Be the cinematic spotlight.
Bring international talent, media, and audiences to your city.
The European Film Awards have their homebase in Berlin, but every second year the award ceremony takes place elsewhere in Europe. The European Film Awards have a long tradition of travelling, and it is an important characteristic of our event: it underlines our commitment to Europe, and offers opportunities to strengthen the ties between the various European film industries and highlight the diversity of European cinema.
Why become a host city?
- Promotion: Highlights European cinema in the host city through a first-class international gala event, film screenings, and side events.
- Exposure of your national cinema: Showcases national filmmakers and promotes your national film industry actively across Europe over the period of 12 months.
- Nomination Announcement: Features the host city or country as location of the European Film Awards Nomination Announcement (mid-November).
- Local engagement: Encourages active involvement of locally based Academy members.
- Visibility of film incentives: Presents regional funding opportunities and production incentives to the international industry.
- Cultural spotlight: Promotes local culture (art, music, fashion, folklore) as well as local restaurants, cafés, cinemas, and film-related venues.
- Discovering film heritage: Celebrates and elevates the city’s and country’s cinematic legacy through events and screening programmes.
Where did the European Film Awards take place since 1988?
2028 – Berlin
How can a city become a host city for the European Film Awards?
For specific years, the European Film Academy is organising a bidding process for cities interested in host the ceremony of the European Film Awards and all related side events.
Please note that before participating in the bidding, time is required. Based on experience of successful bids in the past, reaching out 4 years prior to the potential award ceremony is recommended.
The European Film Awards ceremony is not just a weekend. It is an large-scale event with several side events that together span a period of 10-12 months. The side events include:
The side events include
- the one-year Promotion Programme (promoting national cinema in connection to European cinema) taking place from February-January, prior to the award ceremony
- the Mayor’s Night welcoming reception for pre-announced winners, nominees, patron delegations and official award partner delegations
- the Aftershow Party for all attendees of the award ceremony and additional local guests
How does the official European Film Awards bidding process work?
Interest in hosting the European Film Awards can be initiated by different entities: the city itself, the national film agency or through members of the European Film Academy.
Hosting the European Film Awards is always a joint effort an requires a strong consortium of national, regional and local governmental and private partners. It takes several years to form a strong consortium. It is therefore our advice to start talking about the plans with the European Film Academy as early as possible, to make planning realistic. The consortium needs to be able to formally guarantee its share of the financial investment to the project. Without a written guarantee securing 100% of the city’s share of the costs, bids are not discussed.
- The bidding process for the 41st European Film Awards (mid-January 2029) has closed on 30 April 2026.
- The bidding process for the 43rd European Film Awards (mid-January 2031) will open in September 2027 and closes on 30 April 2028.
- The bidding process for the 45th European Film Awards (mid-January 2033) will open in September 2029 and closes on 30 April 2030.
Please note that date changes may occur and will be published on this website. The European Film Academy reserves the right to change deadlines should they be necessary.
The formal bidding process to become the official selected hosting city 2029 is as follows:
- The interested city reaches out to the European Film Academy management at least in the 12 months prior to the deadline of the bidding period.
- The interested city receives an information brochure about the requirements and conditions, and a description of the scope of the hosting city project, including all mandatory events and programmes that are linked to the European Film Awards ceremony.
Please note that the interest in becoming a candidate hosting city needs to remain confidential. It is strongly advised not to share your interest and/or participation in the bidding process with others than direct stakeholders. It is not recommended to involve or inform the press. - The management of the European Film Academy meets and speaks with the interested city (or requesting party, often the national film agency) and makes all necessary information available.
- This includes a visit of max. 1-2 days to the interested city by representatives of the Academy management to meet with all envisioned consortium partners and see proposed venue locations, hotels, etc. Please note this visit needs to be made at least 7 months before the deadline for the bidding period (i.e. before October, due to the production and reporting period of the annual European Film Awards every year between October and March).
- The interested consortium of partners chooses a designated coordinating partner. The coordination partner officially submits its bid before the deadline of 30 April in either 2028 (for 2031) and 2030 (for 2033) and becomes one of the candidate cities after confirmation of receipt by the European Film Academy, confirming the eligibility of the bid.
- The board of the European Film Academy receives all bids of candidate cities made in the first 2 weeks of May (after the bidding deadline).
- At an Academy Board meeting, the Academy management presents all eligible candidate cities taking part in the bid to the Academy board members present. A board decision is made in Summer (after the bidding deadline) and the candidate cities that have taken part in the bid are informed about the result as soon as possible.
- Contract negotiations and preparations based on the bidding done start as soon as possible after the decision for the new hosting city. The contract negotiations are done solely with the coordinator of the consortium of the new hosting city. These contact negotiations are strictly confidential and do not allow for any communication to third parties, including the press.
- The contract between the European Film Academy and the hosting city is prepared and signed by all consortium partners and by the Academy management by November or ultimately mid-December (after the bidding deadline).
- After signing of the contract, the candidate city is formally the hosting city for the respective edition (this stays confidential until the public announcement, a date for the announcement in the second half of January is agreed mutually).
- The announcement of the hosting city of the respective year is done in the weeks after the European Film Awards ceremony in January, 2 years prior to the respective hosting year (i.e. in the last week of January). The format of the announcement is a press release, or if otherwise decided together with the coordinator of the hosting city.
Does the European Film Awards have sustainability requirements for host cities?
- Venue & infrastructure: Low-carbon or certified venues, hotels, and production facilities.
- Travel & mobility: Rail connectivity and low-emission travel options for international guests.
- Local supply chain: Local catering, crews, and suppliers to reduce both footprint and logistical complexity.
- Event footprint: A preliminary carbon estimate for the planned activities is welcomed. The Academy can share guidance and past methodology on request.
- Long-term legacy: Given the 10–12 month scope of the Awards, cities are encouraged to consider how sustainability principles extend beyond the ceremony into the Promotion Programme and side events.
The European Film Academy welcomes an open conversation about sustainability early in the process. Please raise this topic in your initial meetings with the Academy management.
