Annual Conference 2026
Over 400 participants will gather in Dublin, Ireland, with our local hosts Outhouse LGBTQ+ Centre and LGBT Ireland for the 30th ILGA-Europe Annual Conference.
This anniversary year, coming together feels more important than ever. Pressure is rising and spaces are shrinking, testing everything we have fought for. Backlash is relentless, but beneath the surface change is taking shape, building towards the moment when it can emerge.
We want to acknowledge and give space for thinking through how to meet the extreme pressures our movement is under at this moment, while at the same time planning for a time when the cycle has changed, and the work we have been doing will have fertile ground for opportunity.
As we celebrate 30 years of ILGA-Europe working together with the LGBTI movement, this conference is a chance to reconnect, support each other, and remember we are not alone as we hold the line and build toward what comes next.
This year’s theme: Resist and Rise
Right now, there are so many demands on our movement, pulling us in different directions. We’re called upon to protect our communities, rally our fellow activists, build alliances, plan for the future, oppose backlash, defend freedom, and so much more. And all the time, things are changing at a dizzying pace. With so much going on, it’s hard to find the time and space to even look at the short-term future, never mind take the longer perspective.
We don’t know what a year from now looks like, so thinking ahead to three years, or five or ten, feels utterly impossible. Yet, all change comes because it is prepared for, because people quietly strategise with a clear goal in focus. It is with this in mind that we have developed the thematic strands for this conference. We want to acknowledge and give space for thinking through how to meet the extreme pressures our movement is under at this moment, while at the same time planning for a time when the cycle has changed, and the work we have been doing will have fertile ground for opportunity.
Horizon 1: Holding the Line
What’s happening now, and what we do about it.
We are doing our work in a period of sustained pressure, marked by backlash, regression, and shrinking civic space. Across the region, this is playing out as laws that limit our ability to organise, speak, and exist openly. Attacks on trans people’s rights are growing, alongside bans and restrictions on Pride and public assembly, criminalisation of activists and organisations, and the misuse of administrative powers to silence and shut down.
The demands are immediate and often relentless. Having clear sight of the near horizon is about what is happening and what we do about it now and in the short to medium term.
In this strand, the focus will be on how we defend hard-won gains, protect our communities, and maintain a visible, active presence in political and public life. It is about responding to threats as they unfold, while also acting on the windows of opportunity – for example, in courts, in public dissent, in moments where collective resistance shifts the narrative.
Holding the line means staying organised and connected when fragmentation is a risk. In Horizon 1, we will focus on what needs to be done under pressure and how we do it: the strategies and choices to push back and keep moving now and in the next couple of years.
Horizon 2: Shaping What Comes Next
Preparing the ground for breakthrough and transformation.
History does not move in straight lines. Periods of repression are followed by waves of rapid shifts, but those breakthroughs are never accidental. They are built, deliberately and collectively, long before they arrive.
The pressures of the present are real, but we cannot let them flood us. This track is about resisting the pull of the immediate and building for the future – 10, 15, 20 years from now.
We will deliberately look beyond current pressures and at what will make future breakthroughs possible. It is the work of seeding: building alliances, strengthening social acceptance, developing leadership, and embedding our values deeply into the fabric of society. This includes thinking about how power is shifting and where it will sit in the future, within and outside our movements.
In this strand, we ask what needs to be in place for us to move quickly and decisively when openings appear. What foundations – political, cultural, structural – do we need to invest in across the next decade, for the long run? How do we plan beyond current challenges and define a vision that can scale when the time comes?
This is patient, generative work. It is about putting in place the relationships, strategies, and structures that will allow us to move fast and together when the moment shifts.
This is patient, generative work. It is about putting in place the relationships, strategies, and structures that will allow us to move fast and together when the moment shifts.
