World Design Congress London 2025
9 – 10 September 2025.
Get ready to put the planet at the heart of design.
The prestigious World Design Congress is coming to London for the first time in over 50 years. The 34th edition will be hosted by the Design Council at the Barbican Centre, recognised worldwide for its iconic brutalist architecture and commitment to sustainable design.
The World Design Organization's two-day event takes place every two years, gathering together the international design community and thought leaders from business, research and education to discuss and debate design issues of global importance. Previous host cities have included Tokyo, Hyderabad, Torino and Montreal.
London was selected against stiff competition as home to some of the world's best designs and designers. The main event will run in the capital, in conjunction with the London Design Festival, supported by regional moments to showcase the UK's design sector to the global community.
Our theme for 2025 will be Design for Planet. The effects of climate change are more evident than ever and design has a crucial role to play to help reduce carbon emissions and increase biodiversity. This is a moment to convene and accelerate design's power in building a regenerative future for all.
We'll be releasing exciting information in the run up, including how you can get your hands on tickets, so sign up for our World Design Congress newsletter to be first to know.
"London isn’t just the heart of creativity in the UK, it’s arguably the most imaginative place in the world. And in this time of crisis, we need more imaginative thinking than ever. For too long creativity has been the missing ingredient in the urgent conversations about the future of our planet. Having the World Design Congress in London in 2025 will be the excuse for brilliant designers from across the globe to come together and inspire the different revolutions we desperately need, to make the world a better place for everyone."
Thomas Heatherwick
Designer, founder of Heatherwick Studio
A return to London.
For the first time in over 50 years, the World Design Congress is coming to British soil. London hosted the sixth edition back in 1969 at the Southbank Centre. It was attended by almost 1,000 delegates from 39 countries, and welcomed special guest of honour H.R.H. Princess Margaret.
To celebrate, the Design Council's Design Centre in Haymarket held an exhibition titled "Design '69" to showcase best design examples from 22 countries. We look forward to showcasing some of the best of British design in 2025.
World Design Organization is a globally recognized non-governmental organization.
They have special consultative status with the UN, aiming to promote and advance design and its power to enhance economic, social, cultural and environmental quality of life. Founded in 1957, the World Design Organization services over 190 member organizations around the world, engaging thousands of individual designers through their innovative programming and initiatives that champion ‘design for a better world’.