Over ten days in September, the London Design Festival will feature hundreds of events that take place across London, showcasing the city’s pivotal role in global design.

First staged in 2003, the London Design Festival is one of the world’s most important annual design events. The Festival programme is made up of over 300 events and exhibitions staged by hundreds of partner organisations across the design spectrum and from around the world.

The Festival is both a cultural and a commercial event. The programme ranges from major international exhibitions to trade events, installations to talks and seminars, from product launches to receptions, private views and parties. The majority of events are free of charge – enabling visitors to participate, listen, learn, commission and make purchases.

The Festival is funded through a combination of public and private sources. The Mayor Of London’s office provides grant funding for the Festival; Arts Council England have been long term supporters of the Festival. Private funding (approx 60%) is raised through sponsorship of Festival projects alongside a small range of London Design Festival products and services delivered throughout the year.

Almost 350,000 direct visitors attended events listed as part of the Festival in 2011 and the Festival attracted substantial press coverage, with 1,811 articles about the Festival appearing worldwide.