The downloadable version of the draft programme is available here.
Visit 1 - Human Power Hub – Social Innovation Center of Braga
Showcase its role as a catalyst for social innovation in Braga. Guests will explore collaborative spaces, meet with social entrepreneurs, and learn about impactful projects addressing urban and social challenges. The experience highlights HPH's commitment to fostering sustainability, inclusion, and community-driven solutions.
Visit 2 - Viva o Bairro e Pulsar
The visits to “Viva o Bairro” and the Pulsar program highlight initiatives that promote urban revitalization and community well-being. “Viva o Bairro” focuses on the renewal of public spaces, creating more welcoming and accessible environments, while Pulsar is a physical activity program for cancer patients in rehabilitation, offering personalized support to promote not only physical recovery but also mental and social well-being. Together, these initiatives demonstrate how urban renewal and health programs can strengthen community bonds and enhance quality of life.
Visit 3 - INL – Iberian International Nanotechnology Laboratory
Explore cutting-edge scientific research projects at this research facility. The INL was founded by the governments of Portugal and Spain under an international legal framework to perform interdisciplinary research and deploy and articulate nanotechnology for the benefit of society. INL aims to become the worldwide hub for nanotechnology addressing society’s grand challenges.
Visit 4 – Gnration e Startup Braga
The visit to Gnration and Startup Braga will highlight the synergy between culture, technology, and entrepreneurship that defines Braga’s innovative ecosystem. At Gnration, participants will explore how the fusion of art and technology fosters creativity, showcasing pioneering projects that position Braga as a hub for cultural innovation. At Startup Braga, the focus shifts to entrepreneurship, with the presentation of disruptive projects in fields like AI, biotechnology, and sustainability, alongside the support systems that help startups scale globally.
Visit 5 – Municipal Market
The visit to the Municipal Market emphasizes its commitment to sustainability and the promotion of local products. It highlights the market’s role in supporting the community, preserving traditions, and fostering a connection between producers and consumers, showcasing Braga’s dedication to sustainable development and cultural heritage.
Visit 6 - Walk with the National Capital of Culture Braga 2025
This study visit includes the neighborhoods of Fujacal, Fontainhas, Quinta da Capela, Makro, and Parretas, as well as Contra-Quiosque exhibition spaces.
Contra-Quiosque revisits and rehabilitates the legacy of five disused kiosks in Braga to transform them into exhibition spaces.
These kiosks will open at the same time according to a route that will showcase five artistic works resulting from artistic residencies developed by other artists: Emilia Rigová, Hilda de Paulo, Maria Trabulo, Marta Machado and Miguel Teodoro. These works are the result of artistic investigations into private collections and/or institutional archives of less representative communities in Braga, uncovering new stories and representations of the city.
Fujacal, Fontainhas, Quinta da Capela, Makro and Parretas are five densely populated residential areas in Braga.
Quinta da Armada, Lameiras and S. Vicente are three areas where there are urban gardens in the city. The Shape of Neighbourhood Architecture and Art Festival aims, in co-creation with architects, artists and the inhabitants and visitors of these places, to create new living spaces.
In 2025, eight temporary architectural installations will be built in each of these places, designed to host Braga 25 activities and works commissioned from eight artists, as well as meetings of residents and neighbourhood actions.
As digital spaces increasingly shape public discourse, social interaction, and democratic participation, cities are under growing pressure to address online harms such as hate speech, misinformation, and polarisation. While municipalities often find themselves on the front line, their role in the digital realm—and the tools available to them—remain unclear and frequently underutilised.
This training workshop will explore how European cities can take a more active role in fostering safer and more inclusive digital environments. Drawing on insights from the Safe Digital City programme by Nordic Safe Cities, the session will present practical strategies and lessons learned from addressing online risks and building digital resilience. Topics will include identifying the targets of online hate, understanding which issues drive polarisation, recognising the events that trigger online hostility, and exploring how city officials and municipalities can take effective preventive action to protect residents from harmful digital content.
With a strong focus on the municipal role and room for manoeuvre, we will delve into cross-sector collaboration and local prevention initiatives. The session is case-based and designed to inspire concrete action through real-world examples and peer-to-peer dialogue.
Venue: Colunata dos Eventos, Parque do Bom Jesus, 4715-261 Braga, Portugal
Format: walking dinner
Dress code: business casual
'Towards a new European partnership for cities'
The 2025 Eurocities Annual Conference takes place at a defining moment for urban Europe, as a new EU policy agenda emerges that could reshape the role of cities in European governance. Against the backdrop of recent crises—including the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and migration challenges—cities have proven vital in maintaining essential services and social cohesion. Yet, their political and financial empowerment remains insufficient. This panel will explore how EU institutions and city leaders can forge a new partnership, ensuring cities have direct access to funding, tools for private investment, and a stronger role in EU decision-making. Join us to debate how cities can drive a more competitive, sustainable, and inclusive Europe.
- Open Cities: unlocking public spaces for all
Investing in public spaces that are vibrant, accessible and sustainable is key to good quality of life in cities.
Local authorities have the power to transform urban spaces, making them greener, more inclusive, and ultimately more attractive. This is done through smart urban planning, urban regeneration with sustainability in mind, cooperation with various actors, and a good dose of cultural vibrancy.
From open squares to public libraries, from brownfields to new housing areas, shared spaces are multiplying, offering opportunities for more social interactions and for different uses, involving a diversity of people.
How do cities invest in quality, vibrant and inclusive public spaces? From new design and planning approaches to cultural approaches to urban planning, the session will highlight local practices while investigating enablers for vibrant public spaces, including innovative governance models, new partnerships and connections between different thematic public policies.
