Your ultimate guide to the UoD DJCAD Degree Show 2026
- Andrew Batchelor
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
For nine days this May, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design will once again transform into one of the largest free arts venues in the country as hundreds of graduating students throw open the doors to the public for Degree Show 2026.
From giant architectural models and immersive digital experiences to paintings, fashion, animation, illustration and experimental design, the annual showcase offers a rare chance to experience the future of creativity before it enters galleries, studios, agencies and industries around the world.
Running from 23 May until 31 May, this year’s Degree Show brings together the work of nearly 430 graduating students across art, design and architecture - with every corridor, studio and exhibition space across DJCAD becoming part of the experience.
Whether you are an art lover, curious visitor, aspiring student, collector, photographer, designer or simply looking for something different to explore in Dundee, here is everything you need to know about one of the city’s most anticipated cultural events.
What is the Degree Show?
Every year, graduating students at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design spend months preparing their final projects before unveiling them to the public in a huge multi-building exhibition.
But the Degree Show is far more than just an exhibition.
For many students, it represents the final chapter of years of study, experimentation, sleepless nights, technical development and creative risk-taking. It is also the moment where careers can truly begin.
For visitors, it offers a unique opportunity to step inside the creative process itself - seeing the ideas, research, concepts and finished works that define the next generation of artists, designers, architects and makers.
This year, 427 students have collectively produced an astonishing range of work, with projects exploring everything from environmental challenges and social issues to speculative futures, storytelling, digital interaction, fashion, urban spaces and contemporary culture.
Across the nine-day event, visitors can explore studios, galleries and workshop spaces throughout DJCAD’s Matthew and Crawford Buildings while meeting the students behind the work itself.
Opening times
Degree Show 2026 runs from:
23 May - 31 May 2026 from 10am - 4pm daily
Late openings:
28 May - open until 8pm
30 May - open until 8pm
The late openings are expected to be among the busiest and most atmospheric times to visit, with the buildings taking on a completely different energy as crowds fill the exhibition spaces into the evening.
Where is it taking place?
Degree Show 2026 takes place across Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, primarily within the Matthew Building and Crawford Building on Perth Road.
The address is: Matthew Building, University of Dundee, Perth Road, Dundee, DD1 4HT
The exhibition is completely free to attend and no booking is required for the main showcase.
What can visitors expect?
One of the most exciting parts of the Degree Show is that no two rooms feel the same.
Turn one corner and you may find immersive projection mapping or interactive digital installations. Walk into another space and discover detailed jewellery collections, architectural models, large-scale paintings or carefully crafted textiles.
The event blends traditional artistic disciplines with emerging creative technologies, creating an experience that feels part gallery, part design showcase and part creative laboratory.
Visitors can expect to see work from:
Animation
Storytelling, motion design and character creation come together in a showcase packed with imaginative worlds and visual experimentation.
Architecture & Urban Planning
Detailed models, future city concepts and socially-driven design projects explore how people interact with spaces and environments.
Art & Philosophy
Projects combining theory, critical thinking and contemporary artistic practice challenge ideas surrounding identity, society and culture.
Digital Interaction Design
Interactive installations, digital experiences and user-centred projects explore the intersection between creativity and technology.
Fine Art
Painting, sculpture, installation work and mixed media pieces create one of the largest and most visually striking sections of the exhibition.
Graphic Design
Branding, editorial work, typography and conceptual visual communication projects showcase the power of design storytelling.
Illustration
Expect colourful narratives, character-driven worlds and imaginative visual storytelling inspired by everything from folklore to modern culture.
Interior & Environmental Design
Creative spatial concepts and immersive environmental projects explore how people experience physical spaces.
Jewellery & Metal Design
Intricate handcrafted collections demonstrate both technical precision and bold artistic identity.
Product Design
Innovative objects, consumer concepts and speculative future-focused products reveal how design can shape everyday life.
Textile Design
Bold patterns, experimental materials and contemporary fabric design transform exhibition spaces with colour and texture.
Why the Degree Show matters
For Dundee, the Degree Show has become one of the city’s defining annual cultural events.
