What it is
Velo-city is the yearly conference of the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF), a Brussels-based non-profit founded in 1983, and it is co-organised with a different host city every year. It began in Bremen in 1980 and has since been held in cities such as Ljubljana, Brussels, Seville, Vancouver and Rio de Janeiro. The organiser says it now draws about 1,600 delegates from more than 60 countries: cycling advocates, city officials, policymakers, researchers and industry.
Recent hosts were Ghent (2024), Gdańsk (2025) and Rimini (16-19 June 2026). The 2027 edition, the first in Japan, is in Matsuyama, capital of Ehime Prefecture, from 25 to 28 May 2027, at the Ehime Prefectural Budokan. Geneva follows from 13 to 16 June 2028.
How the programme works
The conference runs over four days with more than 80 sessions on active mobility, urban planning, cycling economics, industry and advocacy, around an exhibition of cycling innovations. Technical tours by bike show the host city’s cycling policy on the ground, and a traditional bike parade takes delegates and local cyclists onto the streets.
Speakers come through an open call for abstracts. According to the FAQ, each abstract is scored three times by a team of more than 80 international mobility experts, and the programme team pays attention to gender and geographical balance. The 2027 theme is Kyōsei: Co-creating a Future with Cycling, with subthemes on health and everyday use, infrastructure, multimodality, diversity, and cycling tourism.
Who goes and how to take part
The call for 2027 has two strands: a general call for anyone working on better cycling, and an academic call for students, universities and research institutes. Both close on 22 October 2026 and take submissions in English. Registration for delegates has not opened, and we could not find 2027 prices published.
What came out of past editions
ECF publishes the presentations of every recent edition, including Rimini 2026 and Gdańsk 2025, together with daily reports and videos, on its about page.
Why it matters for cities
For a host city, Velo-city is a showcase and a deadline. The future editions page notes that a quarter of Matsuyama’s commuters already cycle to school and work, and Geneva has built its 2028 bid around cross-border cycling in the Greater Geneva area. For other cities, the presentations show what comparable places have tried. Host cities are chosen through ECF’s international bidding; the window for 2029 closed on 25 September 2026.
Going, or following from home
If you want to speak in Matsuyama, the abstract deadline is 22 October 2026. To attend, follow the newsletter for the opening of registration. If travel to Japan is not possible, the published presentations of past editions are free to browse.