NYCxDESIGN Suspends Plans for May Festival, Shifts Programming to October

NYCxDESIGN—the city’s preeminent design festival now in its fifth year—announced today that due to growing concern surrounding COVID-19, programming for the May 12-20 festival now will be presented in October. The Awards program, however, will still honor the design community as planned this spring with virtual programming.  

The festival’s new October date coincides with significant design events across the city including the Cooper Hewitt, National Design Museum’s National Design Week, Archtober, the Architecture and Design Film Festival (ADFF), and Open House New York Weekend.  

“NYCxDESIGN was conceived to bring New York together in celebration of the incredible talent in the city, and the tremendous examples of international design that are shown here.  Gathering our community around design is so central to the work we do that, given the concerns around COVID-19, we are shifting from our annual Festival in May to a re-conceived fall program to ensure the safety and well-being of all who participate in and visit NYCxDESIGN,” said Edward Hogikyan, Vice President and Executive Director of NYCxDESIGN. 

Though the in-person activities and planned programming will not move forward, the NYCxDESIGN Awards will continue on the same schedule as before. The Awards will be announced in May in a digital ceremony, followed by a celebratory event during the festival’s fall programming.

“As we’ve spoken with our partners and colleagues across the city and around the world, we’ve been heartened by the desire to present a dynamic program this October.  Though our May festival could not move forward as planned, we are glad to be able to continue with the NYCxDESIGN Awards digitally to honor and celebrate the designers of today,” continued Adam Sandow, Chairman and Founder of SANDOW, operator of NYCxDESIGN.

“NYCEDC supports the decision to suspend May’s NYCxDESIGN programming. We are fully committed to continuing our efforts in support of the design sector and its many contributions to New York City,” said New York City Economic Development Corporation President and CEO James Patchett.

Stay tuned for additional details regarding fall programming for NYCxDESIGN, which will be announced in the coming months.  

Read next: Full Coverage from NYCxDESIGN 2019