Clerkenwell Design Week 2026

 

Clerkenwell Design Week returns to London’s EC1 from 19–21 May 2026, celebrating its 15th anniversary with a new curated installation series, Design Interventions, and an expanded CDW Awards programme presented in partnership with digital design magazine Design Milk.

 

 

Introducing Design Interventions

 

Marking a major milestone year, CDW introduces Design Interventions, a curated collection of large-scale, site-specific installations by emerging and established designers and architects.

Following an open call for innovative structural concepts, selected works will be installed across Clerkenwell’s streets, parks and venues.

Designed to spark conversation around materials, sustainability and the built environment, the installations will create immersive and interactive moments throughout the festival.

Among the highlights is The Fountain of Technicolour Beads by Hong Kong-based studio One Bite Design, located on Clerkenwell Green. This immersive terrazzo installation explores Colour Vision Deficiency (CVD), integrating spatial design with social awareness.

At St James’s Church, StudioFolk presents The Crinkle-Crankle Bench, a series of crescent-shaped benches crafted from natural stone bricks that encourage gathering and reflection.

 

Outside Haberdashers’ Hall, a new venue for 2026, visitors will encounter The Pulse of Becoming, a living installation by Portsmouth-based graduates Musab Umair, Amruta Ramesh Pullawar and Sharath Binu John.

Featuring chia seeds embedded within two crescent shells, the structure will gradually turn green over the course of the festival, symbolising cycles of life, death and renewal.

 

 

Expanded CDW Awards and new venues

 

Haberdashers’ Hall joins the festival as home to The Luxury Edit, a curated showcase of high-end design brands and the location for the CDW Awards ceremony on Tuesday 19 May.

Building on a successful debut, the 2026 awards will celebrate not only standout furniture, lighting, materials and interior solutions, but also the individuals, teams and ideas redefining contemporary design.

New categories will spotlight disruptors and creative leaders shaping the industry’s future.

 

 

Several new venues further expand the festival’s footprint.

The historic Museum of the Order of St John will host INTERIORS FROM SPAIN, a contemporary Spanish design platform produced by London-based design journal Disegno.

Material Source Studio and Workplace on the Square (outside The Zetter hotel) join the line-up, alongside the return of Workplace at Goldsmiths’ at The Goldsmiths’ Centre.

Returning favourites include St Bartholomew the Great, once again transformed into the Church of Design and host to the Conversations at Clerkenwell talks programme curated by Katie Richardson.

Sponsored by Dulux, the series will feature leading and emerging designers discussing key industry topics, with a student competition to design the talks stage backdrop.

Exhibiting brands at the Church of Design include Roche Bobois, DEDON and MAGIS Spa, alongside CONFLUENCE, a monumental origami-inspired installation by Fung+Bedford suspended from the church ceiling.

 

 

The House of Detention returns as the home of Light, showcasing international lighting brands.

Visitors will be welcomed by Loom Light, a 3D-printed sculptural installation created by MIMStudios, AI Build and SEAM Design. The popular [d]arc thoughts talks series also returns.

 

 

 

Across the district, a mix of historic and contemporary venues will host exhibitions and brand activations, including Old Sessions House, The Charterhouse, St James’s Church, St John Priory Church and St John’s Square.

Dedicated showcases such as British Collection, Ceramics of Italy, Commercial Design in the Park, Commercial Interiors on the Green, Interior Hardware and Future Talent will highlight both established and emerging designers.

Hundreds of international brands will exhibit across the festival, spanning furniture, lighting, textiles, surfaces and product design.

 

Confirmed names include String Furniture, Moroso, Swedese, Dornbracht and Vincent Sheppard, alongside national pavilions and collections from Austria, Denmark and Italy.

Clerkenwell’s extensive showroom network will once again host product launches, talks and workshops.

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