AECFest 2026 unfolds as a year-long constellation of encounters between Asia and Europe. The edition brings together a Main Festival in Utrecht, the Netherlands, from 14 to 23 May 2026, a Closing Curtain event in Singapore, and a Residency Programme that stretches across the year, allowing ideas, practices, and relationships to develop over time. 

Hosted for the first time in the Netherlands, the Main Festival in Utrecht marks a new chapter in AECFest’s ongoing exploration of artistic exchange. Presented in collaboration with SPRING Performing Arts Festival, this edition places contemporary artistic practices at the centre, inviting artists and audiences to engage with shared questions, lived realities, and shifting cultural landscapes across both regions. 

Conceived as a festival-in-a-festival within SPRING’s wider programme, AECFest offers a focused lens on Asia–Europe artistic dialogue. The programme weaves together performances, films, installations, video works, and multidisciplinary projects, creating spaces where different artistic languages can meet, resonate, and challenge one another. 

Building on recent editions presented in Italy (2024) and China (2025), AECFest 2026 continues to evolve through collaboration with leading international arts platforms, deepening its commitment to long-term artistic relationships rather than one-off presentations. 

The full AECFest 2026 programme will be announced on 16 March 2026.