Your guide to 2026’s best architecture & design events in London
The new year offers another enticing schedule of events for architects and designers of all persuasions.
Surface Design Show
Location: Business Design Centre
Date: 3–5 February 2026
Under the theme “Material Evolution,” the 2026 edition introduces a strategic partnership with the RIBA. Notably, the RIBA: AI in Practice summit returns here, focusing on the tangible impact of machine learning on architectural workflows.
Workspace Design Show
Location: Business Design Centre
Date: 25–26 February 2026
The theme is “Connected Realities.” A key addition this year is the inaugural Workspace Design Awards, which will be held live at the show on 25 February to celebrate completed international projects.
Futurebuild + UK Construction Week
Location: ExCeL London
Date: 12–14 May 2026
In a landmark consolidation, Futurebuild, UK Construction Week London, and the Stone & Surfaces Show now co-locate under a single banner. This “super event” bridges the gap between high-level architectural specification and on-site delivery. Futurebuild remains the intellectual heart, hosting the National Retrofit Conference, while the combined platform brings 25,000 professionals under one roof.
RIBA Royal Gold Medal Lecture
Location: RIBA, 66 Portland Place
Date: 30 April 2026
A significant 2026 addition: Níall McLaughlin has been awarded the Royal Gold Medal. He will deliver a public lecture on this date, offering a rare, deep-dive into his practice’s philosophy of craft and intellectual depth.
Clerkenwell Design Week
Location: Clerkenwell
Date: 19–21 May 2026
The festival returns for its 15th edition. After a successful pilot in 2025, the CDW Awards (in collaboration with Design Milk) are now a permanent fixture on the Tuesday evening of the festival.
London Festival of Architecture (LFA)
Location: City-wide
Date: 1–30 June 2026
The 2026 theme is “Belonging.” The festival will pivot away from purely aesthetic installations toward “rewilding” grey spaces and exploring how diverse communities can reclaim agency over their local streets.
AJ Architecture Awards
Location: London
Date: June 2026
The AJ Architecture Awards, hosted by The Architects’ Journal, serve as a benchmark for design excellence across the UK. Now in their ninth year, these awards distinguish themselves through a rigorous judging process: every shortlisted project is visited in person by a panel of expert peers.
Bespoke Careers is proud to sponsor, judge and present the ‘Employer of the Year’ Award. Won in 2025 by Collective Architecture.
New Designers
Location: Business Design Centre
Date: 1–4 July 2026
New Designers is an annual exhibition that brings together the best graduate design talent from across the UK. Moving away from its traditional two-week split, New Designers is consolidating into a single, one-week format in 2026.
London Design Festival (LDF)
Location: City-wide
Date: 12–20 September 2026
The 24th edition of LDF will continue its district-based takeover of the city. Expect major “Landmark Projects” to be announced in early summer, often focusing on sustainable timber or circular material innovations.
RIBA Stirling Prize
Location: London (Venue TBC)
Date: October 2026
The 2026 winner will follow WWM Architects, who took the 2025 prize for the Appleby Blue Almshouse. The 2026 shortlist is typically announced in July.
London Build Expo
Location: ExCeL London
Date: 25–26 November 2026
Now firmly established at the ExCeL, this is the final major congregation of the year, bringing together the construction and architectural sectors to discuss the delivery of London’s major 2027 infrastructure projects.
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