Birmingham Design Festival returns with timely focus on change

The countdown is on for Birmingham Design Festival, which returns from June 10-12 with another packed programme celebrating design in all its forms. This year’s theme, Change, feels particularly apt, with the line-up reflecting an industry grappling with everything from technology and branding to activism, craft and public service.

Now in its eighth edition, the biennial event has become an important fixture on the UK design calendar. Founded by Luke Tonge and Daniel Alcorn, BDF has built a reputation for bringing internationally recognised speakers together with emerging talent in a way that feels genuinely accessible. Previous guests have included Jessica Hische, Morag Myerscough and Chris Do, and this year’s programme looks similarly wide-ranging.

Among the headline names for 2026 are Pentagram partner Samar Maakaroun, artist and political satirist Cold War Steve, illustrator and animator Yukai Du, and Led By Donkeys, whose billboard interventions have redefined political campaigning in the UK. Elsewhere, attendees can catch talks from AMV BBDO chief creative officers Nadja Lossgott and Nicholas Hulley, SomeOne founders Simon Manchipp and Rich Rhodes, and Lou Downe, founder of the School of Good Services.

Other highlights across the three-day programme include sessions from creative studio Field, designer and educator Anthony Burrill and Birmingham-based multidisciplinary artist Chila Kumari Singh Burman. A series of hands-on workshops and live installations will also run throughout the festival, alongside the usual portfolio reviews, networking events and exhibitions spotlighting emerging talent from across the Midlands.

As ever, the programme stretches far beyond traditional graphic design. Sessions span motion, typography, wayfinding, stop motion, healthcare design, editorial, furniture-making and installation art. The festival also boasts more than 15 free talks per day, with evening headline events bringing everyone together after the daytime sessions.

The festival’s popular city-wide design trail returns too, encouraging visitors to explore Birmingham’s studios, independent spaces and creative communities beyond the main venues. For students, freelancers and seasoned creatives alike, the mix of big industry conversations, informal networking and hands-on activities makes BDF a vital creative gathering.

birminghamdesignfestival.org.uk