The world´s largest festival of public sector innovation
Creative Bureaucracy Festival - Review 2026
Every year, the Creative Bureaucracy Festival and the Global Forum of Public Service Leaders bring together over 2,000 participants from more than 50 nations from government, politics, civil society and beyond – to explore bold ideas and celebrate outstanding innovations in public administration.
On 11 June 2026, the festival returned to Berlin for its ninth edition. We once again welcomed creative minds, public sector innovators and changemakers from Germany and around the globe to rethink the principles, processes and practices of our public institutions.
Democracies around the world are under growing pressure. Against this backdrop, the 2026 Festival focused on a central question: How can public administrations become more innovative, agile and effective? And how can they, in doing so, make a decisive contribution to strengthening democracy?
Creative Bureaucracy – Stronger Democracy is our theme for 2026, guiding our work not only during the Festival Days, but throughout the year.
On 11 June 2026, the festival returned to Berlin for its ninth edition. We once again welcomed creative minds, public sector innovators and changemakers from Germany and around the globe to rethink the principles, processes and practices of our public institutions.
Democracies around the world are under growing pressure. Against this backdrop, the 2026 Festival focused on a central question: How can public administrations become more innovative, agile and effective? And how can they, in doing so, make a decisive contribution to strengthening democracy?
Creative Bureaucracy – Stronger Democracy is our theme for 2026, guiding our work not only during the Festival Days, but throughout the year.
At the 2026 Festival we welcomed speakers from some 50 nations, such as Veronika Grimm, Member of the German Council of Economic Experts; Wolfgang Schüssel, former Federal Chancellor of Austria; George Papandreou, Rapporteur-General on Democracy of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and former Prime Minister of Greece; Monica Barone, CEO of the City of Sydney; Lisa Witter, Co-Founder and CEO of Apolitical & Better Politics Foundation; Geoff Mulgan, Professor at University College London; and Ramon Marrades, Director of Placemaking Europe.
The Creative Bureaucracy Awards 2026 were presented to Audrey Tang, former Digital Minister of Taiwan; Monica Barone, CEO of the City of Sydney; Mariana Mazzucato, University College London; Wolfgang Schüssel, ehemaliger Bundeskanzler Österreichs; and the international artist Ólafur Elíasson.
Download here the PDF programme overview and festival map of the Creative Bureaucracy Festival 2026.
At the 2026 Festival we welcomed speakers from some 50 nations, such as Veronika Grimm, Member of the German Council of Economic Experts; Wolfgang Schüssel, former Federal Chancellor of Austria; George Papandreou, Rapporteur-General on Democracy of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and former Prime Minister of Greece; Monica Barone, CEO of the City of Sydney; Lisa Witter, Co-Founder and CEO of Apolitical & Better Politics Foundation; Geoff Mulgan, Professor at University College London; and Ramon Marrades, Director of Placemaking Europe.
The Creative Bureaucracy Awards 2026 were presented to Audrey Tang, former Digital Minister of Taiwan; Monica Barone, CEO of the City of Sydney; Mariana Mazzucato, University College London; Wolfgang Schüssel, ehemaliger Bundeskanzler Österreichs; and the international artist Ólafur Elíasson.
Download here the PDF programme overview and festival map of the Creative Bureaucracy Festival 2026.
Certainly this is one of those places worldwide where the best public innovators come to swap ideas and learn from each other.
James Anderson, Government Innovation Lead, Bloomberg Philanthropies
INFORMATION ABOUT THE FESTIVAL 2026
The Creative Bureaucracy Festival brings the public innovation community together to exchange ideas, challenge routines, and explore how better bureaucracy can emerge from within. Whether you’re a policymaker, reformer, or everyday changemaker – the festival is your space to learn, connect, and act.
Big questions are on the table – and the Creative Bureaucracy Festival is the place to tackle them. How do we modernise public institutions without losing sight of democracy? What kind of state do we need to meet today’s challenges?
Explore our online programme HERE!
The Festival takes place on Thursday, 11 June 2026. Doors open at 8:00 (CEST) and all programme sessions will run between 9:00 – 19:00 (CEST). And to ensure this really feels like the festival we all deserve, we are excited to also offer a day of music, art and entertainment throughout the day until late.
The festival will be hosted at Festsaal Kreuzberg in Berlin, located at Am Flutgraben 2, 12435 Berlin. Found between the underground station Schlesisches Tor and the train station Treptower Park, it offers convenient access via bus, S-Bahn and U-Bahn.
Find the location map of 2025 here.
Every year we will offer sessions from speakers around the world presenting innovative solutions for the administration of tomorrow: faster digitalisation, strategies for comprehensive equality, a more skilled work force, and better coordination of collective action on the biggest challenges of our time.
Explore our online programme HERE!
To join us on site in Berlin make sure to secure your festival ticket. It gives you access to all stages and areas at the venue, allowing you to take part in the entire programme.
You can’t travel to be with us on site? You can watch our livestream for free and join us digitally on our website! We stream our Impact Stage which hosts several keynotes, specialist lectures and project presentations on a variety of themes. More information will follow.
The Creative Bureaucracy Festival is committed to being a welcoming and inclusive space for all – regardless of visible or non-visible disabilities, age, race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, or sexual orientation. We ask everyone to help create a respectful, safe and open atmosphere throughout the festival.
Find our Code of Conduct & Accessibility page here.
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