Programme - Arts Festival Summit 2026

Creating bridges: eye to eye, East to West, arts to politics and back

Launching the works of the Arts Festivals Summit 2026, EFA’s communities will kick off the discussions in parallel sessions and will then come together for a first keynote and plenary conversation on the arts, democracy and the role of festivals in today’s world. Taking place in the heart of Budva, the first day will also bring us to the local arts and festivals community. For this first day, the focus will be on Budva as a city and Montenegro as a country, exploring the relationship between Europe, festivals, and how communities create connections. 

8.00 | Warm up! with running and swimming

8.30-11.00 | Registration at Avala Hotel

9.00-11.00 | Conversation starters! at Avala Hotel  

The Festival Academy invites

This session is an open space for all delegates to come together with The Festival Academy Alumni to engage with the mission of The Festival Academy in mind: strengthen festivals to consider themselves as tools for change in a global conversation.

Flagships for Europe? Festivals in local cities and regions

Building on the EFFE Seal for Festival Cities and Regions, this workshop will explore the relationship between festivals and their local authorities, inspired by Elena Polivtseva’s research Festivals in Context. Discuss how festivals and public authorities situate their work within local, national and broader European dynamics, and share your reflections, aspirations and visions of Europe.

Reimagining international touring and the role of festivals for emerging artists 

Innovative, more inclusive and green touring models are reshaping how performing arts circulate and emerging artists across Europe and beyond. Hear insights from European Festivals Fund for Emerging Artists (EFFEA), and Perform Europe, and discuss how these approaches can inform your own partnerships and mobility practices.

Transforming Culture with Data

Cultural organisations are experimenting with collaborative data practices to tackle operational challenges and digital transformation. Learn about the EXCENTRIC - Excelling Human-Centric Collaborative Ecosystems for Smart Digital Transition in Creative and Cultural Sector Industry (CCSI) project, how they address context-specific challenges, foster human-centred digital innovation, and generate insights for wider cultural ecosystems.

EFA Collective and Affiliate Members (CAMs) & EFFE Hubs meeting (By invitation only)

As expectations for accountability grow, the arts increasingly rely on data, evaluation, and shared metrics to demonstrate their impact. Hear examples and discuss how approaches such as Social Return on Investment (SROI) and insights from the EXCENTRIC and EUFEAST projects can strengthen cultural advocacy and cooperation across the sector.

70-Years-On Thinking group meeting (By invitation only)

As the European Festivals Association approaches its 75th anniversary, the 70-Years-On Thinking Group sets the Agenda that guides EFA’s work, ensuring that initiatives remain informed, adaptive, and aligned with the current needs and opportunities of the festivals and arts sector. 

11.00-11.30 | Coffee break

11.30-12.40 | Arts, democracy, cultural rights and beyond: from arts to politics and back, at Avala Hotel 

Can the arts save the world? Keynote conversation on the intersection between arts and politics in the European context, inviting for reflection on the role of arts and culture and the adhesion of Western Balkan countries to the European Union.

12.40-13.00 | Signing of the EFFE Seal for Festival Cities and Regions at Avala Hotel 

New localities will sign the EFFE Seal for Festival Cities and Regions to join this initiative and show their commitment towards festivals.

13.00-15.00 | Lunch in Budva’s surroundings and networking activities 

16.00-20.00 | Walk and Talk in small groups 

This is the moment to discover the city, the region, the people, the context and concerns in a walk and talk tour that will unveil the history, the religions, the place and the time. We will start the 'Walk and Talk' at Avala Hotel. Delegates will then split into small groups to visit the old town of Budva and its surroundings. 

20.00-21.30 | Individual dinner and artistic programme by Showcase Montenegro

Check our restaurants recommendations in the Practical Guide. 

The evening artistic programme will be announced in March. It will include music and theatre performances.  

‘About Festivals’: can they do it all? *

For this working day, we will travel to Cetinje, former capital of Montenegro and home to the ministry of culture. We will engage in discussions on the daily matters and business of festival making, from the role of festivals in sustainability, well-being, transnational collaboration, and much more, with the question in mind: can festivals do it all?

* The title of this working day is borrowed from EFA's publication Festivals in Context by Elena Polivtseva.

8.00 | Warm up! with running and swimming

8.30-9.15 | Breakfast Talk at Avala Hotel 

The early morning Breakfast Talk Hands-On will allow us to dig into very practical and concrete questions around festival making and points you would like to discuss with a small group of colleagues around a cup of coffee.

9.30 | Departure by bus to Cetinje 

10.30 | Arrival in Cetinje and walk through the main street to the Summit venue 

11.00-12.00 | ‘About festivals’: can they do it all?

Keynote ‘About festivals’ inviting for reflection on the multifunctional role of arts and culture in societies facing the changes brought by today’s world, with an introduction by the Ministry of Culture.

12.00-14.30 | Let’s talk: the balancing acts, in parallel 

The Music Focus 

Music festivals today navigate shifting audience expectations, partnerships, business models, and organisational realities. Exchange practices, explore opportunities for collaboration across local and international contexts and discuss innovative approaches with colleagues from the field.

Festivals and environmental sustainability: cross-cultural cooperation in a green sustainable & social context

What are the dilemmas in green and socially sustainable cultural mobility and cooperation? What are the tensions between being environmentally friendly and being socially fair, especially for those working for on the periphery? This workshop will invite festival makers to discuss sustainable practices taking into account budget, touring, audience travels, etc.

Festivals, health and well-being 

Reflect on how festivals engage with questions of health and well-being for audiences, artists, and teams. Discuss examples from the Creative Europe-supported project  CARE – Culture for Mental Health and explore strategies, policies, and practices that can support well-being in festival settings.

The social impact of festivals and arts: designing shared data practices 

This workshop examines the practical and organisational challenges of building shared data practices within festival ecosystems. Participants will explore how collaborative data infrastructures, tool design, and governance models can address complexity while creating meaningful value for multiple organisations.

Optimising the cost of funding 

Fundraising, reporting, and compliance demand significant time and resources from festival teams. How can we make these tasks work for our own goals instead of just adding to our workload? In this workshop, we will share strategies and tactics to optimise the cost of funding and adopt efficient evaluation and documentation practices.

Beyond audience development

How do festivals move from audience development to building lasting relationships with communities rooted in inclusion and trust? This session aims to discuss tested approaches, from artistic formats to organisational strategies and emerging tools, including AI, that can help festivals connect with underrepresented groups and sustain engagement across festival editions. 

14.30 | Bus to cable car with a lunch and music box surprise

15.30 | Cable car to discover the Montenegrin bays

Delegates will take the cable car that offers stunning views on the mountains of Boka Bay, Kotor Bay, and Tivat Bay.

20.00 | Last evening dinner

The dinner will propose excellent Montenegrin cuisine and fresh seafood.