València Design Fest 2025 kicks off with more than 60 activities celebrating design across the city

From September 12 to October 16, València will once again become an international hub of creativity with the third edition of València Design Fest, the major event promoted by the Design Foundation of the Region of Valencia.

The festival brings together more than 60 activities open to all audiences. Exhibitions, talks, workshops, guided tours, screenings, and gatherings will shape the València Design Fest program around three major themes: craftsmanship, urban design, and sustainability. In addition, the 2025 program revives the most avant-garde legacy of Valencian design with the line “Disruptive Design,” connecting past and present to project a critical and contemporary vision of creativity that takes us back to the 1980s.

The presentation event, held this Tuesday at the MuVIM, was inaugurated by local and national authorities and attended by a notable representation of the Valencian design sector, including institutions, schools, cultural agents, and companies. “València Design Fest reaffirms the city’s role as a creative hub of international reference and allows us to continue projecting the legacy of World Design Capital 2022, raising València’s global profile as a leader in innovation and creativity,” said Xavi Calvo, director of the Design Foundation.

The full program of València Design Fest 2025 is now available at: www.valenciadesignfest.com



Contemporary Craft: «Tiempo + Materia»

Within its own program «Tiempo + Materia», València Design Fest brings together all content linked to contemporary craft, curated once again by Estudio Savage as one of the main themes of the festival, with an exhibition and a set of experiences and talks around craft creation. This year’s guiding thread: gastronomy and design.

The main «Tiempo + Materia» exhibition will open at the MuVIM, Museu Valencià de la Il·lustració i de la Modernitat, on September 12, the official opening day of the festival, and will remain open for one month, showcasing works from national and international studios and workshops. The curators Estudio Savage will also lead several guided tours, announced on the festival website. As a special preview, one day before the opening, on Thursday September 11, the Barreira school, one of the institutions linked to València Design Fest’s craft program, will host an inaugural lecture at its Gran Vía Fernando el Católico headquarters by Fondo Supper Club, the creative studio that uses gastronomy as a tool to explore artistic practices.

Adrián Salvador of Estudio Savage, curators of «Tiempo + Materia», highlighted that this program “seeks to demonstrate that craftsmanship is not only about creating objects, but also an intangible manifestation with the power to connect past and present, tradition and innovation, and the individual with the collective.” Lucas Zaragosi, also of Estudio Savage, added that “this approach allows new generations of contemporary creators to reinterpret the craft, taking it to new frontiers, exploring its relevance in an increasingly globalized, digital, sensorial, and experiential world.”

As for this year’s talks, experiences, and workshops, participants include the artisan ice cream shop Campo a través on September 16 at Merkato Hub, Vidrio Sorribes on September 17 at Barreira, Steinbeisser on September 18, Clara Diez with Jesús Terrés on September 23 at CookTL, Canoalab on September 23, Estudio Savage at the Ágora Nude of Feria Hábitat on September 30, and Celler del Roure, once again with Vidrio Sorribes, on October 7 at off_line café.



Architecture and the City

Urban and architectural design once again takes center stage with a series of activities reflecting on how the relationship between architecture and humans has evolved.

Through debates and other discussion formats, contemporary examples will be presented under a common leitmotif: a more human practice, where people are the main asset of architecture. Highlights include conversations on new perspectives on architecture: Bona Fide and Clara Sáez on September 17 at Odosdesign, and “Intimate Architecture” on September 26 at Merkato Hub.

One of this year’s key venues will be the Colegio Territorial de Arquitectos de València, which will host the Neuroarchitecture Day on September 22, in collaboration with Fundación Arquia. Speakers will include Carmen Linares, Soledat Berbegal, and Nuria Matarredona, while Ana Mombiedro will present her book Espacio, cuerpo y mente. María Aucejo will give her presentation on September 24, and the second edition of “La Ciudad Generosa” will take place on October 14.

There will also be children’s workshops on architecture and the city, on September 26 with Silvana Andrés at the MuVIM.

