About

2 days of discussions

20 European cities

2000 eager participants

Concept

Hybrid European Democracy Festival is discussion festival that connects people from all over Europe who want to be inspired about the future. For two days in May 2024 you can join the festival from over 20 locations around Europe to be part of seamless hyperlocal public discussions. The discussions will allow participants to find new perspectives, solutions and ideas to challenges the whole Europe is facing.

Let's make the European public discussion cool again

HEDF aims to create a new kind of public discussion in Europe. The kind that is accessible to people without expensive travel or digital skills. A human discussion enhanced by digital means. Making the discussion on global issues actually global.

Our other goal is this

HEDF aims to create a new kind of public discussion in Europe. The kind that is accessible to people without expensive travel or digital skills. A human discussion by digital means. Making the discussion on global issues actually global.

We're building a European public sphere for the 21st century

The salons of the future are neither physical nor digital, they are hyperlocal. Despite all the technological advances, humans stay human. And humans like human contact. So the new public sphere that can enable a truly democratic Europe has to be on a human level – this is what we call a hyperlocal format.

We see that global challenges need global discussions

With the ever deepening environmental challenges, geopolitical disruptions and technological advances the global governance needs to speed up to keep up. Our hyperlocal discussions are a testing platform for a new form of international democratic discussion, allowing for a truly international thoughtful public opinion to emerge.

We're looking for hope and spreading it far and wide

Discussions are not just about information – they are as much, if not more about social movements, about inspiration, about activization. So we see the bleakness of our prospects as a species and answer with a dash of hope.

A team effort

Hybrid European Democracy Festival comes into life in cooperation of organisations who are passionate about bringing innovation to public discussion and democracy.