Helsinki Design Week is turning 20 this year. The even left an impression on me in 2017. I visited it and was pleasantly surprised at the scope of creativity on display. The unique character of the city’s design and the event’s combination of local and international talent was indeed breathtaking.

This year, Helsinki Design Week (HDW) marks a remarkable milestone: its 20th edition. To Kari Korkman, its founder and visionary, I send my warmest congratulations. He was a pioneer in turning an ambitious idea into Finland’s largest design festival – one that has flourished for two decades with unwavering relevance and charm.

A Historic Setting for a Future-Oriented Festival

In 2025, HDW will be hosted in Suomitalo, the striking building dating back to 1911. Positioned next to the Old Church Park at the heart of Helsinki, it boasts a blend of late Art Nouveau and modern design. Its granite exquisite red stone from Kökar enriches the façades by Armas Lindgren and floor plans by Onni Tarjanne. The building’s integration of history and design makes it the perfect hub for the festival.

Over ten days in September, HDW will take over Suomitalo with a multifaceted programme including exhibitions, discussions, launches, workshops, and evening events, while nearly one hundred related happenings will pop up throughout the Helsinki metropolitan area.

Designing Happiness

At the heart of this year’s festival is an ambitious and thought-provoking main exhibition titled Designing Happiness. Curated by the brilliant Anniina Koivu, the exhibition explores whether happiness can, in fact, be designed. It draws on the “happiness cocktail” – the magical mix of dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins – to ask how design might impact our well-being.

The show features work by celebrated designers such as Eero Aarnio, Erwan Bouroullec, Oiva Toikka, and Clara von Zweigbergk, among others. The spatial concept is in the capable hands of Camille Blin, Anthony Guex, and Christian Spiess of XPO, while graphic design is by Robbie Mahoney. A symposium bearing the same name as the exhibition will be held on 11 September, in partnership with the City of Helsinki, and will also include the Helsinki Design Award ceremony.

The Spirit of Celebration

Fittingly, the 2025 theme is Celebration – a pause to recognise the past, toast the present, and envision the future. This notion will be brought to life through a series of installations by leading design brands and creatives on the fourth floor of Suomitalo. Among the participants are Artek and SAAS Instruments, both interpreting the spirit of celebration in their own unique visual language.

Adding to the celebratory atmosphere is the return of Kuurna’s beloved pop-up restaurant, now perched atop Suomitalo in honour of its own 20th anniversary. A wine bar by Collusion, alongside snacks from Kuurna’s new venture Klaava, completes the gourmet offering.

Daily Design, Conversations and Community

Each day at Suomitalo will brim with stimulating discussions on design and architecture. The Weekly Talks series will tackle timely topics including new materials, cross-disciplinary practices, and the evolution of cities. Highlights include a conversation between JKMM Architects and the Finnish National Museum on 9 September, and Fashion Day on 10 September, curated by Fashion Community Helsinki, featuring Aalto University students and their Kukkapuro design project using EU-grown cotton.

Elsewhere, events like the Ornamo Design Dialogue (9 September) and CIRCLE – a social gathering hosted by Toivola Festival (8 September) – will bring together voices to reflect on life’s essentials: love, money, power, beauty, and the pursuit of sustainability.

Design Takes Over the City

No HDW would be complete without its classic Design Market, returning to Kaapelitehdas on 6–7 September. Expect top-tier furniture, fashion, and homeware brands from Finland and nearby nations, alongside Aalto University’s ARTEFAKTI degree show and a delightful cake café to mark the anniversary.

Families are invited to Children’s Design Week, featuring a playful Skiddo Party! by the Skidit Collective – complete with a giant cake and sprinkles, of course. Meanwhile, Open Studios (5 & 12 September) will open the doors to some of Helsinki’s most inspiring creative spaces.

Other gems include Design Diplomacy talks hosted in ambassadors’ residences (10–12 September), the ever-popular PechaKucha Night (12 September), and the unveiling of the new Museum of Architecture and Design plans. Aalto University will again showcase its visionary Designs for a Cooler Planet exhibition, while Habitare, the renowned design and interiors fair, returns to Messukeskus.

Expect more: from Hanna Anonen’s Doodle exhibition and Stefan Lindfors’ new launch at Post Bar, to an introspective look at spirituality in Sense of Spirituality, and even student-created sports equipment at Tahto, the Sports and Physical Activity Culture Centre.

Here’s to another twenty years of joyful, challenging, and forward-thinking design – and to Kari Korkman, whose vision continues to illuminate Helsinki each September.

Helsinki Design Week 5–14 September 2025

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