Europe Day: EU Festival 2026 held in Tashkent

2 May 2026, Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Today, the Youth Creativity Palace in the capital hosted the EU Festival - Europe Day 2026, transforming a familiar venue into an open space for encounters, ideas, and cultures.

In his opening remarks, H.E. Toivo Klaar, EU Ambassador to Uzbekistan, stated: 

“Europe Day reflects a simple yet powerful idea - that cooperation brings peace, opportunity, and progress. Today, we celebrate the shared values that connect Europe and Uzbekistan — not only through words, but through experience. This festival is our way of bringing Europe closer to you.”

EU in Uzbekistan, 2026

This celebration is more than just a date. Its origins lie in the Declaration in which, 76 years ago on 9 May 1950, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman set out his vision of a united Europe. Today, Europe Day symbolises peace, cooperation, and a shared future. In Tashkent, these values were expressed through a vibrant and engaging multicultural festival.

Visitors had the opportunity to “travel across Europe” without leaving Tashkent. National pavilions, languages, music, gastronomy, and traditions were presented through interaction, hands-on experiences, and personal exchanges. Embassies of EU Member States - Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Finland - came together in the spirit of Team Europe, sharing their cultures in an open and informal way through people, stories, and emotions.

EU in Uzbekistan, 2026

The Festival also served as a platform of opportunities. Through presentations by the Cultural Centres of Greece, and Germany, DAAD – German Academic Exchange Service, the Goethe-Institut, the Alliance Française, and the EU’s National Erasmus Office, visitors not only experienced the richness and diversity of European cultural life, but also learned about opportunities for education, scholarships, internships, exchanges, and professional development. Guests explored EU-funded projects covering Uzbekistan and Central Asia, spanning education, environmental sustainability, digitalisation, connectivity, and civil society support. A dedicated stand showcased the work of the European Investment Bank, which recently opened its office in Tashkent, providing a tangible example of how international cooperation delivers in practice.

EU in Uzbekistan, 2026

Special emphasis was placed on live dialogue: visitors asked questions, exchanged ideas, took part in quizzes, workshops, and discussions, and joined in singing and dancing together with organisers. The atmosphere of the event brought together people from all backgrounds: students and schoolchildren, young professionals and families with children, representatives of educational and civil society organisations - as well as anyone interested in learning more about Europe and the opportunities it offers.

As organisers note, Europe Day is not only an opportunity to hear about cooperation, but to experience it - through people, projects, culture, and meaningful interaction.

About the EU

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 European countries. It is founded on the values of respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities. It acts globally to promote sustainable development of societies, environment and economies, so that everyone can benefit.