Brussels to host European Cultural Heritage Summit 2025 from 12 to 14 October

The European Cultural Heritage Summit 2025 will take place from 12 to 14 October in Brussels, Belgium. In a complex geopolitical context, the Summit will provide a timely opportunity to advocate for the political, societal, environmental, and economic value and importance of cultural heritage for the future of Europe. The Brussels Summit will provide the platform for connecting and engaging high-level representatives from all EU institutions with heritage stakeholders from across Europe and beyond.

 

We are currently discussing the possibility of organising an event at the European Parliament in the morning of 15 October. We therefore warmly recommend participants to stay in Brussels until 15 October, especially since a national strike is foreseen in Brussels on 14 October with probable impact on public transport and flights.

The main events of the Brussels Summit are:

Sunday 12 October 2025
European Heritage Excellence Day
14.00 – 19.00
Auditorium 490, Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium
The Summit participants will have the opportunity to hear first-hand from all the 2025 winners of Europe’s most prestigious heritage awards during the European Heritage Excellence Day, which will be held on the afternoon of 12 October at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium.

Monday 13 October 2025

Europa Nostra General Assembly 2025
For Europa Nostra Members and Associates
10.00-12.00
KBR – Royal Library of Belgium, Brussels
During our General Assembly, several (re-) appointments to the Council and other governing bodies of Europa Nostra will be made. Members will also handle relevant statutory matters, including the approval of the Annual Report 2024. The General Assembly, which will be chaired by the Executive President of Europa Nostra, Hermann Parzinger, will take place in the morning of 13 October at the KBR – Royal Library of Belgium.

European Heritage Awards Ceremony 2025
20.00 – 22.00
Studio 4, Maison de la Radio, Flagey, Brussels
The ceremony in honour of the 2025 winners of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards will take place on the evening of 13 October at Flagey, an exceptional Art Deco building built in 1938. The European Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport, Glenn Micallef, has confirmed his participation in this high-profile event.

 

Tuesday 14 October 2025
European Heritage Policy Agora
10.30 – 12.30 (tbc)
Brussels Town Hall

European Heritage Hub Event
14.00 – 16.30 (tbc)
Brussels Town Hall

Both events will be held at the iconic Town Hall of Brussels located at La Grande-Place, a World Heritage site, thanks to the kind hospitality of the Mayor of Brussels.

The European Heritage Policy Agora conference will explore the theme Cultural Heritage as a key pillar of the Culture Compass for Europe. The Culture Compass will serve as a strategic framework for EU cultural policy. It aims to improve the consistency of EU policies and strengthen coordination between funding and policy.

Taking place during the European Week of Cities and Regions, the European Heritage Hub Forum will focus on the vital alliance between cities and civil society to ensure that cultural heritage is put at the heart of sustainable policies for the future of Europe, also as part of the implementation of the Culture Compass.

 

More details about the Summit Programme will soon be available on our website.

The Brussels Summit is organised in the frame of our projects Europa Nostra Heritage Agora and European Heritage Awards co-funded by the European Union.

Hotels

A limited number of rooms was pre-booked for Summit delegates in various hotels located in Brussels. Detailed information about these hotels is provided here.

Please note that Europa Nostra is not responsible and will not assist with booking or cancellation of accommodation.