All the supporters at Wembley Stadium on Saturday and the millions watching live across the world will see a special curated pitch banner on display ahead of kick-off, as the teams of Crystal Palace and Manchester City enter the area for the 2025 Emirates FA Cup Final.
Designed by Olaolu Akeredolu-Ale, better known as Slawn, the design will also feature in the Wembley tunnel and across the winners’ and player of the match champagne bottles.
It’s not Slawn’s first involvement with the Emirates FA Cup either, as he worked with our trophy designers and maker Thomas Lyte to create a unique homage to the original trophy, which played part in a promotional campaign during the 2023-24 season.
Born in Nigeria before moving to London in 2018, Slawn is renowned for his creativity with spray paint, caricatures, murals and pop-art canvases.
His work has seen him showcase exhibitions at the Truman Brewery in east London and the Saatchi Yates Gallery in recent years, and he also designed the set and famous statuette for the 2023 BRIT Awards ceremony.
Slawn’s artwork has particularly appealed to younger audiences since he made his mark on the art world, with football players also becoming regular collectors of his work. Earlier this year, Slawn also made moves into the fashion world, releasing his own line of signature shoes in collaboration with Nike.
Following his design for this season’s FA Cup Final, we caught up with Slawn to get some thoughts on his art and the honour of his work featuring alongside the world’s original Cup competition.
Firstly Slawn, can you talk us through the design elements you created for the Final?
We designed a few key elements of the matchday experience: the pre-match banners, the player tunnel and the winner and Player of the Match champagne bottles, and the podium for the trophy. Each piece carries the same energy that my paintings carry.
How did your style influence the designs?
My style is all about feeling over form – and that’s what made this collaboration so unique. The designs are intentionally bold and chaotic, which is what a Cup Final feels like. We tried to capture the unpredictability of the FA Cup and the emotional highs of football – you can feel that energy in the art and the way the colours take over space.
What does it mean to be part of such an iconic sporting event?
It’s an honour. The FA Cup is a pillar of British culture, and being invited for a second time to leave a creative mark on such a historic competition is massive. It’s one of those rare moments where we get to blur the line between art and sport. Last year, I had the privilege of creating an homage to the FA Cup trophy. This year, I get to take our collaboration one step further by bringing my art to life at Wembley.
Were there any challenges during the creative process?
Translating painted artwork on canvas into large-scale pieces that hold up in a stadium was a challenge – but one we embraced. Everything has to feel authentic, while also being visually impactful for the audience.
What do you hope fans take away from these designs?
I hope the visuals bring celebration and creativity to the matchday atmosphere. It’s about capturing the soul of the FA Cup in a fresh way.
