EMYA 2026 BILBAO

The European Museum of the Year Award (EMYA) Conference and Awards Ceremony 2026 took place in Bilbao, the capital of Bizkaia, from Wednesday, June 10th, to Sunday, June 14th, 2026.

Organized by the European Museum Forum (EMF) and hosted by local institutions, Euskararen Etxea and its Interpretation Center—winner of the 2025 Council of Europe Museum Prize—and the Provincial Council of Bizkaia, the Conference brought together members of the EMYA community, including former candidates, winners, partners, and friends, alongside the EMYA2026 nominee museums.

Thirty-four museums from seventeen countries, nominated for the EMYA 2026, presented their achievements during the conference. One of the key objectives of the event was to foster the development of forward-looking strategies in response to contemporary challenges, while creating a space for dialogue and learning within and for communities.

We are proud that Euskararen Etxea was chosen to host this exceptional event. We are delighted to have welcomed you to our center and our city – to Bilbao, a place where memory, history, and modernity converge to inspire the future of European museology. We warmly invite you to return to Bilbao and Euskararen Etxea.