Cloud Dancer, the 2026 Pantone Color of the Year, is an ephemeral versatile white and the first white chosen in this annual trend forecast.
NEW YORK -- Introducing Pantone Color of the Year 2026, PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer, a lofty white that serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection. A billowy white imbued with serenity, PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer encourages true relaxation and focus, allowing the mind to wander and creativity to breathe, making room for innovation.
“Similar to a blank canvas, Cloud Dancer signifies our desire for a fresh start. Peeling away layers of outmoded thinking, we open the door to new approaches,” Pantone said in its announcement.
A Joybird sofa features Pantone's Cloud Dancer in a billowy setting.
Pantone, the self-described global color authority, releases its color of the year annually, which is selected by the Pantone Color Institute, a team of color researchers who also provide color consulting services and forecast trends. With its expansive presence, PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer invites a space where function and feeling intertwine to build atmospheres of serenity and spaciousness, providing a refuge of visual cleanliness that inspires well-being and lightness.
“At this time of transformation, when we are reimagining our future and our place in the world, Pantone 11-4201 Cloud Dancer is a discrete hue offering a promise of clarity,” Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of Pantone Color Institute, said in a press release. “The cacophony that surrounds us has become overwhelming, making it harder to hear the voices of our inner selves. A conscious statement of simplification, Cloud Dancer enhances our focus, providing release from the distraction of external influences."
Pantone compares the shade, the first white selected for the Color of the Year, to a blank canvas. "Cloud Dancer signifies our desire for a fresh start. Peeling away layers of outmoded thinking, we open the door to new approaches,” Pantone stated.
PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer, is a key structural color whose versatility provides scaffolding for the color spectrum, allowing all colors to shine, the company stated. "In a world where color has become synonymous with personal expression, this is a shade that can adapt, harmonize, and create contrast, bringing a feeling of airy lightness to all product applications and environments, whether making a standalone statement or combined with other hues."
Eiseman highlighted the color’s airy quality, saying, “It’s about building atmospheres of serenity and spaciousness. “Spaciousness and lightness are key words, providing a refuge of visual cleanliness that inspires well-being.”
POWDERED PASTELS TREND
Cloud Dancer is a compatible with a range of pastels and neutral shades.
ATMOSPHERIC TREND
Cloud Dancer provides a canvas to layer other atmospheric colors atop, from Alaskan Blue to Cosmic Sky to Dusky Citrons.
TROPICAL TONALITIES TREND
Pantone's Cloud Dancer serves as the perfect foil to vivid bright hues.