London Design Festival has announced its 24th edition, returning to the capital from 12-20 September 2026. The announcement was made on 1st July at the Isla Terrace at The Standard, London.
One of the defining moments for UK design and a cornerstone of the global cultural calendar, the Festival will showcase Landmark Installations, Special Projects, the Global Design Forum, the London Design Medals, Fairs and a Partner Programme across eleven Design Districts.
For 2026, the Festival is defined by a convergence of global exchange, craft revival and future-facing technologies, with many projects exploring how cultural heritage, material innovation and digital thinking can coexist. A key theme is the recontextualisation of tradition within contemporary global narratives, with an emphasis on dialogue — between East and West, past and future, human and non-human, physical and digital. Sustainability, circularity and reflection are at the forefront.
The Mayor of London has been announced as Principal Supporter for 2026. The Festival continues to be supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies, with Bloomberg Connects serving as the official digital guide.
"London Design Festival 2026 is proving to be an exceptional year with a vibrant array of international installations and projects, new design districts, and an expanding Global Design Forum following the success of Global Design Forum Istanbul in May. London retains its allure as a global design capital,"
- Ben Evans CBE, London Design Festival Director and Co-Founder
Landmark Project: The Pangolin Shield
The first Landmark Project announced is The Pangolin Shield by Studio Saar and Atelier One, supported by Secure. The pavilion will be located on Strand Aldwych, the pedestrianised public space behind the Indian High Commission.
Inspired by the pangolin, the world's most trafficked mammal, the work explores colonial legacies, power, ecological exploitation and the movement of people and beings across borders. It embodies dualities of vulnerability and protection, East and West, displacement and acceptance.
The structure consists of a bamboo grid shell covered with traditional Indian police shields made from lathis, and woven rain shields or 'knups' traditionally used by farmers in north-eastern India. Layered like scales, they form a protective canopy that plays with light and shade while providing collective shelter.
Studio Saar is a multidisciplinary practice working between the UK and India, led by Founder Ananya Singhal. The pavilion is engineered in collaboration with Atelier One, led by Founder Neil Thomas MBE, known for advancing bamboo as a low-carbon structural solution.
Special Projects
MADE x Barbican: MADE will unveil a collaboration with the Barbican, launching a 23-piece interiors collection that reinterprets the Barbican Estate for modern living. An immersive installation will delve into the archives of Barbican interiors and the work of designer Miriam Howitt. The collection will be available at MADE.COM from August 2026.
Reviving Craft: Reflection of the Mind by Sun Media Group at Somerset House: Curated by Su Dan, Deputy Director of the Chinese Traditional Culture Museum and Professor at Tsinghua University, and Yang Lan, Chairperson of Sun Media Group, the exhibition brings together over 60 artisans and designers from China and abroad. Divided into three sections — Clear the Mind, Nourish the Mind, and Refine the Mind — it explores traditional Chinese craftsmanship within contemporary life. This is the third edition, following exhibitions in Paris in 2024 and Milan in 2025.
Craft x Tech Tokai Project: Returning for its second edition, founded by Dr Hideki Yoshimoto of Tangent and curated by Maria Cristina Didero, the project pairs international designers with Japanese craftspeople from the Tokai region specialising in lacquer, metal, woodworking, ceramics, washi paper and textiles. Collaborations include Yohei Ito with David Caon, Takanori Senda with Lanzavecchia + Wai, Hiroyuki Murase with Bethan Laura Wood, and Shigeyuki Ando with Philippe Malouin.
MixZ: Future Living with Shenzhen Style™ at the Old Selfridges Hotel: An immersive exploration where design, technology and culture converge. The installation will showcase China's leading design and technology brands, many making their UK debut, through cinematic spaces and interactive experiences.
L-Acoustics at Wapping Hydraulic Power Station: An immersive sound experience inside the historic Wapping Hydraulic Power Station, built in 1890. The space will open to the public for the first time in 13 years.
V&A x LDF26: AWAKENINGS and Design Museum
The V&A, the Festival's long-standing partner, will present AWAKENINGS, co-curated by Carrie Chan and Kristian Volsing. The programme explores how design, craft and technology can spark new perspectives around AI, the non-human world, music and identity. It features work from Henry Svendsen, Sam Ghantous, Andre Williams, Nina Davies, Albert Yonathan Setyawan, Aziza Kadyri, Eunjo Lee and V&A Emerging Designer 2026, Playfool.
At the Design Museum, the programme includes NIGO: From Japan with Love, the world's first retrospective on NIGO, Artistic Director of KENZO, alongside the annual PLATFORM series featuring designer and artist Simone Brewster.
Global Design Forum, Districts and Medals
The Global Design Forum will return to the V&A South Kensington from 12-14 September, with programme partners Sun Media Group and Bowmore.
The Festival will take place across 11 Design Districts: Bankside, Brompton, Chelsea, Dalston to Stokey, EC1, Fleet Street Quarter, Mayfair, Park Royal, Shoreditch Design Week, Blackhorse Creates (formerly William Morris Design Line) and the new Soho district.
Shoreditch Design Week, the Festival's largest district, will run from 15-20 September with four main exhibition venues and over 60 showrooms hosting hundreds of events.
The annual London Design Medals — The London Design Medal, Lifetime Achievement Medal, Emerging Design Medal and Design Innovation Medal — will be awarded at a dinner on 14 September.
The graphic identity for LDF26, titled Framing LDF, has been created by Pentagram, continuing a partnership of more than two decades.
London Design Festival 2026 runs from 12-20 September. More information at londondesignfestival.com
