The festival programme will range from Ukraine’s reconstruction and affordable housing policy to international sustainable design workshops and co-creation with seniors in Birštonas.
On 9-13 June 2026, the New European Bauhaus (NEB) Festival, organised by the European Commission, will take place in Brussels. The five-day event will bring together representatives of architecture, design, culture, innovation, urban planning and civic engagement.
Lithuanian institutions and creators will present initiatives across several fields, from spatial planning and affordable housing policy to sustainable design workshops and the use of artificial intelligence in planning public spaces.
“The New European Bauhaus gives Lithuanian municipalities, universities and architectural practices the opportunity to secure EU funding for very concrete projects, from the renewal of public spaces to new housing models. Our task as the NEB contact point is to help Lithuanians get involved and make use of these tools,” says Gabrielė Janilionytė, NEB Coordinator at the National Institute of Architecture.
An initiative connecting the Green Deal with spatial quality
The New European Bauhaus is a European Commission initiative that links the European Green Deal with the transformation of territories, buildings and public spaces. It focuses on three core goals: sustainability, aesthetic quality and social inclusion.
The NEB is funded through several EU programmes. In the EU’s 2021-2027 multiannual financial framework, around EUR 1.4 billion has been allocated to initiatives linked to the NEB, with more than 700 projects already supported. This funding is complemented by national and private investment.
The Lithuanian Innovation Centre leads an international project
At the festival fair, where selected participants from across Europe will present the most advanced NEB solutions, a dedicated exhibition space will be given to the Lithuanian Innovation Centre (LIC) project “New European Bauhaus Action” (NEBA).
NEBA aims to strengthen the capacity of regions and cities to develop and apply inclusive and sustainable spatial planning policy instruments that increase resilience and the ability to adapt to climate change.
LIC is the lead partner of the project and coordinates cooperation between regions in five European countries. In the fair exhibition, the Lithuanian representatives will present examples from the European regions participating in the project, from renewed public spaces to models for climate-resilient residential areas.
Lithuanian representatives in the main forum
This year’s festival forum will feature Rūta Leitanaitė, a member of the Council of the Lithuanian Architects’ Association, coordinator of the “UREHERIT” project and chair of the Architects’ Council of Europe working group “Solidarity with Ukraine”.
She will speak at the NEB forum session “Strategic Reconstruction in Emergency Situations: Lessons from Ukraine”, which will explore how reconstruction after war or other crises can strengthen democratic society while ensuring architectural quality, sustainability and innovation.
The well-known architect will also take part in the final strategic discussion closing the entire forum. The discussion will be moderated by Ruth Reichstein, a member of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s cabinet.
Lithuania’s diplomatic contribution to Ukraine’s reconstruction process will be presented during the session by Darius Skusevičius, who since February 2025 has served as Ambassador-at-Large of the Republic of Lithuania for the coordination of Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction at the Development Cooperation Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Participants include sustainable design workshops from Zarasai
The festival’s cultural programme will also include the “Sustainable Creative Workshop”, organised by “Ezaras”, a Lithuanian design studio based in Zarasai. The studio was founded three years ago by cultural project coordinator and graphic design specialist Neringa Jarmalienė and ceramic artist Giedrė Nagreckienė.
Participants will create small interior objects from handmade paper and dried plants, and will be introduced to principles for independently producing larger handmade works such as lamps, partitions, screens and curtains. The workshops are open to people of all ages and educational backgrounds.
Satellite events will also take place in Lithuania
The main festival programme in Brussels will be complemented by two events in Lithuania. At Birštonas Public Library, a co-creation session titled “Circle of Nature’s Wisdom” will take place. Seniors and members of the local community, together with Birštonas Municipality and Kaunas University of Technology, will develop a vision for public spaces along the Nemunas riverbank.
Using artificial intelligence tools, participants will look for solutions to balance the needs of people and nature by creating a habitat for one animal living on the Nemunas riverbank, while also designing a comfortable place for people. The event is part not only of the NEB Festival, but also of the international “GreenInCities” project.
At the same time, the European Industrial Hemp Association (EIHA) conference will be streamed from Poznań, with the participation of last year’s NEB Prize winner Viltė Adomavičiūtė. She will present her project “Hempforma” – construction panels made from hemp fibre. The event will take place at the stand of the Lithuanian Hemp Growers Association KAPVIA, where visitors will be able to see samples and speak with the creator in person.