Another milestone of this year’s València Design Fest is the collaboration with Concéntrico festival, an urban innovation lab that invites reflection on the city through architecture and design, proposing new collective uses of public space each year from Logroño. The Technical School of Architecture at the Polytechnic University of València will host an exhibition on Concéntrico starting September 25, displaying one of the pieces from its past edition. In addition, the new Veneno space will present the special 10th anniversary book of the festival directed by Javier Peña in Logroño, on October 13.



Fashion and Disruptive Design

The València Design Fest program also takes visitors back to the 1980s, when València established itself as a hub of disruptive design in Spain. In a context of cultural effervescence and the opening of previously existing borders, innovative movements emerged that broke away from established norms. The Design Foundation proposes to recover that essence with a series of activities organized in collaboration with the Arxiu Valencià del Disseny, showcasing some of the protagonists of fashion and architecture of that era.

On September 15, there will be a gathering and roundtable with some of the members of the brand Tráfico de Modas about Valencian fashion in the 70s and 80s, with a visit to the exhibition of the same name at La Nau. Also at La Nau, on September 19, the series “Confessions of Design” will kick off, bringing two generations face to face: MacDiego will be “confessed” by Elena Yuste and Sheila Moreno about the Valencian creative sector and its past and present challenges.

On September 25, La Filmoteca will screen The Grand Budapest Hotel by Wes Anderson, followed by a talk with representatives of La Filmoteca, designer Carmen Baselga, and Sara Mansanet, director of La Mostra de València, discussing the intersection of cinema, architecture, and design. Continuing with screenings, on October 3, the School of Art and Design of València will host a showing of Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown with a cine-forum on cinema and fashion in the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.

Also joining this retrospective is Bombas Gens, Centre d’Arts Digitals, which from October 2 will open the major immersive exhibition “La Ruta: modernity, culture, and chaos,” inviting visitors to revisit a historic chapter that marked a turning point—a revolution that forever changed the way leisure and nightlife were understood in València.


Future of Fashion

Under the motto From ideas to action, Future of Fashion returns on October 16 to close València Design Fest. This international meeting on sustainable fashion serves as a platform for creation, experimentation, and knowledge exchange through design, focusing on the transformation of the fashion industries.

Future of Fashion will take place at La Harinera thanks to the collaboration of València Innovation Capital. Now in its fourth edition, and curated by Patricia Moreno Barberá, it continues as one of the legacies of València World Design Capital, serving again as an international “think tank” to debate the transformation of the fashion industries and their sustainable impact.

And much more…

Responsible innovation, education, and the connection between design and business will also mark several highlights of the program, with partner organizations of the festival hosting their own activities.

On October 1 and 2, Mercado de Tapinería in València will host a pop-up installation by lighting company ERCO, designed to dive into the world of architectural lighting in an engaging and participatory way. During the event, visitors will have the opportunity to explore firsthand how lighting can transform spaces and dynamically influence environments. The installation features collaborations with Galería CLC Arte, Ana Illueca Ceramics, Actiu, and Vibia.

On September 16 and 18, the MuVIM will host children’s creative calligraphy workshops with Cuadernos Rubio, led by Beatriz Nácher. The youngest audiences will have the chance to approach, in a fun and entertaining way, basic concepts such as different lettering styles and how to play with them to create their own letters and compositions.

Also at the MuVIM, on the afternoon of September 18, some of the most international and fresh local talents will come together for a joint talk by Clap Studio, Anna Devís, and Daniel Rueda, thanks to the collaboration of Barreira school.

The design and marketing center CEI will offer, at its València school, a workshop on circular design and creativity with impact by Beatriz Soriano on September 12, and a lecture with workshop by Chavo Roldán on October 6.

This year also sees the return of the Art&Design Walks through València with Turiart, on September 12 and 20, along with guided tours of the permanent exhibition at L’ETNO with special sessions on September 23, October 8, and October 15.

On September 18, to mark the academic year opening at LABA Valencia, the school presents a BLABLANIGHTS session with two outstanding guests: Rober Alonso and Javier Corrales, founders of Cuchillo, a leading studio in the Spanish design scene.

