Throughout the course of the World Design Capital® year, the designated city identifies and develops unique events to achieve local objectives and to reach local, national, and international audiences.
As part of each WDC Calendar of Events, several WDC signature events are organized in partnership with WDO. Outlined below are the events that have and will continue to bring together local designers and design enthusiasts, while also providing an excellent opportunity for the international design community to experience WDC Valencia.
13-18 June 2022
In June 2022, the World Design Experience will engage the city with a mix between digital and interactive design, graphic design, motion graphics, music, creativity, product design and art. This festival will bring together many leading figures of design and will include workshops, presentations and master classes showcasing best practices and the latest trends.
19-25 September 2022
From 19-25 September, the World Design Street Festival will engulf Valencia in a series of activities focused on the creativity and promotion of its design professionals. The festival will gather local citizens and visitors alike through exhibitions, conferences, workshops and design routes throughout the city that allow people to come across design elements by chance in everyday settings to provoke spontaneous reflection on the true meaning of design.
23 September 2022
In September, Bombas Gens Centre d’Art hosted the World Design Exchange, a meeting between the organizers of some of the world’s foremost Design Weeks —from Stockholm to Berlin and from Lima to Chengdu— and other design events. The hybrid event will offer a forum with design representatives from 5 continents to discuss design from a global, creative and social perspective, sharing case studies, acquired knowledge and challenges through workshop and networking sessions.
3-4 November 2022
In November 2022, the Valencia Congress Palace will host the World Design Policy Conference, featuring leading design thinkers and academics like Ezio Manzini, Brandon Gien, Alok Nandi, Leyla Acoroglu, René Spitz and Päivi Tahkokallio. Its aim will be to provide a global platform for the exchange of ideas and best practices from different countries, regions and cities that are activating, developing and maintaining an effective design policy.
3 November 2022
Taking place on 3 November 2022, the World Design Convocation Ceremony will highlight some of the preliminary findings of Valencia’s impact study and reflect on Valencia’s WDC legacy. The event will also officially hand off the title of the World Design Capital to the next designation: WDC San Diego and Tijuana 2024.
4 November 2022
As the year comes to a close, the World Design Cities Meeting will take place in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento. Bringing together representatives from past World Design Capitals, Valencia will be able to lead a unique exchange of ideas on how design can transform and improve life in cities.
As part of a reimagined World Design Spotlight, Valencia will pay tribute to an individual within the design community each week over the course of the 2022 year. The signature event will then materialize in a sort of online, living catalog of designers from the region. The project will culminate in a celebration showcasing these 52 protagonists and act as a farewell to the year and a nod to Valencia’s evolving design legacy.
