Bucharest Photofest 2026 takes place in Bucharest, Romania, from October 9 to 18. The international photography festival returns for its 11th edition under the theme WITNESS, exploring photography as a way to observe, document, and question the world around us.
The programme brings together approximately 50 events and more than 200 artists, photographers and professionals. Visitors can explore exhibitions, film screenings, workshops, artist talks and live music across the city. Admission to all exhibitions and exhibition openings is free; selected activities require tickets.
Bucharest Photofest 2026: Exhibitions and Artists
The WITNESS edition examines how photographs preserve evidence, personal histories and the experiences of communities undergoing change. Exhibitions include:
- Archive of Evidence — Evgeniy Maloletka: photographs documenting the siege of Mariupol.
- Broken memory — Mohamed Mahdy: a project about El Max, a fishing neighbourhood in Alexandria facing demolition, bringing together photographs, family archives, oral histories and letters.
- Solar Portraits — Rubén Salgado Escudero: portraits illuminated by the solar-powered lights their subjects use in everyday life.
Czech Photography at the Visual Arts Centre
Two exhibitions run from October 9 to 18 at Centrul Artelor Vizuale, Strada Biserica Enei 16.
In Sensitive Data, Jolana Havelková reworks images captured by publicly accessible webcams, examining surveillance and the boundaries between private and public space.
In Searching for Great Beauty, Eva Bystrianská looks for unexpected visual meaning in housing estates, suburbs and landscapes at the edges of cities.
Bucharest Photofest 2026 Venues
Kulturhaus is the festival’s main exhibition space and information point. The announced venues are:
| Venue | Address |
|---|---|
| Kulturhaus | Strada Sfânta Vineri 4 |
| ARCUB | Strada Lipscani 84–90 |
| CAV Multimedia | Strada Biserica Enei 16 |
| Centrul de Resurse în Fotografie | Strada Popa Tatu 68 |
| Cinema Union | Strada Ion Câmpineanu 21 |
| Control Club | Strada Constantin Mille 4 |
| National Museum of Maps and Old Books | Strada Londra 39 |
| OTOTO Station | Strada Sfinții Voievozi 20–24 |
| POINT | Strada General Eremia Grigorescu 10 |
| Rezidența 9 | Strada Ion Luca Caragiale 32 |
Check the venue and starting time for each event before travelling. Allow time between activities if you plan to visit several locations.
Through photography, like an elaborate way of expression, we can discover an essential topic of discussion in our current theme. Identity is a complex and multifaceted concept that can be explored from different perspectives and disciplines. A fact of being who or what a person or thing is, a set of values and elements that describes us as human beings. The qualities, beliefs, personality traits, appearance, and expressions characterize us, individuals or groups. Identity refers to how others perceive and label us based on our appearance, behaviour, or affiliation. Identity concerns our culture, gender, race, religion, nationality, education, occupation, family, and personal experiences. We are a complex mix of interacting characteristics. Identity is a choice between these characteristics. Our project concept is to link most of the events in the program into a theme, and the chosen topics, stories and experiences of the invited artists express our approach. The exhibitions, for example, can be a wake-up call, and the lectures and showcases can be encouraging and inspiring. We invite you all to be part of a new, intense and captivating visual experience at the current edition of our festival.
Ionuț Trandafirescu, director and founder of Bucharest Photofest
Bucharest Photofest Tickets and Free Admission
All exhibitions, exhibition openings, and the official festival opening are free to enter.
Film screenings, the party and the concert are ticketed through Eventbook. Selected photography workshops are booked through F64 Academia.
Check the individual event listing for its price, availability and booking requirements.
How to Plan Your Visit
Start with the official Bucharest Photofest programme and choose the exhibitions, screenings or workshops you want to attend. Check each listing separately for its date, venue and access conditions.
For an exhibition-focused visit, Kulturhaus is a useful starting point because it also hosts the festival information point. If you are booking a workshop or screening, build the rest of your itinerary around that activity’s scheduled time.
As the organisers say, at Bucharest Photofest, you can attend parties, live music concerts and product presentations featuring artists from different fields and genres. You will have ten days of pure entertainment and excitement, with great music and amazing vibes.
