Once again, Helsinki Design Week will fill the city with exhibitions, discussions, workshops and get-togethers for friends of design and architecture on 5–14 September. This year, Suomitalo next to Old Church Park serves as the main venue of the festival celebrating its 20th anniversary.
Main Exhibition: Designing Happiness
At the heart of the festival is the international main exhibition Designing Happiness, curated by curator, researcher, and educator Anniina Koivu. The exhibition explores whether happiness can be designed.
The exhibition features works by renowned designers such as Eero Aarnio, Erwan Bouroullec, Oiva Toikka, Clara von Zweigbergk, and many more from Finland and around the world.
The exhibition is open in Suomitalo during Helsinki Design Week on 5–14 September.
A symposium inspired by the exhibition, also titled Designing Happiness, will take place on Thursday, 11 September in collaboration with the City of Helsinki.
This year is no exception in that the City of Helsinki, together with Helsinki Design Week, will be awarding the Helsinki Design Award to a party or operator whose work has made urban life better through design.
Celebrating Design Across the City
The HDW classic Design Market will return to Kaapelitehdas on the festival’s opening weekend, 6–7 September. Also at Kaapelitehdas will be Aalto University’s ARTEFAKTI degree show, various workshops, and a celebratory cake café for the anniversary.
HDW’s Children’s Design Week will also be held at Kaapelitehdas, with the Skidit collective presenting a Skiddo Party! installation experience for the whole family – complete with a giant cake and sprinkles.
Open Studios will grant access to some of the city’s most intriguing studios on 5 and 12 September, and the Design Diplomacy discussion series will host international designers in ambassadors’ residences from 10 to 12 September. The ever-popular PechaKucha Night takes place on 12 September, just next door to Suomitalo, in the Old Church.
As part of Helsinki Design Week, the City will also open its doors and reveal the heart of decision-making in Helsinki, as festival goers are invited to explore the premises, architecture and artwork of Helsinki City Hall and the historic Bock House. The event held on 13 September also showcases the history and decision-making of the Helsinki City Council, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year.
The winner of the design competition for the new architecture and design museum will also be published during Helsinki Design Week.
Text: Helsinki Design Week and City of Helsinki
Explore the topic
- Helsinki Design Week programme 2025(Link leads to external service)
- Open House: An inside look at Helsinki decision-making at the City Hall, 13 September 2025(Link leads to external service)
- Helsinki as a design city(Link leads to external service)
- New Museum of Architecture and Design
This year, Suomitalo next to Old Church Park serves as the main venue of the festival. Photo: Helsinki Design Week
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