The International Festival of Youth 2026 will be held in Ekaterinburg. The main events of the Festival are scheduled to take place from September 11th to September 17th, 2026.

The Gorozhane Program is open to Russian citizens who are at least 14 years old and permanently reside in the Sverdlovsk Region.

To participate in the selection process, you must complete an application on the Platform at https://wyffest.com, write a short essay about yourself and your achievements, and answer the following question: “Why should you be selected for the Gorozhane Program?”.

Yes. Shuttle buses to the Festival venue will be provided for participants in the Gorozhane Program. The schedule will be sent to the email address provided during registration after you have successfully completed the selection process.

The selection results will be sent to the email address provided during registration no later than September 1.

To give as many people as possible the opportunity to participate in the Gorozhane Program and attend the Festival, we encourage participants to choose one of the available dates when registering.

The latest Festival program will be emailed to participants in the Gorozhane Program using the email address provided during registration after the selection process has been completed.

Yes. Participants in the Gorozhane Program may bring one child between the ages of 14 and 17 (inclusive). To do so, you must: Add your child to your application during registration. Ensure that your child is accompanied in accordance with the Gorozhane Program rules. Important: Children under the age of 14 are not permitted.

No. There is no upper age limit for participation in the Gorozhane Program.

Young people aged 14 to 35 are welcome to participate in the Festival.

— for the 14-17 age group: participants must be 14 years old on July 1, 2026, and under 18 years old on September 8, 2026. Participants may also turn 18 between September 11 and 17, 2026.
— for the 18–35 age group: participants must be 18 years old on September 8, 2026 (inclusive). Participation in the Festival is not open to those who are 36 years old or older on September 17, 2026.

The registration of applicants for participation will take place from February 5, 2026 to May 31, 2026, (inclusive), until 23:59:59 Moscow time, and it is divided into two stages:

The main registration period is from February 5, 2026 to April 30, 2026. During this time, applicants who have completed the registration process and competitive tasks will be included in the main and reserve lists of participants.

The additional registration period (for reserve list) is from May 1 to Мay 31, 2026. Applicants who complete registration and competitive tasks during this period will be included in the reserve list.

The competitive selection process will be conducted remotely. In order to participate in the selection, you must complete the following tasks within the specified time frame:

For the main registration period, from February 5, 2026 to April 30, 2026, and for the additional (reserve) registration period, from May 1 to May 31, 2026.

To participate, you need to do the following:
– Write an essay (step 1, not evaluated)
– Upload a video presentation (step 2)

Based on the results of the competitive selection process, the main and reserve lists of participants are formed from applicants who have applied during the main stage of registration. If the main list changes, applicants from the reserve list may be reconsidered and invited to participate.

Applicants who have completed the competitive tasks during the additional (reserve) stage are included in the general reserve list of participants. Consideration and evaluation of the competitive tasks of these applicants is carried out solely by decision of the competition commission in case of a change in the main list of the participants in the region or country of residence of the applicants.

Participants who complete the tasks after April 30, 2026 are selected in the additional (reserve) registration stage and are included in the general reserve list of participants.

The first results of the competitive selection process will be announced after June 22, 2026.

The regional expedition program is a unique opportunity to “unravel” the cultural code of Russia by visiting one of 30 regions of Russia or the Republic of Abkhazia.

How do I apply?
Step 1: Apply for the Festival (foreign participants aged 18 to 35 can take part in the program)
Step 2: When submitting your application, find the “Regional expedition program” section in the questionnaire and fill it out
Step 3: Pass the competitive selection process
Step 4: Wait for the results, which will be sent to your email

For all participants with an accreditation, the organizers provide:
— accommodation;
— meals;
— transfer during the event.

The cost of travel from the place of residence to the venue and in the opposite direction is carried out at your own expense or at the expense of the sending party*.

*The sending party may be the executive authority implementing the state youth policy, a university or college, as well as an employer.

For participants aged 18 to 35:
— participants with the highest number of points will be given the opportunity to pay for travel at the expense of the organizers from the place of residence to the venue and in the opposite direction;
— participants who do not score enough points will be asked to pay for travel from their place of residence to the venue and in the opposite direction at their own expense or at the expense of the sending party*.

*The sending party may be the executive authority implementing the state youth policy, a university or college, as well as an employer.

For participants aged 14 to 17, travel expenses from their place of residence to the venue of the IFY — 2026 and back will be covered by the organizers.

Participants are accommodated in comfortable hotels or dormitories based on the principle of multi-bed accommodation. When settling, age, gender, health, national and religious characteristics must be taken into account.

The organization of flights and accommodation is carried out centrally in accordance with regulations. In this regard, the organizers cannot take into account individual requests from participants.

Meals will be organized taking into account the national, religious, and age characteristics of the participants, as well as their specific dietary needs and restrictions, which were specified in their application.

The venue and their places of residence have been made accessible for people with disabilities, with conditions for comfortable movement created.

Yes, you can apply both as a volunteer and as a participant. At the selection stage, we will ask you to confirm one category that is most preferable for you.

To become a volunteer, you need to go through several stages:

1. From December 5th to March 31st, 2026, you can submit an application and complete a questionnaire on the DOBRO.RF platform.
2. Until March 31st 2026, take the recommended courses available on the DOBRO.RF platform.
3. Between April and June 2026, complete the interview.
4. After the interview, you will receive confirmation and an invitation to participate as a volunteer on your personal account. Test results will be available between June and July 2026.
5. In July – August 2026, complete the additional training required for your role as volunteer.

One of the main requirements for participating in our volunteer program is that you must be 18 years old by September 1st, 2026. If you are a resident of the Ekaterinburg, you may volunteer from the age of 16 (as a "city volunteer"). If you do not meet these requirements, we will not be able to invite you to join our volunteer program, but we would still glad to see you at our other events.

Volunteers arrive at the Festival venue one week before the main program starts. This includes arriving at the Festival site, participating in an excursion, attending in-person training sessions, receiving briefings, getting familiar with the facilities, obtaining accreditation, equipment and other necessary services, assisting at Festival events, and departure. Please note that volunteers cannot participate for just a few days during this time period. The Festival's volunteer program requires participation on all days.

During the Festival, the following services will be provided:
— Meals;
— Accommodation for non-resident volunteers;
— Transportation during the event;
— Life and health insurance;
— Souvenirs;
— Equipment;
— Memorable prizes from Festival partners.

ArtMasters Open is an international team competition organized by the Festival's partner for young "behind-the-scenes" specialists from abroad working in the movie and music industries: directors, cameramen, makeup artists, clip makers, music directors, sound producers, and other representatives of the creative industry.

Within the Creative industries, culture and creativity track, you have chosen to participate in the ArtMasters Open international competition for foreign participants residing abroad. To participate in the competition, you need to complete an additional competitive selection stage — "Portfolio".