Set to be the biggest event yet, CDW 2025 is expanding with three new exhibition venues and a vast selection of curated events throughout Clerkenwell.
Visitors to the event will be able to explore an impressive array of international exhibitors alongside the latest products and innovations across the 16+ venues and 160+ design showrooms.
Marlon Cera-Marle, Design Division Director at Media 10, organisers of the annual event, said: “We’re thrilled to be back in Clerkenwell this May with our largest programme yet, both in scale and content. 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.
“This year, we’re especially for one of our headline features: a surreal public artwork by the acclaimed British artist, Alex Chinneck. CDW 2025 will once again serve as a platform for discovering new trends, talent and ideas.”
Venues
The Charterhouse, a historic 14th-century London site, will host contemporary design exhibitions. Set against its gardens and historic buildings, the event will showcase global bathroom brands like Geberit, Toto, and Bette, alongside British design house Colefax and Fowler. The festival’s talk series, Conversations at Clerkenwell, will be held in a theatre designed by Kapitza and curated by Katie Richardson. Outside, Charterhouse Square will feature outdoor living displays and Alex Chinneck’s new interactive brick sculpture, crafted with repurposed steel and supported by Crittall Windows and others. The installation will remain on view for several weeks after the festival.
Studio Smithfield is a 27,000 Grade II listed building above Smithfield Market. A new creative event space, this will house commercial ad workplace interior brands during the festival.
Set in the 900-year-old St Bartholomew the Great, a stunning Grade I listed church, the Church of Design offers a dramatic venue for contemporary design. In the run-up to the event, they’ve also launched the first-ever CDW Product Awards, honouring the most innovative and visionary designs of the year, spotlighting creativity and shaping the future of the design industry.
In addition to the new venues, existing locations will house a variety of exhibitions, including: Clerkenwell Green and Installations; Project, focused on contract furniture and surface design: Design Fields, showcasing furniture, lighting and product design: Light, home to global lighting companies; Elements, dedicated to architectural hardware and finished; British Collection, taking over St James’s Church and highlighting British design talent and brands; Detail, featuring luxury interiors; Platform, spotlighting emerging design talent and companies; Ceramics of Italy; Old Sessions House, home to brand activations, presentations and the festival hub; The Goldsmiths’ Centre, presenting products for commercial and workplace interiors and Cowcross Pavilions and Brewhouse Yard, both presenting leading commercial interior from the UK and abroad.
More than 160 showroom partners will also host product launches, talks and workshops. These include Allermuir, Andreu World, Ferm Living, The Conran Shop, Camira, Bolon, Tarkett, Modulyss, Flokk, Bla Station, Lintex, VitrA, Duravit, Hansgrohe, Ideal Standard, Secto Design, J. Adams and Co, Bert Frank, Case Furniture (pop-up showroom), Modus, Nordic Design House, Cosentino, Domus Tiles, Parkside and Viaduct.
Themes
Lighting takes centre stage in this year’s programme, particularly among British brands, while the rise of indoor-outdoor living is reflected in a wave of adaptable designs. “Designed and made in the UK” remains a strong message, complemented by the debut of an exciting Spanish design showcase.
Sustainability continues to be a defining topic, with pioneering technology and materials leading the charge towards a greener future. Meanwhile, showroom events offer a diverse array of experiences, from exploring acoustic solutions to investigating the power of design and perception in interior spaces.
Conversations at Clerkenwell
The festival’s official talks series, Conversations at Clerkenwell, returns with a stellar lineup of speakers, including Sabine Marcelis and PearsonLloyd. Curated by PR and brand consultant Katie Richardson, the talks will take place at The Charterhouse for the first time, featuring 18 live sessions over three days, including three daily sessions curated and hosted by Dezeen. Topics will range from colour and interior trends to heritage renewal, commercial space design and AI in design.
This year’s auditorium, designed by Kapitza, takes inspiration from the rich history of patterns and ornaments adorning the venue’s walls and ceilings. The London-based studio is known for its colourful public art installations for British Land, wayfinding designs for the Royal London Hospital, and public and leisure architecture projects.
