Over 800 journalists from 62 countries apply to cover International Festival of Youth 2026

Mohammad Kawsar Uddin

Dhaka, Bangladesh: More than 800 journalists and bloggers from 62 countries have applied for media accreditation to cover the International Festival of Youth (IFY) 2026, with organisers closing the accreditation process ahead of the global event scheduled to be held in Russia’s Ekaterinburg from September 11 to 17.

According to the organisers, applications were received from representatives of around 320 media organisations, including more than 200 international outlets. Journalists and content creators from countries including Bangladesh, India, China, the United States, Spain, Italy, Indonesia, Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Switzerland, Portugal, Colombia and Uzbekistan are among those seeking accreditation.

“This year, we witnessed significant interest from both international media and the blogging community,” said Dmitry Ivanov, Director General of the World Youth Festival Directorate.

He said accredited media representatives would have access to a fully equipped International Media Center featuring workstations, recording studios, press conference and interview zones, lounge facilities and other support services to facilitate news coverage.

Organisers said accredited journalists and bloggers would receive expanded access to key festival events, opportunities to interview leading speakers and interact with participants from around the world. A team of media volunteers will also provide on-site assistance throughout the event.

The International Festival of Youth is expected to bring together around 10,000 young leaders from 190 countries, including 5,000 participants from Russia and 5,000 from overseas. An additional 1,000 teenagers aged between 14 and 17 will also take part in the programme.

Held under the theme “Follow Your Dream,” the festival aims to serve as a global platform for dialogue, knowledge sharing and international cooperation across science, education, media, entrepreneurship, public administration, sports, digital technologies, creativity and civic engagement.

The event is being organised as part of Russia’s national Youth and Children project and is expected to be one of the largest international youth gatherings of the year.