Decolonial Europe Day is an annual initiative that shifts the conversation around Europe Day (9 May) from celebration to critical engagement. At a time when colonial power structures and their contemporary manifestations continue to shape institutions, borders, economies, and social relations, the initiative creates a space for reflection, resistance, and collective action.

Decolonial Europe Day brings together activists, researchers, practitioners, and civil society organisations committed to challenging colonial legacies and imagining more just futures. By amplifying voices engaged in decolonial struggles in and beyond Europe, the event aims to question dominant narratives and strengthen connections across movements.

For the 2026 edition, Decolonial Europe Day will take place as a series of four thematic sessions, combining online and in-person discussions.

The programme will open on 9 May 2026 with the online session “Decolonial Europe Today: Power, Systems, and Possibility,” which will frame the political and analytical context for the conversations that follow.

A second session, “Decoloniality and Shifting Spaces,” will take place in person in Brussels, focusing on shrinking civic space and the challenges facing social movements and civil society organisations across Europe.

The third session, “Beyond the Borders: Migration, Coloniality and Fortress Europe,” will explore how colonial histories continue to shape migration regimes, border policies, and forms of resistance.

The series will conclude with “From Silos to Solidarity: Organising Across Movements,” an online closing session dedicated to knowledge sharing, collaboration, and building stronger alliances across movements working for social, racial, and environmental justice.

Decolonial Europe Day 2026 is organised by the Decolonial Europe Collective, a grassroots network committed to questioning, resisting, and dismantling colonial power structures in and from Europe.