainment thrives. Music, fashion, art, food, nightlife, and anything Instagrammable gets an extra glow. Think 1966, the last Fire Horse year, when pop culture went electric and the world suddenly wanted to dance.
For the events industry, that means audiences are hungry again, not just for content, but for emotion, connection, and spectacle. They want joy. They want energy. They want stories worth leaving the house for.
Economically, Fire equals optimism, and optimism opens wallets. Strong Yang Fire years tend to lift markets, tourism, travel, and discretionary spending. Translation: better budgets, more green lights, and fewer conversations that start with “Can we do this cheaper?”
Asia, particularly South and Southeast Asia, sits right in Fire territory, and 2026 favours the region. Expect growth in regional events, destination conferences, and cross-border productions, especially in mainland China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and surrounding markets.
But a Fire Horse also has a wild streak.
More… 10 brand-event trends as 2026 revs up
Fire clashes with water, which historically points to disruptions in transport and logistics. For event planners, that means contingency plans matter. Weather, travel delays, supply chain hiccups, and sudden changes of plan are part of the landscape. Flexibility isn’t a buzzword this year; it’s survival.
In short, 2026 brings the return of heat after several cooler, cautious years. The mood shifts from fear to forward motion. Creativity surges. Competition intensifies. Those who move fast, think clearly, and keep their cool will thrive.
Just remember: in a Fire Horse year, the show will go on. The trick is making sure it doesn’t go up in smoke.
Robert Rogers is a Certified Special Events Professional (CSEP) and principal at Events Man. This is a version of an article originally published on the Events Man website
