Contemporary design takes center stage at London Design Festival 2025

The London Design Festival 2025 has returned to the UK capital for its 23rd edition, running from September 13th to 21st, transforming the city into a global hub for contemporary design. This year’s programme underscores London’s role as the world’s design capital, offering a dynamic mix of exhibitions, landmark installations, talks, and pop-ups that highlight the innovation and cultural impact of design today.

London Design Festival 2025

Festival Director Ben Evans said the event reflects a commitment to supporting the full design ecosystem—from emerging creatives to established names—while showcasing London’s creative energy. Key highlights include Material Matters, now in its fourth edition at Space House, which explores new sustainable materials, such as mycelium-based innovations and resin experiments, alongside recycled products by global studios. Meanwhile, the Brompton Design District, curated this year by New York gallerist Alex Tieghi-Walker, presents A Softer World, a theme inviting gentler approaches through experimental curations across unconventional venues.

Design events 2025

Among the most anticipated public installations is Paul Cocksedge’s What Nelson Sees, staged at Trafalgar Square in collaboration with Google Arts and Culture. The striking structure of intersecting tubes allows visitors to peer through telescopic portals, experiencing London from Admiral Nelson’s viewpoint while blending history with AI-generated future scenarios. At the Southbank Centre, Lee Broom’s monumental light installation Beacon reimagines Victorian streetlamps and Brutalist architecture into a glowing sculptural chandelier. Its choreography of light, activated each hour, serves as a poetic reflection on the city’s past and future while incorporating recycled glass for sustainability.

Winners of the 2025 London Design Medals

The Festival also celebrated the winners of the prestigious London Design Medals, awarded for outstanding contributions across the industry. Michael Anastassiades received the London Design Medal for redefining lighting through minimal yet transformative designs. The Lifetime Achievement Medal went to Lord Norman Foster for his six-decade architectural legacy spanning global landmarks. Sinéad Burke was honoured with the Design Innovation Medal for her pioneering work in accessibility and inclusive design. Finally, Rio Kobayashi earned the Emerging Design Medal for his playful yet finely crafted furniture and sculptural objects that blend tradition with fresh contemporary vision.

London Design Festival 2025 not only reaffirms the city’s global influence but also invites audiences to experience how design can transform perspectives, spaces, and ways of living.