Asia-Europe Cultural Festival x SPRING 2026

AECFest is a multidisciplinary public arts festival that alternates annually between Asia and Europe. In 2026, it will be presented as a festival-in-a-festival within SPRING, taking place from May 14 to 23. This edition marks the third consecutive year that AECFest is hosted within a major international festival platform, following editions in Italy (2024) and China (2025). The Asia-Europe Cultural Festival (AECFest) 2026 is funded by the People’s Republic of China and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.

Together, SPRING and ASEF invite audiences to engage with creativity, diversity, and cross-cultural exchange. The full programme will be announced in March 16.

About ASEF

The Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF) promotes understanding, strengthens relationships and facilitates cooperation amongst the people and institutions of Asia and Europe. ASEF enhances dialogue, enables exchanges and encourages collaboration across the thematic areas of culture, governance, economy, sustainable development, public health and education.  

Founded in 1997, ASEF is a not-for-profit intergovernmental organisation located in Singapore. It is the only permanently established institution of the Asia-Europe Meeting (ASEM). Together with about 700 partner organisations ASEF has run more than 750 projects to date, mainly conferences, seminars and workshops. Over 20,000 Asians and Europeans have actively participated in its activities, and it has reached much wider audiences through its networks, web-portals, publications, exhibitions and lectures.  

Do you want to know more about the Asian-Europe Foundation? Click here.

About AECFest

The Asia-Europe Cultural Festival (AECFest) is a multidisciplinary arts festival that celebrates the artistic diversity of Asia and Europe and promotes dialogue and exchange amongst artists from the two regions. Presented by the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF), the festival travels each year to a different country of Asia and Europe offering a diverse range of contemporary art forms and practices, including performing arts, music, exhibitions, film and roundtable discussions 

Since 2018, the festival has served as a testament to the rich tapestry of cultural exchanges between Asia and Europe, fostering artistic collaborations and igniting connections between the two continents known for their diversity and creativity. The festival is dedicated to showcasing works that embody deep collaborations between artists across 51 countries of Asia and Europe. The featured projects emphasise cross-cultural partnerships, celebrating creativity that transcends borders and fosters mutual understanding between Asian and European arts communities.

Do you want to know more about AECFest? Click here.

Picture taken by Gregory Lorenzutti: Home Bound – Luke George and Daniel Kok, part of AECFest.