Registration has opened for the Citizens Guest Program of the International Festival of Youth (IFY) 2026, offering up to 5,000 residents of the Sverdlovsk Region an opportunity to take part in festival activities in Ekaterinburg.
Interested participants must submit their applications by August 10, 2026, through the official website of the World Youth Festival Directorate’s International Platform of Opportunities. Russian citizens aged 14 years and above who are permanent residents of the Sverdlovsk Region are eligible to apply.
Applicants will be required to complete an online application form and submit a questionnaire, including a motivational essay explaining their interest in participating in the festival.
Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate, said the initiative aims to ensure that local residents become an important part of the international event hosted in their own region.
“It is important for us that residents of the Sverdlovsk Region become full participants in the International Festival of Youth. They will have the opportunity to share stories about their homeland, present their ideas, and communicate with young leaders from 190 countries. Ekaterinburg is welcoming the world, and we want the people of the region to be an integral part of this cultural dialogue,” Ivanov said.
Selected participants from the Sverdlovsk Region will be able to visit the festival venue from September 13 to 16, 2026. The program will include access to exhibition areas, guided tours of festival locations, cultural events, special activities, a gastronomic zone, open discussions, and meetings with representatives from various industries.
Participants who successfully complete the selection process will receive free transportation to the festival venue and personal accreditation passes.
The International Festival of Youth 2026 will be held from September 11 to 17 in Ekaterinburg under the national project “Youth and Children.” The festival will bring together 10,000 participants from 190 countries, including 5,000 participants from Russia and 5,000 from other countries. Among them will be 1,000 teenagers aged between 14 and 17.
Participants will represent diverse fields including creative industries and arts, public administration, science and education, sports, entrepreneurship, media, digital technologies and IT, as well as civic engagement.
The festival will be held under the theme “Follow Your Dreams” and aims to promote international dialogue, cultural exchange, and cooperation among young people worldwide. Organizers said the event will also highlight Russia’s development projects and opportunities for young people.
The World Youth Festival was previously held in Sirius from March 1–7, 2024, bringing together 20,000 young leaders from 190 countries following a decree by Russian President Vladimir Putin to strengthen international youth cooperation.
Continuing the legacy of the festival, youth events have been organized annually across Russia. In 2025, the World Youth Festival Assembly was held in Nizhny Novgorod, where 2,000 young people from 120 countries participated.
The World Youth Festival Directorate said it remains committed to expanding international youth cooperation and building a global community of young people working together to create a better future.
