The 2026 Pirelli Calendar features Tilda Swinton, Irina Shayk, Venus Williams, Gwendoline Christie, Isabella Rossellini, FKA Twigs, Susie Cave, Luisa Ranieri, Du Juan, Eva Herzigová, and Adria Arjona, introduced through a concept shaped by elemental forces and the ways they influence human experience. Sølve Sundsbø directs this edition and builds a narrative guided by earth, air, fire, water, and a selection of intangible forces that frame emotion, instinct, and presence. The calendar was unveiled in Prague on November 14, 2025, marking the fifty-second release of a project that continues to focus on character and contemporary culture.
Sundsbø developed the calendar across several locations. He began the process in April on Holkham Beach in Norfolk, followed by sessions in the Essex countryside, where he recorded scenes of clouds, fire, sunsets, and water. He then continued in studios in London and New York, where he recreated the recorded environments through large LED installations. These screens produced immersive fields of color, light, and motion, giving each subject a setting shaped by natural motifs while maintaining the control required for studio production.
DISCOVER: Sølve Sundsbo Talks 2026 Pirelli Calendar Exclusively for DSCENE
The photographer treats the elements as emotional conditions rather than literal categories. He uses each one to explore curiosity, movement, imagination, energy, and the sense of time that shapes daily life. He views the calendar as a way to connect individuals with their origins and uses the portraits to express distinct states of mind.
Sundsbø’s use of LED projections gives the calendar its visual identity. Waves, sky, smoke, and light appear as large-scale surfaces that respond to the cast’s movement. The projections function as active components of the scene, producing depth and atmosphere without relying on physical locations. This method allows Sundsbø to bridge the natural recordings from Norfolk and Essex with the controlled space of the studios, creating a unified setting across the twenty-two photographs.
The 2026 edition builds on the calendar’s long history while moving toward a tone centered on psychological focus and environmental interplay. Sundsbø uses texture, motion, and light to construct a world shaped by elemental forces and the reactions they generate. Each figure introduces her own interpretation, creating a collective portrait that reflects how individuals confront forces that influence daily life. The calendar presents an edition grounded in presence, energy, and the relationship between human expression and the natural world.
