Art Directors Club of Europe (ADCE) is bringing ADCE Creative Week back to Barcelona, where the second edition of the festival dedicated to Europe’s creative community will be held from 17 to 20 November 2026.
Following last year’s edition, ADCE Creative Week continues to build a space where different generations, disciplines and markets meet. The festival will gather more than 500 participants from across Europe at DHub Barcelona, with a programme that includes talks, portfolio review, competitions, gala ceremonies and networking events.
The theme of this year’s edition is Relationships, based on the idea that creativity does not come only from good ideas, but from the relationships that give those ideas a chance. Trust between creatives and clients, support from teams, the courage of people who stand behind a vision and the communities that help ideas grow will be at the center of the festival programme.
One of the new elements of the programme is Creative Leaders Summit, a gathering of senior creatives and business leaders who will discuss how relationships shape leadership, organizational change, innovation and the future of the creative industry. The Summit will bring together 12 keynote speakers in a more intimate format designed for open conversation, exchange of experience and more concrete connections among participants.
The first confirmed speakers are Mihnea Gheorghiu, global chief creative officer at Le Pub, Juliana Paracencio, executive creative director at Droga5, Dustin Duke, head of brand innovation at Amazon Lab, and Liza Enebeis, creative director and partner at Studio Dumbar. Additional names and programme details will be announced in the coming months.
An important part of the festival will also be the judging of the ADCE Awards. The final round of judging will once again be open to the public, giving participants a rare opportunity to follow the discussions that lead to decisions on the Grand Prix and special awards.
For students, recent graduates and young professionals, Portfolio Review is designed as a format that connects new generations with experienced creative leaders, recruiters and agencies from different European countries. AI Creative Challenge also returns to the programme, a competition in which participants respond to unexpected briefs using AI tools, with a focus on the combination of technology, creativity and fast thinking.
ADCE Creative Week will once again give special attention to young talents. At the ADCE Student Awards Gala, the best student work from Europe will be presented, while the festival will close with the ADCE Awards Gala, where the winners of the 35th edition of the ADCE Awards will be announced.
This year’s edition will also host a new round of the Creative Express programme, which brings together selected young talents from member countries. Participants work in international teams and respond to a live brief within 24 hours, with an emphasis on collaboration, cultural exchange and the creation of professional connections that can last much longer than the task itself.
