Four days in Paris in October, 350 scholarships across three very different tiers. What the tiers cover, what the fees are, and who the programme is genuinely for.
Short answer: the Global Youth Festival 2026 runs 15–18 October 2026 in Paris, organised by HISA. It is open to anyone aged 18–40 of any nationality, with no academic requirement. There are 350 scholarships across three tiers — only the top 100 include airfare. A non-refundable application fee applies. It is an independent institute's festival, not a UN or UNESCO programme.
The Global Youth Festival is the event behind most searches for a youth summit in Paris in 2026. It is worth setting out plainly what it is, because the Paris setting leads a lot of people to assume something it is not.
15–18 October 2026, in Paris. Run by HISA, the Headway Institute of Strategic Alliance. Up to 500 delegates are expected from more than 120 countries, across four days of policy dialogue, workshops, mentorship and cultural programming.
It is an independent institute's festival. It is not a UN or UNESCO programme, despite the city and the framing of some third-party listings.
Anyone aged 18 to 40 at the time of the event, of any nationality, with working English.
Notably, there is no academic or professional background requirement. You do not need a degree, an institutional affiliation or a research record. Among international programmes of this size that is genuinely unusual, and it makes this one of the more accessible entry points if your CV is still thin.
Full attendance across all four days is mandatory for scholarship holders.
350 awards, and the tiers are not variations on a theme:
Tier 1 — Fully Funded Global Scholar. 100 awards. Return airfare support, full visa fee reimbursement, three nights' shared accommodation, meals, full access.
Tier 2 — Partially Funded Scholar. 100 awards. Accommodation, meals and access. You arrange and pay your own travel. For most applicants outside Europe, that is the largest single cost of attending.
Tier 3 — Festival Pass Scholar. 150 awards. Access to the festival only.
All three are announced as scholarships. When an offer arrives, find the tier before you book anything.
There is an application fee, and it is non-refundable — including for scholarship applications that are unsuccessful. Paid participation packages, for those not applying for an award, run from $99 to $499.
That is worth weighing honestly. You are paying to apply, and 350 awards against a field drawn from 120 countries means most applicants will not receive one. Decide whether the fee is worth it to you before you start, not afterwards.
Paris means a Schengen visa for most non-EU delegates. Tier 1 reimburses the fee, but reimbursement arrives after the fact and does not shorten an appointment queue. October is not a quiet season for European consulates — start the moment you are accepted.
If you are early in your work, want an international room, and can absorb the application fee: yes, it is one of the more open programmes of its scale.
If you need a guaranteed free trip, understand that only 100 of the 350 awards cover travel, and plan accordingly.
15–18 October 2026, in Paris. Full attendance across all four days is mandatory for scholarship holders.
No. It is organised by HISA, the Headway Institute of Strategic Alliance. Being held in Paris does not make it a UN or UNESCO programme, and several third-party listings imply otherwise.
350 across three tiers. Tier 1 (100 awards) covers return airfare support, visa fee reimbursement, three nights' accommodation and meals. Tier 2 (100 awards) covers accommodation, meals and access but not travel. Tier 3 (150 awards) is festival access only.
Yes. An application fee applies and is non-refundable, including for unsuccessful scholarship applications. Paid participation packages run from $99 to $499.
Anyone aged 18 to 40 at the time of the event, of any nationality, with working English. No academic or professional background is required.
Every event page has its own registration form. Places on each programme are limited.
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