Pantone Color of the Year 2026
Alas, it’s everyone’s favorite time of the year once again - when Pantone releases their new “Color of The Year”.
After the legendary color language system company held their two annual secret meetings (with representatives from multiple different countries' color standard groups) in an undisclosed European capital city, a decision has been made.
Drum roll please…the 2026 Pantone Color of the Year is…
PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer.
A wispy, billowy white with balanced cool and warm undertones, offering clarity without coldness.
According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer “is a key structural colour whose versatility provides scaffolding for the colour spectrum, allowing all colours to shine. In a world where colour has become synonymous with personal expression, this is a shade that can adapt, harmonise, and create contrast, bringing a feeling of airy lightness to all product applications and environments, whether making a stand-alone statement or combined with other hues.”
Coming off of 2025’s PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse, Cloud Dancer offers a level of clarity, giving a feeling of gentle comfort and pleasure. Simple. Clean. Modern.
Colors, as we know, can evoke emotions. Pantone knows this too. And if you read between the lines you’ll find that their decision often reflects the environment we live in.
In a time where daily life can feel chaotic, overwhelming, and stress-inducing, Cloud Dancer offers a clean canvas to work with, offering space and disconnection.
According to Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, “It’s a lofty color that reads like a breath of fresh air. It’s about opening our minds to the possibility of innovative new things and fresh ideas that clarify.”
Keep your eyes peeled in the coming months, as leading fashion designers, florists, and design & manufacturing companies will use it to help guide their designs and products for the upcoming year.
Travel mugs, phone cases, furniture, bouquets, designer shoes, interior paint, and more will now shift towards the new color.
What’ll be the first thing you buy that is Cloud Dancer?
