Utopian Hours
28 May – 29 May Rotterdam, The Netherlands
The Rotterdam edition marks a significant milestone for Stratosferica, the Turin-based social enterprise behind the festival. It’s the first major European edition of the festival, following the American debut of Utopian Hours in Miami in 2023.
The choice of Rotterdam reflects a long-standing dialogue between the festival and the city. Known internationally for its experimental architecture and forward-looking approach to climate and urban innovation, Rotterdam offers a natural setting for Utopian Hours’ multidisciplinary and inspirational format.
Utopian Hours celebrates Ten Years in Rotterdam
Festival founders Luca Ballarini and Giacomo Biraghi comment:
“Utopian Hours has always celebrated cities and urban innovation through an accessible and open-minded approach. Rotterdam’s experimental spirit makes it the ideal place to expand the festival and engage a broader international audience.”
The Rotterdam edition is organised with the support of the City of Rotterdam, Rotterdam Partners, Droom en Daad, and a network of cultural organisations across the city. The partnership with the City of Rotterdam builds on a roundtable on urban climate resilience held during Utopian Hours 2025, which helped lay the groundwork for bringing the festival to the Netherlands. Over the years, many Dutch voices have already taken to the festival stage, including Winy Maas (MVRDV), Kristian Koreman (ZUS), Caroline Bos (UNStudio) and Dirk van Peijpe (De Urbanisten).
Melany van Twuijver, Strategic Advisor for Architectural Policy at the City of Rotterdam, adds:
“Turin and Rotterdam share much as forward- thinking cities working on urban renewal in a practical and systemic way. Rotterdam is proud to host Utopian Hours in May 2026 — a collaboration that brings international inspiration and new partnerships to the city, serving as a catalyst for projects that move not only Rotterdam, but all participants, forward.”
For the Ten Years Edition, the festival brings together some of the most influential voices in international city-making, figures who have inspired audiences at previous editions and continue to shape the future of urban culture and design. Confirmed keynote speakers include Liam Young, Matt Grunbaum (Field Operations), Baharash Bagherian (URB) and Sarah Castle (IF_DO), and Robert Stephens (Urbs Indis) who will present projects and perspectives shaping the future of urban culture and design.
Utopian Hours will be hosted in the iconic Modernist landmark Groot Handelsgebouw (GHG) opposite Rotterdam Centraal Station. Over two days the programme will include keynote lectures, curated roundtables, panels, city tours, film and documentary screenings alongside The Urbanites’ Fair, dedicated to independent editorial projects and third- sector organisations exploring contemporary placemaking.
The themed roundtables, co-curated by Stratosferica and the City of Rotterdam, will explore key challenges shaping the future of cities, including:
- Green Water City
- Gender-Inclusive Public Space
- Carbon City
- Third Spaces
- Just Green
The full programme, including masterclasses, and additional speakers, will be announced in the coming weeks.
The festival will also renew its collaboration with Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam (AFFR) and Rotterdam Rooftop Days, and host an Exclusive Opening Reception at the spectacular Fenix Museum.
