Festival Format & Programme

A Prime-Time European Television Event

The European University Festival 2026 is conceived as a major European television event structured across four prime-time evenings.

A format that brings together entertainment, culture, science and music in a dynamic and engaging narrative designed for a European and international audience.

Night 1

Global Concert for Climate Action

(Opening Night – Global Concert for Climate Action)

A large-scale live stadium opening featuring international artists, spectacular staging and powerful symbolic moments.

The evening officially inaugurates the Festival and introduces the award categories, alternating musical performances with storytelling of selected university projects and brief, high-impact inspirational interventions.

This is the moment of maximum energy and international visibility.

Night 2

Science Award Show

(Second Night – Science Award)

An evening dedicated to the most innovative university projects addressing climate change and sustainability.

The programme includes dynamic presentations of finalist projects, contributions from the Scientific Jury, artistic moments and the official award ceremony.

Night 3

Arts, Culture & Sustainable Gastronomy Show

(Third Night – Arts, Culture and Sustainable Gastronomy)

Creativity, European cultural expression and sustainable innovation take centre stage in a visually rich and performance-driven evening.

The programme features artistic university projects, sustainability-focused food initiatives and the presentation of category awards.

Night 4

Sport, Ocean Impact & Grand Finale

(Final Night – Sport, Ocean Impact and Closing Ceremony)

The final evening combines emotion and environmental responsibility, culminating in the presentation of the University Climate Manifesto and a collective musical grand finale.

Format Identity

The Festival is designed as:

A major European prime-time show
A high-impact visual event
A cultural competition with strong television storytelling
A European platform uniting entertainment and responsibility

Selection & Competition Structure

The Festival is open to all recognised European universities and academies and is structured through a multi-phase selection process designed to ensure scientific excellence and European representativeness.

An initial evaluation phase will identify selected projects across the various thematic areas.

A final phase will bring invited projects to Turin, where they will take part in the Festival’s televised evenings.

For each category, an official award will be granted by the Scientific Committee, in full respect of academic independence and integrity.

In parallel, a European Audience Recognition will be assigned through a dedicated digital platform.