The Festival of the New European Bauhaus

The 2026 edition of the Festival is calling for innovators like you to participate in this extraordinary hybrid event. With its core activities taking place in vibrant Brussels and captivating satellite events spanning across the European Union and beyond, this is an unparalleled opportunity to gain international exposure.

By stepping into the Fair, your work will take the spotlight, illuminating the profound impacts of climate change in our urban and rural landscapes. Through your creations, you will raise awareness, fostering empathy and highlighting the transformative actions you have taken. Nevertheless, that is just the beginning. At the Fair, you will also unleash your boundless creativity and join forces with fellow visionaries to pioneer the next groundbreaking solutions for these urgent challenges.

Immerse yourself in this electrifying atmosphere where experimentation reigns, empowering you and your peers to defy limitations and transform the path to a New European Bauhaus future. Apply now and make your project an integral part of this groundbreaking festival.

You meet the criteria to be a part of this transformative movement if your project promotes the values of the New European Bauhaus and the development of beautiful and sustainable spaces and ways of living together. The proposed project can be based either in Brussels, across the EU or beyond. 

Priority in the selection process will be given to projects by entities involved in the NEB Community, such as, for example, being a NEB Lighthouse demonstrator, a NEB Prize finalist or winner, projects implemented by NEB Partners or Friends, or if your project has received EU funding from a NEB dedicated call for funding. 

Regardless of its geographical origin, your project needs to hold the power to captivate and connect with people and reflect the New European Bauhaus core values: 

• Sustainability in environmental terms, from climate goals to circularity, zero pollution, and protecting nature/improving biodiversity;
• Aesthetics, including quality of experience and style, beyond functionality;
• Inclusion, from valuing diversity to securing accessibility and affordability. 

Your project should relate to at least one of the thematic axes: 

1. Reconnecting with nature
2. Regaining a sense of belonging
3. Prioritising the places and people that need it most
4. Fostering long-term, life cycle, and integrated thinking in the industrial ecosystem 

Your projects could also illustrate the principles of the New European Bauhaus: 

• A multilevel approach: from global to local. A multi-level engagement across scales, fields, and time is necessary to anticipate the effects that global issues can have on the local dimension, and vice versa (e.g. the effects of national air quality regulations on local environments, the impact of an activity launched at neighbourhood level for cleaning the oceans…). A multi-level NEB project should implement an effective exchange both horizontally (with peers) and vertically (with others operating on a different scale), and then advance to a well-defined collaborative framework integrating the two.
• A participatory approach: involves civil society and people of all ages and in all their diversity, including women, youth and disadvantaged groups (disabled people) and minorities.
• A transdisciplinary approach: requires bringing together knowledge from different fields and practitioners from various fields. They work on solutions that affect different aspects of a project – social, economic, cultural, artistic, architectural, ecological, etc. Transdisciplinary ways of working also encourage solutions that can be applied in a variety of disciplines and fields and are not limited to one area only.

Please fill in the online application form by clicking on the following link: APPLICATION FORM 

Your applications must be submitted in English, no later than 30 September 2025. 

Once the application is submitted, the answers cannot be changed.

The European Commission will be assessing applications throughout October and November. By 15 December 2025 at the latest, you will receive notification regarding the assessment results, providing you with information on whether your proposal has been accepted to be a part of the Festival. At that time, you will also receive further instructions and additional details. 

Beyond eligibility aspects explained above, the proposals will be scored based on how well their declared scope meet the following criteria: 

1. Content-related requirements:

• Connection to the New European Bauhaus values and thematic axes; 
• Innovative and participatory aspects of the proposed activity;
• Relevance and quality of the communication activities;
• Communication plan and activities before, during and after the Festival.

2. Technical requirements:

• Capacity to deliver the proposed activity within the requested timeframe;
• Soundness of the budget in line of proposed activity(ies);
• Balance between different forms of artistic and cultural expression.
• Communication plan and activities before, during and after the Festival.

