Derby, home to the acclaimed FORMAT International Photography Festival, is gearing up for a landmark edition in 2025, as the festival aligns with the city’s ongoing transformation.
Founded in 2004, FORMAT has established itself as the UK’s premier international contemporary photography festival. Drawing over 100,000 visitors to its BIENNIALE event, FORMAT also curates a robust programme of global commissions, residencies and collaborations year-round. It has become a beacon for cutting-edge photographic practice, showcasing everything from conceptual masterpieces to participatory projects, mobile imagery and documentary work.
FORMAT International Photography Festival
The upcoming FORMAT25, themed “Conflicted,” will once again spotlight a dynamic mix of emerging talent and renowned photographers. The festival runs from 13 to 30 March, kicking off with an action-packed launch weekend (13–16 March) that promises exhibition openings, artist talks, the popular FORMAT Photobook Market and the annual conference.
Visitors will have the chance to engage deeply with photography — not only as spectators but as active participants in debates, workshops and creative explorations that probe the essence of what photography is and could become.
Derby : A City in Transition
FORMAT25 arrives as Derby stands on the cusp of transformation, buoyed by £4.48bn in infrastructure investments since 2011 and a further £2.6bn planned for future projects. Central to this renewal is the spring 2025 opening of Becketwell Live, a £45.8m entertainment and conference venue set to invigorate the city’s cultural landscape. Derby’s Victorian Market Hall, another gem of the city’s heritage, will also reopen in spring, offering a revitalised hub for local shopping, dining, and entertainment.
Amidst this modernisation, Derby’s rich photographic history will take centre stage. FORMAT25 will pay homage to two key figures: Constance Mundy, a pioneering photographer and the wife of photographic trailblazer William Henry Fox Talbot, and Winters of Derby, Britain’s longest-running photography business. Their stories will feature prominently in a citywide campaign to reassert Derby’s identity as “The Pioneering City.”
FORMAT25: A Global Call to Reflect
The theme “Conflicted” invites artists worldwide to interrogate the tensions and complexities of contemporary life. Responses to this open call will form the heart of the festival, offering a kaleidoscope of perspectives on the multifaceted realities of our world.
As FORMAT takes over Derby’s iconic spaces, the city’s unique history and dynamic present will converge in a celebration of creativity, resilience and innovation.
For the latest updates on FORMAT25, visit .
Things To Do in Derby
For more about Derby’s attractions, head to visitderby.co.uk.
Image: Circles in Sand, Image Credit Sujata Setia — FORMAT25
