Clerkenwell Design Week Announces Expansion for 2025

Clerkenwell Design Week (CDW) announces its return to London’s EC1 from 20th–22nd May 2025 for its 14th edition as a leading global design festival. This year’s event will be the largest yet, introducing three new exhibition venues. Among them are the historic medieval and Tudor buildings of The Charterhouse and Charterhouse Square, which will host artist Alex Chinneck’s major new public artwork; the capital’s oldest parish church, St Bartholomew the Great; and Studio Smithfield, a Grade II* listed building above the iconic Smithfield Market in the heart of the Culture Mile. These additions will form a vibrant and bustling new southern district for the festival.

Meanwhile, the 2025 edition will feature a myriad of curated events throughout Clerkenwell. Visitors can explore an impressive lineup of international exhibitors and cutting-edge products showcased across 16+ venues and 160+ local design showrooms.

“We’re thrilled to be back in Clerkenwell this May with our largest programme yet, both in scale and content,” says Marlon Cera-Marle, Design Division Director at Media 10, the organiser of the annual design festival. “The new venues, including some of London’s most historic landmarks, will provide a stunning backdrop for presenting some of the world’s most exciting design brands. We’re also partnering with incredible international names, from country pavilions to leading media outlets from the UK and US.”

Cera-Marle adds: “This year, we’re especially excited to announce one of our headline features: a surreal public artwork by the acclaimed British artist Alex Chinneck. As one of the most attended specification events on the A&D calendar, CDW 2025 will once again serve as a platform for discovering new trends, talent and ideas. We look forward to sharing more details about the programme in the coming months.”

New exhibitions venues include:

• The Charterhouse and Charterhouse Square – featuring Alex Chinneck’s flagship installation, and the venue to host ‘Conversations at Clerkenwell’, the festival’s official talks series;
• Studio Smithfield – a 27,000-square-foot Grade II* listed building above Smithfield Market, Studio Smithfield is a new creative event space and will be home to commercial and workplace interior brands;
• Church of Design – hosting design conversations, Design Dialogue by Sandow, inside the church throughout the festival.

Fringe

Over the three days of CDW, various design studios will invite visitors to take part in a range of creative workshops as part of the Fringe programme.

Food & Drink

Festival-goers can also enjoy exclusive discounts and offerings from local food and drink partners. Furthermore, architects and interior designers will have the opportunity to join guided specialist tours covering topics ranging from sustainability to emerging design talent and more.

Enhanced Navigation

For the first time, CDW has partnered with an interactive map software expert to create a bespoke digital map for the festival. This map will enable visitors to search their location – using geolocation technology – and browse participating venues, festival routes and lists of brands. The fully interactive experience will make it easier for attendees to navigate the neighbourhood during the festival.

Clerkenwell Design Week 2025 takes place across EC1, London, from 20th–22nd May. More details about the festival will be announced in due course. For more information, please visit clerkenwelldesignweek.com – registration is now open.