València Design Fest establishes itself as a key event on the global design calendar

The festival, organized by the Design Foundation of the Region of Valencia, has extended for over a month of creativity, reflection, and innovation, confirming the city’s creative momentum with more than 70 activities across over 40 venues.

The third edition of València Design Fest has come to an end after more than a month in which the city has become a true international epicentre of design. The festival, driven by the Design Foundation of the Region of Valencia, has exceeded all expectations with more than 70 activities held across over 40 locations between September and October, consolidating itself as the major annual showcase of Valencian creativity.

The “Future of Fashion” gathering, dedicated to sustainable fashion and innovation in the textile industry, put the finishing touch last Thursday to a programme that has filled València with exhibitions, talks, lectures, workshops, routes, debates, installations, cinema and experiences, spanning disciplines as diverse as design, architecture, craft, gastronomy and social innovation.

“When we presented the programme barely a month ago, we were talking about 60 activities… today there have been more than 70. That’s the nature of Valencian creative effervescence: an ecosystem that, from the Design Foundation of the Region of Valencia, we continue to activate—more alive than ever, connected, and proving that design is far more than an aesthetic discipline; it’s a way of understanding the world and transforming it,” notes Xavi Calvo, director of the Design Foundation of the Region of Valencia.

A month of design, creativity and inspiration across more than 40 spaces in the city

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From September 12 to October 16, over more than five weeks, València Design Fest has offered an extensive journey through the present and future of design, with a programme that has combined reflection and dissemination, critical thinking and creative experiences — always based on the principles of sustainability, contemporary craft, and urban design.

More than 40 venues have hosted the programme, including cultural centres in the city such as MuVIM, La Nau, L’ETNO, the Museum of Fine Arts, Centro del Carmen, Bombas Gens, and Galeria del Tossal; spaces like Veneno House, Merkato Hub, the Odosdesign studio, La Salita, the new Canoa Lab workshop, Pasaje 94 gallery, Off Line Café, the Mercado de Tapinería or IKEA València’s facilities; public centres such as La Harinera or Las Naves of València Innovation Capital, La Filmoteca, Feria Valencia with the Feria Hábitat fair and the NUDE new talent show; the facilities of Espai Alfaro and the Colegio Territorial de Arquitectos de València; as well as academic institutions that opened their doors to host activities, including the School of Art and Design of València, CEU Cardenal Herrera University, Barreira Arte+Diseño, CEI Valencia, LABA Valencia, the European University of València, and the Schools of Design and Architecture of the Polytechnic University of València.

The festival has brought together professionals, companies, cultural institutions, schools, and citizens around activities that have demonstrated the transformative power of design in every field. From the exhibition and all the satellite events of “Tiempo + Materia,” a project curated by Estudio Savage, to the debates, conferences, and presentations, each event has contributed to consolidating València as an international creative benchmark.

Design that transforms

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València Design Fest has shown, once again, that design goes far beyond the functional or the aesthetic — something that was especially emphasised throughout the project that led València to become World Design Capital in 2022. Now, the 2025 edition has highlighted the strength of a creative ecosystem that continues to grow, reinvent itself, and project València to the world — also chosen as a UNESCO City of Design within its Creative Cities Network — as an innovative, open city with design in its DNA.

The section dedicated to architecture and the city has played an especially significant role within this year’s València Design Fest, consolidating itself as a space for reflection on the present and future of the environments we inhabit. Through conversations, workshops, presentations, and international collaborations, the programme has addressed topics ranging from neuroarchitecture and human-centred design to new housing models, uses of public space, and inclusive, sustainable urban solutions.

“Architecture is, in essence, a social tool. With this part of the festival, we have focused on how city design can respond to contemporary challenges and anticipate new ways of living, demonstrating that every architectural decision has a direct impact on our quality of life,” added Roberto Heredia, Projects Director at the Design Foundation of the Region of Valencia.

In this context, architecture has been presented not only as a creative discipline but also as a powerful social tool capable of driving profound changes in the way we live together. From the most academic perspectives to the most experimental proposals, each activity has shown that urban design has the capacity to improve quality of life, foster collective well-being, and anticipate new ways of inhabiting our cities.

València Design Fest has counted in this edition on the support of the Valencia City Council, València Innovation Capital, the Regional Department of Innovation, Industry, Trade and Tourism, Feria Valencia, Visit València, and the Ministry of Culture of Spain. It has also received main sponsorship from Andreu World, alongside companies such as APE Grupo, Padima, LZF Lamps, ACTIU, Rolser, Punt, Newlyn, and ERCO; media partners DXI and Flat Magazine; allied programmes including Feria Hábitat Valencia, the Associació de Professionals del Disseny de la Comunitat Valenciana, el Colegio de Diseñadores de Interior de la Comunidad Valenciana, and Abierto València; as well as the collaboration of cultural and educational institutions, professional associations, and design firms that strengthen the celebration of this great month of design.

The full programme and highlights of València Design Fest are available at www.valenciadesignfest.com and in the official Pocket Design Guide 2025.