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Ambitious Cities: shaping public procurement to boost competitiveness
Public procurement is one of the key tools available to cities to implement their investment strategies and drive sustainable transformation. Its potential, however, remains hampered by the shortcomings and fragmentation of the EU and national legal frameworks, as well as a lack of resources and skills for the uptake of innovative approaches to public buying.
This session will discuss current city strategies to adopt new approaches to public procurement, leveraging purchasing power to promote environmental and social innovation; the most significant ‘pain points’ of the current EU legal framework as well as suggestions for improvement; and what kind of capacity-building activities need to take place for urban public buyers to be able to fully embrace and implement an ambitious procurement strategy.
The outcomes of the discussion will feed into Eurocities advocacy work on public procurement, including the upcoming revision of the EU Public Procurement Directives.
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Thriving Cities: Investing in homes, Investing in Europe
Across Europe, more and more cities are facing a dire housing crisis, affecting urban populations, from the most vulnerable individuals to essential workers. Local governments are using all available tools at their disposal to prevent housing from becoming a luxury that only a few can afford.
Given the multi-faceted nature of this crisis, collaboration between all levels of governments is essential and the EU has a key role to play. Besides revising legislation to create a favourable framework for sustainable, affordable housing, giving cities access to EU funds and investments is one of the most urgentresponses required at the EU level.The session will address the following questions:
- What opportunities do the ongoing revisions of EU funding instruments, including InvestEU, present for cities in their fight against the housing crisis?
- How to ensure the next EU budget will secure some funding to tackle the housing crisis?
- How do we ensure that the future European affordable housing plan and its pan-European investment platform will provide tools that are targeted to local needs?
Online hatred and polarisation are on the rise across Europe, increasingly shaping public discourse and threatening democratic participation. Women in political and leadership roles are disproportionately targeted, facing gender-based abuse intended to silence, intimidate, and push them out of public life. This trend has serious implications for democratic engagement, public trust, and gender equality in city leadership.
For city leaders, this represents both a personal and institutional challenge: how to ensure safety, foster inclusive digital spaces, and uphold democratic values.
This interactive lunch session will explore the scale and impact of online abuse, drawing on recent data and key insights. Participants will be invited to reflect on their own experiences, share ideas, and learn about emerging local strategies to combat online hatred.
Organised in partnership with Nordic Safe Cities, the session will feature brief presentations followed by an open discussion to encourage peer exchange and clear takeaways.
The annual Eurocities Awards celebrate exceptional achievements by cities and individuals who are working to improve the quality of life for their residents and address Europe’s most pressing challenges.
- The City Heroes award recognises politicians and city officials for their exceptional leadership or initiatives, whether at the local or European level.
- The Inspiring City Initiative award highlights cities that are setting the standard in creating equitable opportunities, fostering inclusivity, and investing in long-term prosperity for their residents.
Cities must often navigate complex and challenging decisions. They face difficulties and unforeseen events that can disrupt plans, leading to policies or projects failing or deviating from their original intent.
The bottom line is that challenges and failures offer valuable learning opportunities, especially when shared with others. This session is designed to foster this exchange - encouraging participants to learn from each other’s experiences and mistakes, inspired by the conference theme 'Stronger Cities, Fairer Europe'.
This session will provide the opportunity for politicians to exchange with representatives from the Young City Shapers programme exchange on the broader political dimensions of urban decision-making.
One year after the launch of the Eurocities Shadow Commission during the 2024 European Elections campaign, it is high time for the Shadow Commissioners to meet in person. The Shadow Commission has been a key body in leveraging the network’s advocacy and influence on the EU political agenda. This session will provide an opportunity for Eurocities Shadow Commissioners to exchange experiences, recognise their achievements, and look ahead to the next milestones. This will also be an opportunity to look at the lessons learned by the Shadow Commissioners during their mandate and discuss ways for Mayors to be better involved in EU affairs. A family picture with all members of the shadow Commission will be taken on this occasion.
Venue: Torre da Naia, R. da Torre, Gondizalves, 4705-303 Braga, Portugal
Format: seated dinner
Dress code: formal attire
An interactive networking session for cities to share their knowledge and experience.
Becoming a Eurocities ambassador for the next EU budget
As the EU prepares its next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), the direction of future funding is at a crossroads. Current proposals suggest a shift toward greater centralisation, with national governments set to control the majority of the EU budget—potentially sidelining cities from direct access to key funds. This session will explore the risks of this trend, including the potential merging of vital EU programmes into a single competitiveness fund. With cities on the frontline of delivering EU priorities, mayors must step up as advocates for urban interests. Join this session to understand what’s at stake and how city leaders can influence the negotiations to secure a fair, inclusive, and future-ready EU budget.
- Porto
Porto is a forward-looking city, proud of its tradition, while committing to a sustainable future.
As part of the city visit to this unique European city, embark in an opportunity to discover Porto’s rich cultural heritage, active lifestyle, and dynamic entrepreneurial spirit: key drivers of its emergence as a global hub for innovation, as well as a magnet for talent and investment. Following a reception at Porto City Hall, carefully curated tracks aim to showcase the city's historical landmarks, vibrant cultural scene, and business ecosystem.
Join us to explore first-hand how Porto seamlessly blends tradition with forward-thinking development.
- Guimaraes
Guimarães is a historic City where our past is leveraging for green, digital and social innovation.
As part of the city’s visit to Guimarães, the 2026 European Green Capital, we invite you to immerse yourself in the new generation of NZEB public buildings that embody the city’s “Do No Harm" vision. This includes the successful project of retention basins, which have prevented flooding that has affected our UNESCO heritage for many years, as well as the unique Landscape Laboratory: a research and development centre and hub for environmental education, representing a joint effort between the municipality of Guimarães, the University of Minho, and the University of Trás-os-Montes.