Adelaide Design Week every*where
Adelaide Design Week everywhere 2025 concluded in August with a remarkable achievement – every program event sold out, underscoring South Australia’s position as a place where design is embedded within both culture and community.
Across five days, from 20–24 August, more than 100 exhibitions, workshops, tours and talks unfolded across galleries, laneways, studios and pop-up venues. Guided by the theme everywhere, the inaugural edition demonstrated how design permeates daily life, while reflecting Adelaide’s character as a small city with a powerful, interconnected creative culture.
Adelaide’s Distinct Advantage
Adelaide’s scale proved a defining asset throughout the week. Unlike larger centres, the city fosters close connections between disciplines, with designers working directly alongside makers and manufacturers. This spirit of collaboration was visible in every part of the program. Institutions such as JamFactory played a pivotal role, supporting emerging practitioners and highlighting Adelaide’s identity as a place where design and making remain inseparable.
Program Highlights
The breadth of the program offered something for both industry professionals and the public. Highlights included Motion, the Opening Night event showcasing the practices of 80 South Australian designers and makers; Made by Place, a series of open talks at Long Play Bistro exploring practice and locality; and Open Studios, which provided rare access into the workplaces of architects, designers and craftspeople.
Other standout moments included A New Normal Adelaide at Studio Gram, which examined design-led strategies for transitioning Greater Adelaide from consumer to producer by 2030; the Clockwork exhibition at SODA Objects, curated with local designers and makers; and In Collaboration With presented by Household, featuring 50 artists and makers in one collective exhibition. The program culminated in Post(er), a graphic design exhibition that doubled as the Closing Party, followed by a lively farewell on Rundle Street animated by the Shopfront Design Sprint Tour.
CLOCKWORK — SODA Objects and Maz Mis
Open Studios x designWBL offered unprecedented access to the workplaces of architects, designers and craftspeople across the city.
Voices from the Festival
For many, the week was long overdue. “Design wasn’t just product or process – it was everything,” said designer Sam Agostino. “Adelaide Design Week couldn’t wait. It had to happen – now. So we made it happen. No hesitation. Just vision, guts, and a refusal to stay quiet. Adelaide is ready.”
Others reflected on the unique cultural moment. “Adelaide deserves something like this,” shared Matiya Marovich of Sans Arc Studio. Sophie Wilkinson of Renewal SA described it as “an intense and rich call to attention on what and who is happening in Adelaide.”
For local creatives who had spent time away, the event was a homecoming. “Growing up in Adelaide, it was easy to overlook the city’s richness,” said designer and artist Andy TT, who co-curated Soft with Callum Hurley. “Yet distance brings clarity, and in returning we were reminded how much talent, history and beauty are held here. Hosting Soft in the historic Mansions building felt like a tribute to the city that raised us.”
The program also resonated with educators and practitioners. “Adelaide has always fostered design that is deeply considered and deeply local – this week is about making space to share that with each other and with the public,” noted designer and lecturer Andrew Lymn-Penning. Interior designer and lecturer Hannah Neild added, “This event came from a genuine wish to connect and celebrate the incredible design talent we have here in Adelaide.”
Reflecting on the broader vision, architect and educator Bronwyn Marshall remarked, “There is such a diverse and passionate design community here in Adelaide, and creating a platform (that didn’t really exist prior) for disciplines to come together was what seeded ADW everywhere. It is designed to be a springboard for local creatives and strengthening cross-collaborations.”
Curator and lecturer Lara Merrington placed the week within a larger historical arc: “Adelaide’s design culture has deep craft roots – from furniture and ceramics to world-leading design education. This program is just a glimpse into revealing how that legacy continues to evolve, with internationally acclaimed designers shaping new ideas and connections right here on Kaurna Country.”
Motion showcased the practices of 80 South Australian designers and makers.
‘A New Normal Adelaide’ at Studio Gram examined design-led strategies for transitioning Greater Adelaide from consumer to producer by 2030.
Industry Impact
South Australia’s design sector contributes AU$1.8 billion in value, supporting 15,000 workers across 10,000 firms. Until now, a major design-focused platform had been missing from the state’s cultural calendar. The sold-out success of Adelaide Design Week everywhere highlights an extraordinary appetite for design-led discourse and positions Adelaide as a city where scale and collaboration are powerful assets.
Looking Ahead
Organisers are already preparing the 2026 edition, building on the momentum of everywhere’s inaugural success. As Adelaide continues to strengthen its voice in the national and international design conversation, Adelaide Design Week everywhere has confirmed itself as a vital platform for showcasing the city’s creativity, connections and capacity for impact.
Board Members (a-z):
Andrew Lymn-Penning (@apenning_)
Ashleigh Pinto (@ashleighkpinto)
Bronwyn Marshall (@bronwynmarshall )
Claire Markwick-Smith (@clairmar)
Dre Fuzz (@futurejuice.xyz)
Hannah White (@hannahwhite.lecturer)
James Brown (@2049.art)
Lara Merrington (@lara_merrington)
Sam Agostino (@motion.exhibition)
'Soft' Exhibition | Calum Hurley & Andy TT
Made by Place’ Open Talks at Long Play Bistro brought together architects and designers in dialogue about practice and locality.
