Adelaide will join Australia's major cultural capitals in hosting Adelaide Design Week, set to debut from 20-24 August 2025.
Transforming galleries, laneways and pop-up spaces across the CBD, the five-day event will showcase more than 100 exhibitions, talks, workshops and tours, celebrating South Australia's rich design talent and economy, which is valued at $1.8 billion and supports 15,000 jobs.
An exciting lineup is taking shape with over 100 designers and makers confirmed, including 2049, 4th Floor Elevator, Fab Workshop, Form-S, Futurejuice, Hugo Michell Gallery, JamFactory, RMIT, Soda Objects, Longplay, Studio Gram, Estilo, 1K Chairs, UniSA, University of Adelaide and more.
Speaking on behalf of Adelaide Design Week, Sophia Leopardi, director at WBL said, "There's a growing need not just for visibility, but for connection. This event gives us a moment to pause, come together, and reflect on how our work shapes - and is shaped by - this city. By nurturing what's emerging here - the talent, the ideas, the uniquely Adelaide sensibility - we're not only enriching our local culture; we're contributing something quietly powerful and distinct to the broader design conversation. In a fast-moving world, moments like this matter. They carve out space for the conversations that don't happen in the rush - the ones that inspire, challenge, and reconnect us to the deeper 'why' behind what we do."
Titled "Everywhere", the festival comes amid growing concerns about Adelaide's creative "brain drain," with CityMag warning of young talent leaving the state. In September 2024 alone, South Australia recorded a net interstate loss of 1,554 residents.
Festival organisers hope to reverse that trend by putting Adelaide's design sector in the national spotlight. A central festival hub will offer way-finding, daily programming and networking opportunities, while visiting audiences are expected to provide a winter boost to local hospitality and retail businesses.
