Whether you joined us last year in Wrocław (PL) or are new to the URBACT City Festival experience, find out what’s in store for Nicosia!
URBACT City Festival: An origin story
The URBACT City Festival story starts in 2015 in Riga (LV). Morphing over the years, through physical and hybrid formats, the Festival has evolved into a key feature of URBACT’s event repertoire. According to Chiara Petroli, Events Officer for the URBACT Joint Secretariat, “[The Festival] has become the main check-in appointment for the URBACT family”. This meeting is open to not only URBACT cities but also other European cities interested in getting involved in the programme. Representatives from other European programmes will also be in attendance. For Chiara, this makes the Festival “the perfect entry point to the URBACT solar system, as well as other European opportunities and initiatives.”
Each year’s festival promises a new location, collaborative dynamic and set of objectives. Last year, 116 newly awarded URBACT Good Practices took the stage. The 2026 edition coincides with another URBACT IV programme milestone. In December 2025, 30 URBACT Action Planning Networks will be completing their network journey. Launched in 2023, these networks have so many stories of city cooperation to share with participants. The Festival will also be the perfect moment to announce the next call for URBACT networks (anticipated in spring 2026).
Touching down in Cyprus
Another special feature of the next URBACT City Festival is the destination itself. Nicosia is the southern-most capital city in the EU. It has a rich history of coexistence among different languages, cultures and religions.
Far from just being a background setting, Nicosia will be a main character of the Festival programme. First of all, the event will take place around three of Nicosia's most vibrant spots: the Royal Hall, the Eleftheria (Freedom) Square and the Old GSP Square. Specifically, guided tours of historical and modern gems will showcase the city’s EU involvement, social cohesion and other sustainable urban development thematics.
Finally, the farewell party ‘Nicosia After Dark’ will capitalise on the city’s involvement with URBACT – most notably on the night economy – as part of the Cities After Dark network.
| 
| 
|
The 2026 programme: What we know so far
The programme, which is still being finalised, will converge around the following pillars:
Twelve thematic sessions, moderated by URBACT experts, will draw on concrete initiatives and lessons learnt based on the real-life experiences of the URBACT Action Planning Networks including, e.g., nature-based solutions, social data management, mobility. The sessions will not only draw on the experiences of network partners but also the URBACT Knowledge Hub (the programme’s repository of thematic expertise and resources).
The Marketplace, a large exhibition space, will showcase 273 local actions carried out by the cities involved in URBACT Action Planning Networks [A new feature: on Day 1, this space will be open to Nicosian civil society, academia and the local community].
Parallel sessions (‘funding stories’) will feature presentations from cities on their experiences receiving support and resources ‘after URBACT’.
Dedicated networking around the spring 2026 call for URBACT networks, allowing participants to connect and start thinking about and creating partnerships under the call.
Pack your bags for Nicosia
The URBACT City Festival promises a complete experience for city practitioners. It will be a time for the 2023-2025 URBACT Action Planning Networks to shine, but also leave room for reflection on URBACT’s achievements and looking ahead to the future.
Participants will leave with new knowledge, connections and concrete lessons learnt from other cities dealing with similar urban policy issues. The type of stories, as well as the number of activities that take participants out of the venue, will further distinguish it from the standard conference experience.
Register for the 2026 URBACT City Festival! Click here and act quickly to secure your spot. More details are still to come on the event page, including programme updates and even practical information like what to pack.
Stay tuned for further updates by subscribing to the URBACT newsletter and following ‘URBACT’ on Facebook, LinkedIn, X and Instragram.
