Second edition of New European Bauhaus Festival starts today

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will today open the second edition of the New European Bauhaus Festival. The opening event will also gather high-level speakers including Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo, Commissioners Elisa Ferreira and Iliana Ivanova, Belgian State Secretary for Economic Recovery and Strategic Investments Thomas Dermine, and Director General of International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis Hans-Joachim Schellnhuber. The event, broadcast live on EbS, will take place on 9 April at 18:00. 

With core activities taking place in the Parc du Cinquantenaire/Jubelpark and the Art & History Museum in Brussels from 9 to 13 April 2024, the Festival invites people to a diverse programme comprising four types of activities: the Forum discussing various New European Bauhaus topics, the Fair showcasing projects, the Fest for a cultural celebration, and Satellite events organised independently in Brussels and other places around Europe and beyond.  All Forum sessions will be livestreamed on the Festival webpage.

The Festival will illustrate how diverse creators, organisations and projects use the New European Bauhaus (NEB) resources to puts the European Green Deal into action, with the active engagement of the NEB community. It will also be an opportunity to take stock of the NEB's progress since its inception three years ago. Various panel discussions will explore the role of citizens participation, place-based policies and innovation in driving local transformation. They will also delve into the potential of nature-based solutions to enhance urban life quality and to mitigate climate change impacts on cities, or architecture's role in climate action.  

The Festival will also focus on how the NEB advances sustainability within the European fashion industry, aligning with the objectives of the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles. In particular, on 11 April, as part of the Forum, visitors are invited to a special day dedicated to sustainable fashion, featuring a catwalk as well as the launch of the NEB Academy. Numerous project exhibitions will provide tangible examples of these diverse concepts in action. 

On 12 April, the Festival will host the ceremony that will award the New European Bauhaus Prizes 2024 to 20 exemplary projects as well as to the best concepts by young talents from across Europe including, for the first time, Ukraine. 

You can find the detailed programme of the Festival as well as a press pack on the NEB online. Please contact the Spokesperson's Service to request interviews with the speakers, creators or projects.