The application campaign for the World Youth Festival Assembly continues. The large-scale international youth event will take place in Nizhny Novgorod from September 17 to 21, 2025, bringing together 2,000 young people – 1,000 from Russia and 1,000 from abroad. Candidate registration was launched on April 16 during the World Youth Festival’s Birthday celebration and will remain open until July 20, 2025, on the official website: https://asm.wyffest.com/en/
“In September, Russia will once again become a global hub for active youth from around the world. The World Youth Festival Assembly is a natural continuation of the World Youth Festival 2024 – a platform for open and equal dialogue among young people from different countries. It will strengthen the international youth community formed during the festival, united by the desire to make the world safer and more comfortable for everyone. Just two months after the application campaign began, around 40,000 applications have been submitted, a third of them from representatives of foreign candidates. This level of interest confirms that young people from different countries strive for unity, cooperation, experience exchange, and joint project implementation,” said Grigory Gurov, Head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh).
Young people under 35 working in media, creative industries, sports, education and science, public administration, entrepreneurship, and IT are invited to participate in the World Youth Festival Assembly. Key selection criteria include candidates’ experience in fostering international youth cooperation, participation in Russian and international projects, and English proficiency. Like at the World Youth Festival 2024, children – 200 teenagers aged 14 to 17 – can also participate in the event. Over 9,500 children have already applied, including about 1,500 from abroad. Unlike WYF 2024, where the Children’s Program was more autonomous, this year teenagers will be fully integrated into the Assembly’s agenda, attending main events, learning from older peers, and feeling as a part of the larger youth community.
“When launching the registration, we aimed to attract participants from 120 countries, but the campaign has exceeded expectations – applicants from 176 countries have already applied to the Assembly. The geography is impressive: applications include young leaders from Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, the Middle East, and even Australia. At the same time, we are committed to strict selection, seeking true leaders with impactful projects and social initiatives – those already making a difference in their countries. We want to bring together truly active and socially engaged young people. The WYF team is meticulously designing the program to ensure every day is meaningful and memorable,” stated Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate.
Applications have been received from all 89 Russian regions, including the Sirius Federal Territory. The highest number has come from Moscow and the Moscow Region, St. Petersburg, Krasnodar Krai, Nizhny Novgorod, Rostov, and Sverdlovsk Regions, as well as the Republics of Tatarstan and Bashkortostan.
The Assembly is centered around the concept “Russia Warms Hearts”. As a hub of friendship and cooperation, Russia creates a welcoming atmosphere for forging international connections and not only warms hearts but also inspires great achievements. During the event, participants from Russia and abroad will explore limitless opportunities for youth and experience the country’s spirit and diverse cultural identity.
The event will feature an interactive modular format, including debates on trending topics (AI, cryptocurrency, education, sports, business), immersive shows, workshops, and project pitches. Unique highlights include creating the world’s largest painting, an international Gastropicniс near the Nizhny Novgorod Fair and ice-skating masterclasses with Hockey Club «Torpedo».
The Assembly will be a space for open cross-cultural dialogue, fostering mutual respect, understanding, and friendship. Participants will present their professions, countries, and ideas on a global stage—an entry point into the international professional community. The organizer of the World Youth Festival Assembly is the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs (Rosmolodezh) with the Nizhny Novgorod Region Government as a co-organizer and the World Youth Festival Directorate acting as the operator.
Overview:
The World Youth Festival took place on March 1–7, 2024 in Sirius, according to the Decree of Russian President Vladimir Putin on the development of international youth cooperation. The WYF-2024 brought together 20,000 young leaders from 190 countries.
On the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation, the WYF will be held in Russia on a regular basis – once in six years. Also, every six years 10,000 young people from all over the world will get together at the World Youth Festival Forum, and in between, international themed assemblies for 2,000 participants will be held under the auspices of the WYF. The first Assembly is scheduled to take place in September 2025 in Nizhny Novgorod. Festival events of various formats will be held in Russia annually.
According to the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation on the preservation and development of the Festival legacy, the World Youth Festival Directorate continues the work aimed at strengthening international youth cooperation.