Each year, the Pantone Color Institute selects a single hue that captures the cultural and creative mood of the moment. The Color of the Year is intended as a symbolic choice: a reflection of global trends in design, fashion, art, technology, and lifestyle, and a visual expression of the themes shaping the year ahead.
Pantone also publishes a set of Colour Palettes built around the chosen hue. These curated palettes show how the Color of the Year can be used in practice, offering designers ready-made combinations for interiors, branding, product design, and digital work.
Pantone Color of the Year 2026: Cloud Dancer
For 2026, Pantone has selected PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer, a soft, airy white. The colour is described as calm, reflective, and quietly uplifting — a reset button in a noisy world. Cloud Dancer suggests simplicity, clarity, and the idea of a fresh creative starting point.
To support the color, Pantone presents a series of Colour Palettes in which Cloud Dancer serves as an anchor or balancing tone. These palettes typically include warm neutrals, cool muted pastels, and gentle desaturated hues that highlight Cloud Dancer’s softness while giving room for contrast and harmony. They are meant to show how a subtle, nearly weightless white can still play a strong role in contemporary design.
You can see the 2026 announcement and all accompanying palettes here: https://www.pantone.com/uk/en/color-of-the-year/2026