What it is
The Festival of the New European Bauhaus is the showcase event of the New European Bauhaus, the European Commission initiative that brings the clean transition into buildings and public space. The Commission describes the festival as biennial. The third edition ran from 9 to 13 June 2026 at the Art & History Museum and in the Parc du Cinquantenaire in Brussels. It took two themes: democratic engagement, meaning how residents can help shape their own neighbourhoods, and affordable housing.
How the programme works
The festival has three strands. The Forum holds the debates. The Fair shows concepts and prototypes already in use. The Fest is the cultural part, with music, dance, art and workshops. Satellite events carry the format to local communities in Europe and beyond, so you do not have to be in Brussels to take part.
The 2026 Forum opened with speeches by Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa. Several of its sessions dealt with questions city departments face every day. One looked at reusing vacant and underused buildings. Another, “From feeds to streets”, asked how social media is changing democracy and city life. Others covered cutting carbon and cost in construction, and design for inclusive, nature-positive spaces. The Forum page lists the speakers and links a replay for each session.
Who goes and how to take part
The audience is mixed: architects and designers, researchers, local authorities, companies and the general public. Entry is free, including the opening ceremony. You need an EU Login account to register, as the FAQ explains. The festival is also where the NEB Prizes are presented. The Commission says the prizes have drawn more than 5,000 applications since 2021 and awarded €1.54 million to 72 winners.
Why it matters for cities
Most city profiles on futurehubs come back to the same few subjects: regeneration, public space and housing. This is the EU event built around them, and it sets them inside Commission policy. In December 2025 the Commission adopted a plan to scale up the initiative. The festival is a good place to see which kinds of local projects the EU now wants to fund and to copy elsewhere.
Going, or following from home
The 2026 edition is over. The Commission has published a photo gallery and a digital book of the festival, and the Forum replays remain online. It has not announced the dates or place of the next edition. If you attend a future festival in the same place, note that the park is car-free. The practical page gives the metro, bus and tram routes. Schuman and Merode are the nearest metro stations.