NEW YORK — The highly anticipated NYCxDESIGN Festival returns in 2025, bringing together thousands of global design leaders, innovators, and enthusiasts for a week-long celebration of creativity, community, and inspiration. Taking place May 15-21, New York City will be transformed into a vibrant hub of design, featuring a dynamic lineup of exciting events, talks, exhibits, and gatherings. This year’s unifying theme ‘Design is for Everyone’ exemplifies NYCxDESIGN’s commitment to inclusivity and the power of design to create a positive impact for all.

“The NYCxDESIGN Festival is more than a showcase of our city’s extraordinary creative talent—it is a powerful unifier of the many design disciplines that make up the largest design community in the world,” said Ilene Shaw, executive director of NYCxDESIGN. “Together, the Festival’s diverse and dynamic events reflect the energy, innovation, and boundless creativity that define New York City. By bringing designers, brands, and visionaries from around the globe into conversation and collaboration, we are not only defining Design and its future—we are creating extraordinary bonds right now because design is for everyone.”

NYCxDESIGN will be easily accessible and navigable in the new dynamic NYCxDESIGN app available in the App Store and Google play starting April 15th.

Key events, at a glance, include:

May 10-19 - Lexus Design Pavilion at Hudson Yards’ Public Square and Gardens
May 15 - NYCxDESIGN Festival Opening Night Party at The Refinery at Domino
May 15 - NYCxDESIGN Festival After Party
May 15-21 - NYCxDESIGN xSouvenir Exhibition partnered with Cool Hunting, sponsored by Kikkerland Design, and exhibit designed by Boym Partners
May 15 - NYCxDESIGN Keynote presented by Coca-Cola
May 16 - NYCxDESIGN Keynote presented by IBM
May 17 - NYCxDESIGN Keynote on Wellness x Design with Life Time Fitness
May 17-19 - Shelter by Afternoon Light at the Starrett-Lehigh Building
May 18-20 - International Contemporary Furniture Fair (ICFF) and WANTED at The Javits Convention Center
May 19 - NYCxDESIGN Awards Ceremony presented by Interior Design at Penn One
May 21 - Dumbo Festival Closing Party

NYCxDESIGN keynotes

The 2025 NYCxDESIGN Keynote Series will deliver a lineup of engaging panelists from brands around the world. The keynote speakers will explore the intersection of design with photography, AI, and wellness. On May 15th, Coca-Cola will kick off the series with a Keynote at the International Center of Photography to launch Contour, a milestone exhibition celebrating 110 years of the brand’s iconic contour bottle and featuring photography by ​​ Guy Aroch and Anna Palma. On May 16th, IBM will present AI: Sci-Fi to Society, an exclusive look at how artificial intelligence and automation are transforming design, hosted at the company’s brand-new NYC headquarters. The series concludes on May 17th with a collaboration between NYCxDESIGN and Life Time Fitness, exploring how design influences wellness in hospitality, culinary experiences, and travel. Tickets will be available to the public and design community through nycxdesign.org.

"The return of the NYCxDESIGN Festival is a testament to New York City's unparalleled creative talent and its role as a global innovation hub," said New York City Economic Development Corporation (NYCEDC) president & CEO Andrew Kimball. "The design community is integral to the city's economic future, and NYCEDC is thrilled to continue partnering with industry leaders and our city’s academic institutions to drive equitable innovation and inspire the next generation of design pioneers."

To acquire tickets to these events, visit nycxdesign.org/.