SLDF 2025: Discovering Colombo through design, creativity and storytelling
“What’s your Colombo?”
It’s the question that the Sri Lanka Design Festival (SLDF) has been asking – not just of designers and artists, but of everyone who calls this city home or has passed through its streets and stories. Because Colombo isn’t just one city; it’s many, each layered with its own rhythm, memory and meaning.
Anoma Wijewardene
For too long, people have passed through Colombo without really seeing it, perhaps because even we, who live within it, haven’t yet found the words to describe it. This November, SLDF 2025 invites us to look again, to rediscover our city through design, creativity and the simple act of storytelling.
Now in its 16th edition and conceptualised and presented by the Academy of Design (AOD), this year’s festival expands beyond its traditional format to become a citywide movement, one that positions Colombo as South Asia’s next world-class creative capital.
At its heart lies a simple but powerful idea: that Colombo is best understood through the stories of its people. The “What’s Your Colombo?” campaign began as a user-generated storytelling initiative, inviting citizens, creatives, and visitors to express their connection to the city through photographs, videos, illustrations, or words.
The response has been extraordinary – a mosaic of memories and perspectives revealing the city’s many faces: from bustling markets and heritage architecture to quiet seaside moments and contemporary design studios.
For artist and environmentalist Anoma Wijewardene, Colombo’s magic lies in its ability to balance calm and energy. “My Colombo really is the spaces that I can find that are quiet in it, that I can escape into quietly,” she says. “Colombo means different things to different people and at different times in their lives. For me, it’s nature and creativity that really enthuse me.”
Ashok Ferrey
She observes that the city’s creative landscape has grown more vibrant than ever. “Just over the last year or two, there have been a lot more galleries, a lot more possibilities and venues where one can go and appreciate art. Sri Lanka Design Festival, as well as AOD, is one of the key repositories and presentations of creativity – I think it’s vital, actually.”
For writer and storyteller Ashok Ferrey, Colombo is a narrative in motion – a city still writing itself. Returning to Sri Lanka after years abroad, he’s witnessed a city in flux. “It is one of the fastest-changing capital cities in the world,” he says. “It was and is a very connected community of people. That’s what makes Colombo quite weird in many ways and quite special. It still has a village status, which is what is lovely about it. It’s a novel that is still being written, and I would say we’re in the middle of the middle section of this book.”
Having collaborated with AOD and SLDF for over a decade, Ashok reflects on the festival’s role in spotlighting the city’s creative spirit. “What I like about this design festival is that it always hits right between the eyes. It has pinpointed the importance and beauty of Colombo, which we, who lived in it, never realised. Colombo is a project in the making, and we are by no means finished.”
Building on the energy of the campaign, SLDF introduces ‘Experience Colombo’, a citywide programme that transforms everyday spaces into hubs of design, art and culture. The Colombo Passport, a curated city guide, connects participants to immersive experiences and exclusive rewards across Colombo’s creative and culinary hotspots. Meanwhile, the Design Experience Trails invite people to explore the city’s layered creative landscape, from hidden ateliers and galleries to heritage walks and food journeys.
While SLDF 2025 celebrates the city at large, its creative heart remains at Cinnamon Life – City of Dreams, the official host venue. Here, the festival’s main programme unfolds, featuring Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Sri Lanka (MBFWSL), the fashion showcase connecting Colombo to the global fashion map; design exhibitions and graduate showcases, which shine a light on emerging talent from AOD and the country’s design community; and design dialogues, which centre around conversations with local and international voices exploring the future of design, culture, and sustainability.
SLDF 2025 will take place from November 19 to 23. For the latest updates, event details, and behind-the-scenes stories, follow Sri Lanka Design Festival (SLDF) on Facebook and Instagram.
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