The 2026 European Cultural Heritage Summit in Nicosia

The European Cultural Heritage Summit 2026 takes place from 26 to 30 May 2026. This year’s summit, held under the theme “Heritage as the Soul of Mare Nostrum”, emphasised the importance of cultural heritage for Europe and the entire Mediterranean region in the context of geopolitical, social and environmental challenges. The International Cultural Centre is represented by: Agata Wąsowska-Pawlik (also serving as a member of the Europa Nostra Board), Director of the ICC, Prof. Jacek Purchla, the Director’s representative for scientific affairs (Vice-President of Europa Nostra, and from 2024 also Chair of the Jury for the Cultural Heritage Awards/Europa Nostra Awards), and Ewa Wojtoń from the ICC’s Institute of European Heritage.

The summit is the most important annual gathering of communities involved in the active protection of cultural heritage in Europe, organised by Europa Nostra in cooperation with the European Commission as part of the Cypriot Presidency of the Council of the EU.
 

Presentation of the European Oscars for cultural heritage

The highlight of the programme was the ceremony for the Cultural Heritage Awards/Europa Nostra Awards 2026, during which the winners of the Grand Prix and the Public Choice Award were also announced (more information on this). The Awards Gala was graced by the presence of the President of the Republic of Cyprus, Nikos Christodoulides, and the Deputy Minister of Culture of Cyprus, Dr Vasiliki Kassianidou.

The Summit programme also includes discussions, meetings and exhibitions, including the EUROPEAN HERITAGE POLICY AGORA 2026: “Mare Nostrum: Championing Environmental Sustainability through Heritage”, EUROPEAN HERITAGE HUB FORUM 2026 “[Mare Nostrum: Fostering Peace through Heritage” and the panel discussion “Shared Heritage, Shared Future” organised by the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Architects, and the opening of the exhibition “Portraits of Women – Beyond the Stones” in the park at Eleftherias Square in Nicosia.

The International Cultural Centre is an associate member of Europa Nostra. In 1995, it organised the Europa Nostra Congress, which took place in Central Europe for the first time following the political changes; between 2013 and 2015, the ICC, under the auspices of Europa Nostra, co-authored the report “Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe”, and between 2019 and 2021, it co-created the ILUCIDARE project. Currently, the ICC is a partner in the European Heritage Hub project. Representatives of our institution are actively involved in the organisation’s activities.

The 2026 European Cultural Heritage Summit highlights the role of heritage as a tool for fostering dialogue, cooperation and sustainable development. These values also underpin the mission of the MCK, which will host the next Summit in 2027.

Find out more at europanostra.org.

Photo © Josef Rabara / Europa Nostra (courtesy of the organizers)