Upcoming architecture and design events in the UK | April-June 2026
Five standout architecture and design events across the UK this spring and summer, from intimate lectures to month-long city-wide festivals.
From intimate lecture evenings to month-long city-wide festivals, the UK architecture and design calendar for Spring and Summer 2026 is packed with events worth adding to your diary. Here are five highlights across the season.
RIBA Grimshaw Foundation Annual Art Lecture: Jeremy Deller
Location: London
Date: 22 April 2026, 7pm to 8:30pm
The RIBA Grimshaw Foundation Annual Art Lecture returns in April, with artist Jeremy Deller taking the stage at the Royal College of Art in Battersea. Deller, known for his work exploring British culture and collective memory, will deliver a talk that brings art and architecture into conversation. The lecture is free to attend and open to all.
Microcosm: Royal Gold Medal Exhibition
Location: Liverpool
Date: 25 April to 7 June 2026
Celebrating the work of 2026 Royal Gold Medal recipient Niall McLaughlin, this joint exhibition runs across RIBA North and Tate Liverpool. Titled Microcosm, it presents drawings, models and documentation from McLaughlin’s practice, exploring how his buildings relate to landscape, material and memory. Entry is free at RIBA North; standard gallery admission applies at Tate Liverpool.
Clerkenwell Design Week 2026
Location: London
Date: 19 to 21 May 2026
Now in its 16th year, Clerkenwell Design Week transforms one of London’s most design-rich neighbourhoods into a three-day showcase of showrooms, installations and talks. The EC1 area is home to more creative businesses per square mile than anywhere else in the world, and CDW makes the most of that density with open studios, product launches and curated trails. Free to attend, with some fringe events by ticket.
London Festival of Architecture 2026
Location: London
Date: 1 to 30 June 2026
The London Festival of Architecture returns for the whole of June with its 2026 theme: Belonging. Hundreds of events take place across the capital, from open buildings and installations to debates and film screenings, many of them free. The festival is one of the largest architecture events in the world and a chance to engage with the built environment across every London borough.
Futurebuild 2026
Location: London
Date: 12 to 14 May 2026
A high-level commercial exhibition focused on net-zero solutions and sustainable innovation. With over 700 speakers, it remains the primary venue for technical advancement in the UK built environment.
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