If you’ve not yet made your pilgrimage to Somerset House for the London Design Biennale 2025, you’ve got until Sunday 29 June to get your cultural act together. And trust us — the final days aren’t slipping out quietly. They’re galloping. Literally.
This year’s biennale has already been a feast of innovation in London, global flair, and creative grit — with over 30 pavilions from across the world responding to the theme Surface Reflections. But now comes the crescendo: THE HERDS are thundering into town, and you better believe Shoreditch creatives will be following close behind.
The HERDS Are Coming – And They’re Not Just for Show
On Friday 27 June, something truly wild is happening: THE HERDS, a magnificent pack of life-sized puppet animals created by The Walk Productions, will cross Tower Bridge and stampede their way into Somerset House.
Why? To kick off the London Design Biennale Late — an extended evening of performances, awards, and emotional artistic brilliance, open until 9pm (last entry 8pm). The arrival of THE HERDS signals not just spectacle, but purpose: this awe-inducing public art project blends climate awareness with performance activism. And Somerset House is their first stop.
Medal Ceremonies, Gospel Choirs & The Ghost of 1930
The night doesn’t stop at puppet wildlife. At 7pm, the Public Medal Ceremony will name the crowd’s favourite pavilion, presented by none other than Biennale Director Victoria Broackes and Artistic Director Dr Samuel Ross MBE.
But it’s the Hampton University Choir at 7:30pm that’ll really raise the roof. Nearly a century after their original UK tour in 1930, this legendary choir returns with a genre-spanning set that marries classical European tradition with powerful African American gospel. Goosebumps incoming.
Dive into Design: The Week’s Unmissable Highlights
Still haven’t explored all the pavilions? Here’s your cheat sheet for peak culture in the home stretch.
Peru Pavilion – Ever seen a wig woven from your own hair? From 17–19 June, witness Peruvian women from Ollantaytambo mastering this art. Don’t miss the emotional short film Some Hairs Never Fall on 18 June at 1pm, followed by a Q&A with director Romina Osterling and CHIQA founder Kiara Kulisic.
The Silk Road Pop-Up (Teplo Store) – On 27 June, join Zulfiya Spowart for a free Uzbek textile collage workshop. It’s the Biennale’s first-ever pavilion/shop hybrid, and we’re all about it.
Romania Pavilion – Expect live performance, film screenings, and deep conversations about waste, consumption, and the world we reflect through design. Catch singer Valeria Stoica live and leave a little changed.
Argentina Pavilion – Go beyond yerba mate clichés. Attend one of several curator talks by Iliana Diaz Lopez and Cindy Lilen, join the panel Moral Fibres (25 June), or sip mate with Chef Jezabel Careaga while diving into memory, tradition, and how fashion consumes the body (28 June).
Nigeria Pavilion – On 27 June, experience ‘Ogene Pulse: A Sonic Reset’, a trilogy of sound healing sessions using the sacred Ogene drum to reconnect your city-battered senses. It’s immersive, meditative, and deeply moving.
Hong Kong Pavilion – On 26 June, Dr Hee Son Choi gets under the skin of our built environments, revealing how architecture, emotion, and tech collide.
UK Civil Service Pavilion – Fancy yourself a policymaker? Join a ‘serious game’ workshop exploring how governments can co-design services that actually work for people and the planet. It’s fun, it’s urgent, and yes — it’s ticketed.
Why the Final Week Might Just Be the Best Bit
London Design Biennale has always balanced high-concept design with accessible public joy. But this final stretch is where it all comes alive. With THE HERDS, live music, international performance, film, fashion, and gospel choirs echoing through Somerset House — it’s design with a pulse.
And let’s be honest: there’s something magical about watching a puppet giraffe trot through a neoclassical courtyard while sipping yerba mate and pondering textile waste.
This is what London does best — merge the unexpected with the unforgettable.
The Countdown Ends 29 June
Whether you’re here for the political provocations or the global storytelling, the next ten days are your last chance to see the London Design Biennale 2025 in all its interdisciplinary glory.
Make the most of it. Soak in the sounds. Join the HERDS. Reimagine what design can do — and where it might take us next.