3. New European Bauhaus Community membership

• Members of the NEB Community are NEB Partners, NEB Friends, NEB Prizes winners and finalists, beneficiaries of NEB dedicated calls for funding, NEB Policy and R&I National Contact Points.

If you have any questions or inquiries regarding the call for expressions of interest, please write to EC-New-European-Bauhausec [dot] europa [dot] eu (EC-New-European-Bauhaus[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu). 

The 2026 edition of the Festival is calling for artists like you to participate in this extraordinary hybrid event. With its core activities taking place in vibrant Brussels and captivating satellite events spanning across the European Union and beyond, this is an unparalleled opportunity to gain international exposure.

By joining us in person in Brussels, you will have the chance to be part of a citizen-focused cultural celebration, filled with art exhibitions, music, theater, dance, and more. You can propose participatory activities like workshops and competitions, or simply create convivial moments with citizens through musical performances and pop-up spaces. If you prefer a digital presence, no worries! You can submit pre-recorded material, reaching a broader audience and sharing your unique creativity. 

To support the participation of artists, the European Commission will offer coverage for travel expenses. Additionally, a flat fee will be allocated to the selected activities to contribute to the fair remuneration of artists. 

Join us in shaping the future of the New European Bauhaus by showcasing your talent, connecting with communities, and leaving a lasting impact. The exact amounts can only be decided once the Commission will have an overview of all applications.

Contemporary languages of artistic experimentation in fields like music, live audiovisual shows, public projections, participatory theatre and documentary theatre, dance, and performances will complement the ideas, prototypes and laboratories that sit at the center of the program.

Your proposal should promote the values of the New European Bauhaus and the development of beautiful and sustainable spaces and ways of living together. The proposal of an artistic performance, exhibition or participatory activity should be planned to take place during the festival week, 9-13 June 2026, in Brussels. 

Your proposal of an artistic performance, exhibition or participatory activity should reflect the New European Bauhaus core values: 

• Sustainability in environmental terms, from climate goals, to circularity, zero pollution, and protecting/improving biodiversity;
• Aesthetics, including quality of experience and style, beyond functionality;
• Inclusion, valorising diversity, equality for all, accessibility, and affordability.

Your proposal should relate to at least one of the thematic axes:

1. Reconnecting with nature
2. Regaining a sense of belonging
3. Prioritizing the places and people that need it most
4. Fostering long term, life cycle and integrated thinking in the industrial ecosystem 

Your proposal could also illustrate the principles of the New European Bauhaus: 

• A multilevel approach: from global to local. Climate change and the green transition bring challenges that should be addressed globally. At the same time, it is at the local level that change is happening and makes sense for people, which also includes small scale projects.
• A participatory approach: involves civil society and people of all ages and in all their diversity, including women, youth and disadvantaged groups (disabled people) and minorities.

A transdisciplinary approach: requires bringing in many different competencies and knowledge from different fields.

Please fill in the online application form by clicking on the following link: APPLICATION FORM

Your applications must be submitted in English, no later than 30 September 2025.

Once the application is submitted, the answers cannot be changed.

The European Commission will be assessing applications throughout October and November. By early December 2025 at the latest, you will receive notification regarding the assessment results, providing you with information on whether your proposal has been accepted to be a part of the Festival. At that time, you will also receive further instructions and additional details.

Beyond eligibility aspects explained above, the proposals will be scored based on how well their declared scope meet the following criteria:

1. Content-related requirements:

• Connection to the New European Bauhaus values and thematic axes;
• Originality of the proposed activity;
• Relevance, quality and originality of the communication activities or activation programme proposed by the applicant.

2. Technical requirements:

• Capacity to deliver the proposed activity within the requested timeframe;
• Soundness of the budget in line of proposed activity(ies);
• Balance between different forms of artistic and cultural expression.

If you have any questions or inquiries regarding the call for expressions of interest, please write to EC-New-European-Bauhausec [dot] europa [dot] eu (EC-New-European-Bauhaus[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu). 

