Olympia has announced a new year-long partnership with the Design Museum, bringing a programme of free cultural activations, exhibitions and creative experiences to one of London’s major destinations. The collaboration will run throughout 2026 and 2027, creating new opportunities for visitors to experience world-class design beyond the traditional museum setting.
The partnership launches with a digital presentation inspired by NIGO: From Japan with Love, the Design Museum’s major retrospective dedicated to Japanese designer and creative director NIGO. The presentation is being displayed on Olympia’s 83-metre-long digital screen, the Canvas, located along Emberton Walk.
The free-to-view experience gives audiences the opportunity to engage with the themes and creative influences of the NIGO exhibition outside the Design Museum as the exhibition approaches its final days.
Olympia and Design Museum Bring NIGO Exhibition to the Canvas
The first activation of the Olympia and Design Museum partnership focuses on NIGO: From Japan with Love, an exhibition exploring the career, influences and creative legacy of one of Japan’s most influential contemporary designers.
The digital presentation has been specially created for Olympia’s Canvas, an expansive 83-metre-long and 8-metre-wide screen. Visitors can experience the free display every 15 minutes until 4 October 2026.
The activation extends the reach of the Design Museum exhibition beyond its walls, allowing visitors to encounter NIGO’s work while exploring Olympia’s newly transformed public spaces.
The presentation was created in collaboration with Pixel Artworks, a global experience design studio, to translate the visual language and themes of the museum exhibition into a large-scale digital experience.
NIGO: From Japan with Love Celebrates Japanese Creativity
The Design Museum’s NIGO: From Japan with Love is the first retrospective dedicated to the Japanese designer and creative director.
NIGO is internationally recognised as the founder of A Bathing Ape and HUMAN MADE and became the first Japanese Artistic Director of KENZO following the brand’s founder Kenzo Takada.
Throughout his career, NIGO has influenced the relationship between streetwear, luxury fashion, music, design and popular culture. His work has connected Japanese craftsmanship and street culture with vintage Americana and contemporary luxury.
The Olympia digital activation draws on these influences, creating a large-scale visual presentation that reflects the cultural connections explored within the Design Museum exhibition.
Free Cultural Experiences at Olympia
The new partnership aims to make major cultural experiences more accessible by bringing elements of the Design Museum’s creative programme into Olympia’s public spaces.
According to Olympia, the programme will continue throughout the 12-month partnership, with further activations expected to draw inspiration from exhibitions and creative projects presented by the Design Museum.
The initiative forms part of Olympia’s broader transformation into a destination combining culture, entertainment, hospitality, dining and events.
Michael Volkert, CEO of Olympia, said the partnership provides an opportunity to bring the Design Museum’s exhibitions to audiences through the Canvas and other public spaces, while keeping the experiences free for visitors.
He also highlighted Olympia’s ambition to make culture an integral part of the visitor experience rather than an additional attraction.
Es Devlin Exhibition to Feature in Future Activations
The Olympia and Design Museum partnership will continue with content inspired by upcoming exhibitions, including Es Devlin: Other Worlds.
The exhibition will run at the Design Museum from 2 October 2026 to 4 April 2027 and will mark the first European retrospective celebrating the British artist and designer’s 30-year creative practice.
Es Devlin is known for her multidisciplinary work spanning sculpture, stage design, music, language and light. The Design Museum exhibition will bring together artworks, installations, film and an extensive presentation of her archive.
The exhibition provides another opportunity for Olympia and the Design Museum to explore how major creative works can be presented to wider audiences through digital and public-space experiences.
Olympia Expands Its Cultural and Entertainment Offering
The partnership comes as Olympia continues its transformation from a historic exhibition venue into a broader cultural, entertainment and hospitality destination.
With a history spanning around 140 years, Olympia is being redeveloped to introduce new experiences for visitors, residents, businesses and event audiences.
The destination now includes a range of new hospitality, entertainment and cultural facilities, creating opportunities for visitors to combine exhibitions and events with dining and leisure experiences.
Among the new developments is British Airways ARC, a state-of-the-art music venue designed to expand Olympia’s live entertainment offering.
The destination also includes Hyatt Regency London Olympia, providing accommodation for visitors attending events and exploring the surrounding area.
Olympia’s hospitality offering includes bars and restaurants beneath the Canopy rooftop terrace, alongside Idalia, a new all-day restaurant, and the historic Pillar Hall.
The Canvas Creates a New Platform for Cultural Content
The Canvas is playing an important role in Olympia’s ambition to create more public-facing cultural experiences.
Its substantial 83-metre-long digital format provides a platform capable of presenting large-scale creative works to audiences moving through the destination.
The opening activation based on NIGO: From Japan with Love demonstrates how museum exhibitions can be adapted for digital environments while retaining their central creative themes.
For Olympia, the partnership also creates an opportunity to connect its event audiences with the wider cultural programme taking place across London.
Design Museum Partnership Strengthens Olympia’s Cultural Position
The year-long partnership between Olympia and the Design Museum reflects the growing role of cultural programming within the redevelopment of major destinations.
Rather than limiting exhibitions and creative experiences to traditional gallery environments, the collaboration introduces selected elements into public spaces where visitors can encounter them as part of their everyday experience.
The NIGO activation provides the first example of this approach, combining fashion, design, music and popular culture with large-scale digital presentation.
Future activations will continue to draw from the Design Museum’s exhibitions and creative programme, giving Olympia visitors access to new cultural experiences throughout the partnership.
A New Chapter for Olympia
The collaboration with the Design Museum comes at an important stage in Olympia’s transformation. The historic destination is developing a wider identity that brings together exhibitions, business events, entertainment, hospitality, food and culture.
The partnership adds another dimension to that transformation by creating a direct connection with one of London’s leading design institutions.
Through the Canvas and other public areas, Olympia will provide spaces where creative content can reach audiences beyond conventional exhibition settings.
The programme also supports the broader objective of making cultural experiences more accessible, with the activations available to visitors free of charge.
