Cultural events under the European Heritage Days banner are scheduled across more than 50 European countries from September to early October 2026.
The 2026 theme is “Heritage at Risk: Revive, Resist, Reimagine”, focusing on how endangered cultural heritage can be protected and passed on to future generations, the European Commission informed on Thursday.
European Heritage Days is co-founded by the European Commission and the Council of Europe.
Participating countries have organised their programmes around an annual theme each year since 1999.
Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture and Sport Glenn Micallef said the theme was a reminder that heritage threatened by war, climate change, disasters or neglect “needs active protection” and that communities have a “crucial role” in keeping it alive for future generations.
Tours, exhibitions and workshops planned
Events planned for 2026 include guided heritage tours, exhibitions, workshops, performances and digital experiences, according to the European Commission.
Examples listed include visits exploring the tradition of the Saints’ Guard in Croatia, activities focused on industrial heritage in a former brewery in Belgium, and exhibitions of more than 1,000 minerals and fossils in the French Ardennes.
Details of individual events are available via the European Heritage Days website.