Thousands of visitors pass through DJCAD every year, with the exhibition acting as both a public celebration of creativity and a launchpad for emerging talent.
For many graduates, this will be the first time their work has ever been exhibited publicly on such a scale.
It is also where opportunities often begin - with students securing commissions, industry contacts, placements, gallery interest and even their first sales directly from the show floor.
The exhibition reflects Dundee’s wider creative identity too. As UNESCO City of Design status continues to shape the city’s international reputation, the Degree Show provides a glimpse into the next generation of creatives emerging from Dundee itself.
Alternative Futures Showcase
Alongside the main Degree Show, visitors can also explore the Alternative Futures Showcase.
This celebrates the design research achievements of selected students from all eight undergraduate design programmes, with projects engaging in major contemporary issues ranging from environmental sustainability and technological change to communication, culture and social challenges.
The showcase highlights the thinking and research underpinning many of the practical works seen throughout the exhibition and offers a deeper insight into the intellectual side of creative practice at DJCAD.
Meet the artists and designers behind the work
Alongside the exhibition itself, several free events are taking place during the Degree Show, giving visitors the opportunity to hear directly from graduating students.
Made in DJCAD - 1
27 May / 11am - 12pm at the Matthew Building - Room 5017
Students from Animation, Architecture, Fine Art, Illustration, Jewellery & Metal Design and Textile Design will discuss their work, experiences studying at DJCAD and plans beyond university.
Made in DJCAD - 2
30 May / 2pm - 3pm at the Matthew Building - Room 5017
This second student-led session will feature graduates from Architecture and Urban Planning, Fine Art, Illustration, Interior & Environmental Design, Jewellery & Metal Design and Textile Design.
Both sessions require booking and offer visitors a chance to understand the stories, ideas and processes behind the exhibition work itself.
A Dundee pop-up bringing art and baking together
Fisher & Donaldson x Lauren Morsley pop-up
30 May / 10am - 7pm at the Matthew Building
One of the most unique additions to this year’s Degree Show comes on 30 May with a special collaboration between Fisher & Donaldson and DJCAD graduate Lauren Morsley.
The one-day-only pop-up shop will feature iconic bakery favourites alongside colourful cake-inspired merchandise designed by the Scottish illustrator and printmaker.
Visitors can expect:
Fudge Doughnuts
Frog Cakes
Belgian Biscuits
Coffee Towers
Tote bags
Stickers
T-shirts
Mugs
Prints and merchandise
The event offers a brilliant example of how DJCAD graduates continue to shape creative industries locally and nationally after leaving university. And the best part is that no booking is required.
Can you buy the artwork?
Yes - and that is one of the most exciting aspects of the Degree Show.
Much of the work on display will be available to purchase directly from students, giving visitors the opportunity to support emerging creatives while taking home original work.
Many students will also have business cards, prints, merchandise and portfolios available throughout the exhibition.
Programme-specific shops will also appear across the buildings, including dedicated retail areas for:
Animation
Contemporary Art Practice
Graphic Design
Illustration
Product Design
Textile Design
A dedicated DJCAD shop on Level 1 of the Matthew Building will also stock branded merchandise, work from previous graduates and professional art materials.
Why you should visit
The Degree Show has always been one of Dundee’s hidden gems - but increasingly, it feels like one of Scotland’s most exciting annual creative events.
There is something uniquely special about seeing work at this stage of an artist or designer’s journey. The energy feels raw, experimental and ambitious in a way that larger commercial exhibitions often cannot replicate.
Some visitors come to discover emerging talent before everyone else. Others simply wander through the studios taking in the atmosphere and creativity surrounding them.
And for many Dundonians, the Degree Show has become part of the city’s cultural calendar itself - a yearly reminder of the creativity being produced right here in Dundee.
Supporting the future of creative talent
While the Degree Show remains free to attend, DJCAD says the cost of staging an exhibition of this scale continues to rise every year.
The university is encouraging visitors and supporters to donate towards the future of the event, helping ensure graduates continue to have a platform to showcase their work to the public and industry alike.
Organisers say every contribution helps students take the next step into their creative careers.
