More than 100,000 young people from 191 countries have applied to participate in the “International Festival of Youth 2026,” set to be held in Yekaterinburg, Russia. From these applications, 10,000 participants will be selected through a competitive evaluation process. Among them, 5,000 will be chosen from within Russia and the remaining 5,000 from other countries.
In addition, a total of 1,000 child delegates—500 from Russia and 500 from other countries—will also take part in the event. According to the organizers, around 1,000 applications have been submitted from Bangladesh.
The application deadline for the Youth Festival 2026 ended on April 30. The event will take place from September 11 to 17 in Yekaterinburg, bringing together 10,000 young leaders for open dialogue, experience sharing, and strengthening international cooperation.
The festival is being organized by the World Youth Festival Directorate under the leadership of Russia’s Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh). Young people aged between 14 and 35 were eligible to apply. The organizers will cover all expenses for selected participants, including travel.
In a press release issued late Monday night (May 4, Bangladesh time), the organizers expressed their enthusiasm over the overwhelming global response. Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko said that applicants include many young individuals actively engaged in social projects, technological development, scientific achievements, and public administration in their respective countries. He noted that these young leaders will come together to address global challenges, highlighting that under President Vladimir Putin’s direction, Russia is expanding opportunities for youth development.
Grigory Gurov, head of Rosmolodezh, stated that the festival aims to enhance opportunities for youth self-expression, build international friendships and professional networks, and initiate joint projects. He added that 40,231 applications were received from across Russia, while more than 62,000 applications came from Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and even Australia. Notably, for the first time in modern history, foreign applicants exceeded Russian applicants by 20,000.
Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate, said that the enthusiasm of young people in Yekaterinburg is particularly encouraging, with over 2,000 applications submitted from the city alone. Among foreign applicants, Algeria, Pakistan, and Brazil rank at the top, followed by Morocco, Uzbekistan, India, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Vietnam, and Libya in the top ten.
Organizers also confirmed that approximately 1,000 applications from Bangladesh have been successfully submitted this year.
The evaluation process is currently underway, where experts will select the best 10,000 candidates. Applicants will be assessed based on their skills and achievements in eight key areas: science and education, sports, entrepreneurship, media, IT and digital, creative industries, public administration, and civic engagement. Their interest in international collaboration and willingness to exchange experiences will also be considered.
For those who missed the initial deadline, a reserve registration process is open until May 31. If selected candidates are unable to attend, individuals from the reserve list will be given the opportunity. Final results are expected to be announced by the end of July or early August.