Main dates
| 30 March | Start date to apply for a conference scholarship. Start date to express your interest in attending the conference. Start date to express interest in contributing to the programme. |
| 31 May | Closing date to apply for a conference scholarship. Results will be announced by 19 June, and successful applicants will be asked to fill in the registration form for the conference by 15 July. |
| 15 July | Closing date to express your interest in attending the conference. Decisions will be announced by 31 July. |
| 23 August | Deadline to complete payments of the Conference fee. |
The Solidarity Fund
Each year through our scholarship programme we support around a third of the participants of the conference, helping ensure that financial barriers do not determine who can be present when we come together as a movement. You can help more activists receive a scholarship by contributing to the Solidarity Fund. If you are able to contribute, your solidarity can make a real difference.
Sponsorship opportunities
For our private sector partners and allies, the conference offers a powerful platform for brand visibility at the largest gathering of LGBTI activists in Europe. If you represent a company and would like to explore sponsorship opportunities, reach out to partnerships@ilga-europe.org.
FAQ
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The ILGA-Europe Annual Conference is the largest annual gathering of LGBTI activists, organisations, and allies in Europe and Central Asia. It brings together around 400–500 participants each year for several days of strategy-building, learning, networking, and decision-making, including the General Meeting of members. It is both a key moment for collective movement work and a core part of ILGA-Europe’s democratic process.
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Host cities are selected through a process where local organisations express interest or ILGA-Europe proactively reaches out to members. The final decision rests with the board and considers factors such as venue capacity, organising costs and local authority support, accessibility and travel connections, political context, security, and the support of local LGBTI organisations. Each conference is organised in partnership with local organisations, a key principle of ILGA-Europe’s model.
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Hosting everything under one roof is the most cost-effective, safe, and accessible option for an event of this size (400–600+ participants). Bundling accommodation, meeting rooms, catering, and equipment in one contract significantly reduces costs and removes the need for transport between venues. Splitting across multiple locations could double or triple expenses.
Alternatives like expo centres or public buildings lack the necessary infrastructure and require participants to move through potentially unfamiliar or unsafe areas, which is a particular concern for the marginalised communities we serve. They also often fall short on accessibility and dietary requirements.
While a four-star hotel may seem like a luxury, venues capable of hosting 400+ participants with multiple breakout spaces are almost exclusively four or five-star hotels. The choice is driven by practicality and participant wellbeing, not luxury.
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The ILGA-Europe Annual Conference typically runs for 3.5 days, usually from a Wednesday to Saturday.
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The conference has a range of formats for insight, conversation, networking and socialising. including:
- Panels, workshops, strategic discussions and learning spaces
- Inspirational sessions
- Networking spaces
- Social events, including opening and closing parties
- Organisational governance spaces (General Meeting of Members, elections).
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The conference is a core moment for the LGBTI movement in Europe and Central Asia. It is where activists come together to build strategy, respond to political developments, and share knowledge and practices. It is a space to connect with others working on similar issues, strengthen solidarity across countries, and collectively shape ILGA-Europe’s priorities through open discussions as well as formal governance decisions.
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ILGA-Europe has 700+ member organisations across Europe and Central Asia, with widely varying levels of financial resources. Without limits, participation would be dominated by well-resourced, larger organisations. The limit ensures that organisations have fairer access across a very large network, that smaller or underrepresented groups have a place in the room, and that participants can engage with one another in a more balanced way. The result is a genuine diversity of voices, which is central to what the conference is meant to be.
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The conference is not only about capacity, but about equity and representation.Those who cannot pay for more than one or two persons, are often organisations working with and for more marginalised groups or those facing intersecting exclusions. By keeping this limit, we make sure voices of some are not louder than others just because of access to money.
Participants have also given us feedback that this limit of two per organisation helped them be more intentional about who they delegate and how they use the space.