On September 29, one of the most memorable events of recent years returns: the opening of “Night at the Museum” at the Museu de Belles Arts de València, presented by LZF Lamps, Gandia Blasco, and Greenarea. This ephemeral project, through a series of small installations, explores themes that establish a link between the museum as custodian of art history and contemporary design as a current projection of our artistic tradition.

Once again, IKEA València joins València Design Fest, this year with an afternoon of talks on September 30 featuring designer Inma Bermúdez, who will share her experience designing for the Swedish brand.

The València campus of Universidad Europea will host on October 6 the 3rd edition of its Design Day, a full day of activities for designers and interior designers, culminating in the presentation of the trend report The New Habitat 26/27 produced by consultancy Futurea for the company APE Grupo.

On October 7, La Mostra de València will inaugurate its poster exhibition at Galería del Tossal, offering a journey through its history via its graphic communication over the last 40 years.

On October 14, from its Vivers campus, the School of Art and Design of València will inaugurate its new academic year marked by the celebration of its 175th anniversary.

And on October 15, CEU Cardenal Herrera University will host at Palacio de Colomina a lecture and prototype exhibition of the project “Design for Dana,” coordinated by Miguel Roldán and Jordi Ardanuy. In this initiative, volunteer students from the Degree in Industrial Design Engineering and Product Development at CEU UCH designed a collection of furniture for people affected by last year’s Dana storm.

Partner Programs

As in previous years, València Design Fest will converge with other events throughout September and October, enriching this major month of design.

Feria Hábitat València, along with Textilhogar and Ágora Nude, will take place from September 29 to October 2, in one of the most promising editions in its history. The Design Foundation of the Region of Valencia will participate with a series of talks, such as the one on intellectual property and design with PADIMA on September 29, the Alicante design mapping project, the talk on «Tiempo + Materia» on September 30, or the book presentations The Present of Spanish Design and Viajar bien sentado with Andreu World on October 1. Other presentations and talks at Feria Hábitat include Women in Office Design on September 30, the Andreu World new talent competition with a roundtable, the DIN Awards on October 1, and Actiu on October 2.

María Navarro, manager of the Association of Design Professionals of the Region of Valencia (ADCV), took part in the presentation to highlight the program of activities marking the association’s 40th anniversary, taking place throughout September and October. She pointed out the Cuadrilátero meeting on artificial intelligence and creativity on September 17 and Altavoz, with a special edition in the context of the emerging talents fair Nude at Feria Hábitat València on Wednesday, October 1. Regarding workshops organized by ADCV, she highlighted on September 23 Bio-exploration: Children’s Workshop on Biomaterials led by Sirope Lab, and on October 2 Taller XL with Makea: Do, do, do. Designing from context. Finally, in the realm of informal gatherings, they will host a new edition of Bareando. Design among colleagues on September 25.

Pepe Cosín, dean of the College of Interior Designers of the Region of Valencia, presented the first edition of the DIN AWARDS for the Best National Interior Design, which will take place on October 1 at the Centre del Carme de Cultura Contemporània. This new award was created with a clear mission: to recognize excellence, innovation, and the contribution of interior design to people’s well-being, to business value, and to contemporary culture.

Finally, as the last of the partner programs of València Design Fest 2025, Reyes Martínez, president of LaVAC (Association of Contemporary Art Galleries of the Region of Valencia), presented the program of Abierto Valencia. From September 26 to October 3, it invites the public to enjoy a wide range of free activities and events around the joint opening of galleries: guided tours, roundtables, performances, the iconic season opening party, its popular award, ARCO GalleryWalks, the City Council’s Art Routes, and musical performances by the IVC.

València Design Fest is supported by the City Council of València, València Innovation Capital, the Regional Ministry of Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism, Feria Valencia, Visit València, and the Ministry of Culture. It is also mainly sponsored by Andreu World, alongside companies APE Grupo, Padima, LZF Lamps, ACTIU, Rolser, Punt, Newlyn, and ERCO; media partners DXI and Flat Magazine; and with the collaboration of cultural and educational institutions, professional associations, and design firms that consolidate the celebration of this great month of design.

The full program of València Design Fest is now available at www.valenciadesignfest.com and in the official Pocket Design Guide 2025.