The 2026 edition of the Festival is calling for innovators like you to participate in this extraordinary hybrid event. With its core activities taking place in vibrant Brussels and captivating satellite events spanning across the European Union and beyond, this is an unparalleled opportunity to gain international exposure. You can seize this chance to reach new horizons, connect with like-minded individuals, and leave an indelible mark on the beautiful, sustainable, and inclusive vision of the New European Bauhaus.  

We offer you an online space, where your event or project can shine. This includes key information about your event, such as dates, location, names of organisers, agenda, and links to your event website and social media channels. You will also have the opportunity to be featured on our interactive map, gaining exposure and connection to a wider audience. Additionally, selected events and projects may have the chance for live streaming or recorded sessions on our central platform, allowing for even greater reach and engagement. 

If you are part of the vibrant NEB Community, whether as a NEB Lighthouse, a NEB Prize nominee or winner, a NEB Partner, Friend of NEB, or have received EU funding for a project that embodies the principles of NEB, you meet the criteria. We also welcome other public organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and other non-profit organisations operating at the local, regional, national, European, or international level, and for-profit organisations embodying the spirit of the New European Bauhaus.  

Your event should align with one of the Festival’s pillars (Forum, Fair, Fest), embrace and advance at least one, if not all, of the values of the New European Bauhaus, fostering the creation of aesthetically pleasing and sustainable environments that encourage harmonious and inclusive ways of living together.  

The event can be organised in Brussels, across the European Union, or even beyond its borders.  

Your event should reflect the New European Bauhaus core values:  

• Sustainability in environmental terms, from climate goals to circularity, zero pollution, and protecting nature/improving biodiversity;
• Aesthetics, including quality of experience and style, beyond functionality;
• Inclusion, from valuing diversity to securing accessibility and affordability. 

Your event should relate to at least one of the thematic axes: 

1. Reconnecting with nature
2. Regaining a sense of belonging
3. Prioritising the places and people that need it most
4. Fostering long term, life cycle and integrated thinking in the industrial ecosystem 

Your event could also illustrate the principles of the New European Bauhaus:  

• A multilevel approach:from global to local. A multi-level engagement across scales, fields, and time is necessary to anticipate the effects that global issues can have on the local dimension, and vice versa (e.g. the effects of national air quality regulations on local environments, the impact of an activity launched at neighbourhood level for cleaning the oceans…). A multi-level NEB project should implement an effective exchange both horizontally (with peers) and vertically (with others operating on a different scale), and then advance to a well-defined collaborative framework integrating the two.
• A participatory approach: involves civil society and people of all ages and in all their diversity, including women, youth and disadvantaged groups (disabled people) and minorities.
• A transdisciplinary approach: requires bringing together knowledge from different fields and practitioners from various fields. They work on solutions that affect different aspects of a project – social, economic, cultural, artistic, architectural, ecological, etc. Transdisciplinary ways of working also encourage solutions that can be applied in a variety of disciplines and fields and are not limited to one area only. 

Your eventmay take different formats:  

• Physical;
• Hybrid (physical/virtual);
• Fully virtual.  

Your event should include engagement with the participants.  

Your event should have a communication plan, including: 

• A dedicated website or a page on an existing website and presence on social media

Please fill in the online application form by clicking on the following link: APPLICATION FORM 

Your applications must be submitted in English, no later than 31 December 2025. 

Once the application is submitted, the answers cannot be changed.

The European Commission will be assessing applications on a rolling basis. You will receive a notification regarding the assessment results 45 days after you submit the application, providing you with information on whether your proposal has been accepted to be a part of the Festival. Further instructions and additional details will be communicated after the call closure. 

If you have any questions or inquiries regarding the call for expressions of interest, please write to EC-New-European-Bauhausec [dot] europa [dot] eu (EC-New-European-Bauhaus[at]ec[dot]europa[dot]eu).