Last Days to Register for the European Cultural Heritage Summit 2026 in Nicosia, Cyprus

Europa Nostra and the Europa Nostra Heritage Hub in Nicosia are organising — with the sense of shared commitment and responsibility — the European Cultural Heritage Summit 2026 from 26 to 30 May in Nicosia, under the motto “Heritage as the Soul of Mare Nostrum”. This Summit is held under the patronage of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the EU, and is supported by the European Union.

We thank all who have already registered to attend our Summit in Nicosia. We also urge other members and partners who wish to join us in Nicosia to register as soon as possible, and in any case before 11 May. 

 

Holding our Summit in Cyprus at this point of time is particularly meaningful. Situated at the crossroads of Europe and the Middle East, Cyprus experiences both the complexities and the opportunities of the shared heritage of the Mediterranean — Mare Nostrum. The island’s experience both with division and with a challenging path towards reconciliation, offers a fitting environment for discussions on heritage as a peace-building instrument.

As every year, our Summit will gather high-level representatives from EU Institutions, policymakers, heritage professionals and volunteers, civil society actors and other stakeholders from across Europe and beyond.

From the In Varietate Concordia Talk – during which we shall reflect on the shared heritage that has shaped the  civilisations of the Mare Nostrum across millennia and today serves as a vital bridge for dialogue and collaboration – to the European Heritage Awards Ceremony – during which we shall celebrate the extraordinary achievements of the winners of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards 2026 – the Nicosia Summit will highlight the (geo)political, societal, economic and environmental relevance of cultural heritage for Europe and the wider Mediterranean region.

The European Heritage Policy Agora will explore how cultural heritage can drive sustainable development across the Mediterranean. It will show how initiatives linking cultural and natural heritage strengthen climate action, boost the resilience of the heritage ecosystem and promote inclusive  communities.

The European Heritage Hub Forum will focus on cultural heritage as a powerful vector of peace across the Mediterranean, with special emphasis on the Middle East. It will highlight existing projects of Europe-Middle East cooperation, demonstrating how sustained collaboration between European civil society organisations and local partners from the Middle East can strengthen community resilience and foster peaceful engagement and advocating the need to further enhance the cultural dimension of EU’s New Pact for the Mediterranean.

Together with ALIPH – International alliance for the protection of heritage, we have produced and will present the outdoor photo exhibition “Portraits of Women – Beyond the Stones”, which showcases  women at the forefront of protecting cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible, from Cyprus, Greenland, Italy, Malta, Ukraine, Iraq and Yemen.

For the full Programme of the Summit – including the Welcome Reception, the Europa Nostra General Assembly, the Cultural Visits, and the Programme organised and hosted by the Turkish Cypriot Members of the Europa Nostra Heritage Hub in Nicosia –, please check the Summit webpage.

We are immensely grateful to all partners and supporters of the Nicosia Summit. A special thanks goes to our main European partner, the European Commission, to our long-standing supporter from Cyprus, The A. G. Leventis Foundation, and to our new partner and supporter from the UK, the Cultural Protection Fund of the British Council.

We look forward to welcoming many of you at our Summit in Nicosia – our members, partners and supporters, representatives of the EU Institutions, national, regional and local authorities, and private foundations as well as heritage enthusiasts from across Europe and beyond.  Together, let us further intensify our collaboration without frontiers in support of our shared heritage and values. 

 

Register now

 

Media Registration

Media professionals can register free-of-charge at the main events of the Summit via this link.