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The conference brings together a wide range of people committed to LGBTI rights and equality. This includes:
- LGBTI activists and organisations
- Human rights defenders
- Policymakers and allies
- Funders and movement partners
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Every year, the Board and staff of ILGA-Europe assess where the movement stands politically, financially, and in terms of capacity and needs. This is informed by activist input from the previous conference, other channels of cooperation with LGBTI groups and organisations, and an evaluation of how the previous conference went. From there, key objectives and thematic strands are defined.
LGBTI organisations can then propose to host sessions through an open and competitive process, and later have the opportunity to propose and run self-organised spaces. Local hosts also shape the programme, ensuring it reflects the situation, needs, culture, and accomplishments of the host country.
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At a time of shrinking resources, mounting opposition, and fewer opportunities for all of us to meet, strategise, and learn from each other, the conference is a critical space for collective response and solidarity. For many of our participants it is the only moment in the year when they get to meet their peers, inspire each other, and grow their strategies and impact.
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The conference is a space where our movement comes together to become an international community of activists and allies. It centers our political agendas and strategic needs, while creating space for learning and sharing of good practices. It’s organised by and for the movement. It is also a key element of ILGA-Europe’s own democratic process, as it hosts our General Meeting of members.
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The conference is designed to build trust and relationships across movements, enable deep strategic discussions, and create the kind of solidarity and collective momentum that is difficult to replicate online. Whenever financial capacity allows us, we aim to stream some of the panels and sessions to enable access for those who could not join in person.
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ILGA-Europe organise an opening event on the Wednesday evening, and a closing party on the Saturday evening. On Friday evening there is a karaoke night, which has become a much loved tradition at the conference.
Every year, our local hosts organise a range of other social activities.
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Participants leave with new partnerships and networks, shared strategies and tools, and a stronger foundation for regional coordination. These connections and resources go on to strengthen LGBTI rights work at national and local levels long after the conference has ended.
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ILGA-Europe has organised its Annual Conference every year since 2000, making it a long-standing pillar of the movement.
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During the conference our staff and board attend and facilitate sessions, listen to input of activists, and take notes. The content of the conference feeds directly into ILGA-Europe’s annual priorities and strategy, strengthens collaboration between organisations, and contributes to long-term movement building across the region. It is not a standalone event but an integral part of how ILGA-Europe works with and for the movement throughout the year.
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Yes, there are two fee options. (There are also a good number of scholarships available, see under the scholarships questions.)
The full fee covers the cost of three lunches, six coffee breaks, two dinners, and accommodation at the full value charged by providers. The opening and closing dinners are funded separately for all participants in order to keep costs down. If your organisation or institution can afford it, we encourage you to choose this option.
The subsidised fee is a reduced rate available to member and non-member LGBTI organisations, grassroots groups, and community groups who need support to attend. Please note that the number of subsidised spots is limited.
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The fee with accommodation covers four nights of accommodation with breakfast. It also includes full participation in the conference programme, from the opening reception on Wednesday evening through to the closing dinner on Saturday night, with all lunches, dinners, and coffee breaks from Thursday to Saturday included.
The fee without accommodation covers full participation in the conference programme on the same terms, including all lunches, dinners, and coffee breaks from Thursday to Saturday.
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The Solidarity Fund is a way to support someone else’s participation in the conference. Every year, our scholarship programme helps around a third of the 400+ participants to attend. Demand is growing, and this year we expect it to reach an all-time high. Your contribution can truly make a difference.
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There are several ways to contribute. You can donate to the general scholarship pool at this link, helping to increase the overall number of scholarships we can offer. If your funds have earmarked purposes, you can request that your contribution be matched with a scholarship applicant based on region or type of organisation, though this option is only available if your contribution fully covers a scholarship including travel. You can also sponsor someone from an LGBTI group you already know and support through a partner sponsorship.
To contribute to the general scholarship pool, donate here.
If you would like to discuss a specific or partner contribution, leave your contact details here and we will be in touch.
Get in touch
If you have any questions about the Conference, please contact us at: dublin2026@ilga-europe.org
