Commercial interiors activity in London concentrates product launches and material updates across May. Clerkenwell Design Week (CDW) 2026 takes place from 19 to 21 May 2026 in London and stages showrooms, curated exhibitions and large-scale installations across EC1.
Dates, venue and festival format at CDW
Clerkenwell Design Week (CDW) 2026 runs from 19 to 21 May 2026. The event blends resident showrooms with multiple exhibition venues. The Museum of the Order of Saint John is listed among the official exhibition spaces for talks and displays.
A new CDW app for 2026 provides routes, maps and a planner to target specific brands and showroom programmes. The festival uses suggested journeys to help visitors navigate concentrated activity across Clerkenwell.
Sectors and profiles on site
CDW focuses on surfaces, bathrooms, lighting, finishes, acoustic products, contract furniture, workplace solutions and architectural hardware. The attendee mix is heavily professional and project-oriented. In 2026 architects and designers represent 76% of the audience, with wide participation from studios and firms active in hospitality, retail and workplace sectors.
Programme highlights and installations
The 2026 schedule features 15+ curated exhibitions, 600+ showroom events and a series of large installations under the Design Interventions banner. Longstanding programmes such as Conversations at Clerkenwell and Design Dialogues by Design Milk run alongside the CDW Awards and sector-focused showcases.
Exhibition venues concentrate leading brands and emerging talent across furniture, lighting, textiles, surfaces and accessories. The event also highlights international collections and product launches during the three days.
Key numbers for the 2026 edition
- 45,319 visitors recorded in 2026
- 500+ brands participating
- 180+ showrooms engaged in the festival
- 76% of attendees are architects and designers
- £1.72m reported as average spend in the festival metrics
These figures give a measure of scale and the professional profile attending CDW.
Practical steps to prepare B2B outreach
Build a short list of target showrooms using the brands A to Z and the app. Block short meeting windows and identify alternate contacts in case a key exhibitor is unavailable.
Bring concise sales collateral optimized for on-the-spot review. Two-page PDFs per product line, applied imagery and accessible links to product specs let conversations move faster than long presentations. If you use samples, limit them to one compact set that can be left or shipped for follow-up review.
Log brief notes after each meeting and set clear next actions with deadlines. The festival’s concentrated format rewards quick decision cycles and an aggressive follow-up plan.
Closing reflection and official link
Clerkenwell Design Week (CDW) 2026 packages a dense window of product discovery and industry-facing activity for commercial interiors. For teams working on contract, hospitality or retail projects the practical return comes from preparing focused routes and converting meetings into concrete follow-ups. Full programme details and brand listings are available at https://www.clerkenwelldesignweek.com
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