London Design Festival is back for another year, spotlighting the very best of design across the city. Emerging designers and independent studios present an array of pieces; some look to new and ingenious ways to create, while others focus on fine-tuning a craft rather than reinventing the wheel. What we're looking for is a blend of ingenuity, functionality, and, of course, beauty. With this in mind, each year we dissect how design is applied to lighting – and what we are seeing so far is an ode to the portable light. With that being said, here are seven designs that we are looking forward to seeing illuminate the festival.
LIGHTING DESIGN AT LONDON DESIGN FESTIVAL 2026
Bocci x Bethan Laura Wood
Bocci is known for its orb-shaped lighting designs. In tandem with London Design Festival, the Canadian lighting brand is unveiling a new purple colourway of its 14p design. The glass ball-shaped light fits in the palm of your hand and is easily portable. What we are looking forward to seeing is how it slots into Bethan Laura Woods' installation, specifically designed for the occasion. Inspired by the movie Labyrinth, starring David Bowie, the designer playfully dubbed the light the 'Bowie Ball,' which later became the foundation for her sculptural installation. Expect to see maze-like architecture that unites colour and structure – formed from colourful totems that glow with the arrangements of the purple 14p.
The Bocci x Bethan Laura Wood installation is located at 15 Bateman Street, London, W1D 4AQ between 12 - 20 September, 2026
Lee Broom's 'The Chant Chambers'
Last year we saw Lee Broom’s original piece ‘Beacon’ light up the South Bank. This year, the British designer has decided to create a continuation of his portable ‘Chant’ light – welcoming you into the ‘Chant Chambers’. The collection will now include oversized chandelier compositions, sculptural wall lights, linear pendants and architectural lighting structures. Says Broom, ‘I’ve always loved lighting that can really inhabit a space, rather than simply sit within it, and that became the starting point for expanding the collection.’
The cubic design is easily stacked and placed together, allowing it to effortlessly flow through a room and intertwine within the interior, sitting at the intersection between architecture and decor. Presented in a new smoked glass finish, the darker tones echo a 1970s interior.
The full installation will be on view to the public during London Design Festival, 15–20 September 2026, at Lee Broom, 91, 93 and 95 Rivington Street, Shoreditch, London, EC2A 3AY
Faye Toogood presents Johnny: if you are familiar with British slang, you probably know it is another name for a condom. The series of crumpled paper lanterns reminded the studio of just that, as Toogood explains, ‘During the design process, the studio was full of paper experiments. Stitched forms draped over tables and chairs that with a quick crumple and tug became standing oversize paper totems. We started to call the human height models “Johnny” as something of a joke – as they really did remind us of gigantic condoms.’
The playfully phallic-looking lanterns bounce light and shadow. Switched on, the designs are delicate and show off the dainty stitching and their wrought iron skeleton. There is the ‘Johnny’, the largest of the lights, which stands tall, yet crumpled. Then there is the Johnny pendant and table light (in two different sizes), both taking on more compact, squashed forms.
Faye Toogood, 48a Union Street, SE1 1TD
Faye Toogood
Tom Dixon
Located in the Tom Dixon Coal Drops Yard flagship, the brand's presentation is titled ‘Have you seen the light?’. Visitors will see the brand’s latest collection in full, while also offering an early look at future launches. Nestled under each arch of the space will be the Flare, Melt Nickel, and Whirl copper lights (pictured above), alongside the Smash and Spot tables.
Upcoming releases include the Groove furniture collection in a glossy black finish, an armchair addition to the Plump series, a small outdoor-rated Melt light, and Pose task and portable lights in bronze. The display also includes new textiles, candles, and decorative vases.
Located at Tom Dixon, Coal Drops Yard, 4-10 Bagley Walk, London N1C 4DH
Studio Waldemeyer
Also focusing on smaller lighting is the London-based design practice Studio Waldemeyer, which will present its ‘Lumeable’ rechargeable candle lights. . Each rechargeable candle is housed in a hand-formed glass vessel, with a patented electronic flame, bespoke to the studio. The candles have different brightness levels, replaceable batteries, and are easy to repair.
The collection is showcased through an installation at the church St Stephen Walbrook on 15 September 2026. Creating a warm atmosphere to accompany a charity concert, the installation will raise funds for the care and maintenance of the church, and will surround the altar. Each rechargeable candle is housed in a hand-formed glass vessel, with a patented electronic flame, bespoke to the studio. The candles have different brightness levels, replaceable batteries, and are easy to repair.
The Lumeable Candlelit Charity Concert, with the Square Milestones jazz band, will take place at St Stephen Walbrook, 39 Walbrook, EC4N 8BN, on Tuesday 15 September 2026. The concert is free to attend; no booking or tickets required
Made x Barbican
At the end of summer, furniture company Made unveiled its collaboration with brutalist landmark, Barbican. The 23 piece collection was designed to bring home a slice of the building’s raw concrete aesthetics. It also found inspiration inspiration not only in the estate’s public spaces – such as the concert hall and raised walkways – but also in some of its original apartments.
The ‘Curve’ lamp series, nodded to the Concert Hall’s tubular acoustic panels. The ‘Coffer’ series of ceiling lights and wall lights drew from the pick-hammered textured concrete and the rounded shape found in the building’s ‘waffle’ ceilings – a concrete-saving structural grid that also creates a great pattern in the Barbican’s indoor and outdoor spaces. To see the collection in full head to a free immersive installation at the Barbican Centre located at the Barbican Level G Hub Space.
Read more about the Made x Barbican collection here
Raw Edges design studio
Yael Mer and Shay Alkalay of Raw-Edges first launched LightMass^, a collection of lights, two years ago at London Design Festival. Now they add to the collection with the new LightMass^ Table Lamp series. Here, the designs take a sculptural form, with each piece crafted from a single material to help minimise waste. As a result, the table lamps have an airy, weightless quality, with each design named after its individual mass and weight. They are dainty, delicate and offer a slight phytoid quality, with curved petal-like shapes.
Raw-Edges' LightMass^ Table Lamp series will take over the third floor of the Shoreditch Wax Building , 4 Garden Walk, London EC2A 3EQ, from 15 –20 September 2026