Alba Iulia named Romania's Youth Capital for 2026

The historic city of Alba Iulia, in central Romania, has been named Romania's Youth Capital for 2026 with the program “#yoUthNITED,” following Vaslui, which will hold the title in 2025.

Cities in Romania compete annually for the title of Youth Capital through proposals and projects hinged on financial support, training, and consultancy for implementing the initiatives. The program is supported by organizations like the Romanian Youth Council, the Cluj Youth Federation, the PONT Group, and Banca Comercială Română.

The concept “#yoUthNITED” was created to give young people a unified voice. The pillars of the program include health, professional development, community engagement, non-formal education, and infrastructure.

Alba Iulia’s local administration says it has actively engaged with young people to co-create the city’s future, and winning this title gives them the opportunity to implement their program.

The program aims to build a sustainable ecosystem for youth in Alba Iulia, fostering collaboration between young people, the private sector, and public institutions. Planned activities include educational sessions, workshops, recreational events, and campaigns to create a flexible and appealing learning environment for local youth.

The program will also benefit from spaces, resources, and mentors, with backing from both private and public sectors. Alba Iulia will receive a EUR 50,000 prize from Banca Comercială Română to kickstart its activities and will have the opportunity to attract further funding.

The city will also host the Youth Summit and Youth Gala of Romania in 2026.

The “Romanian Youth Capital” program was initiated after Cluj-Napoca’s 2015 European Youth Capital title, and previous titleholders include Timișoara (2016-2017), Bacău (2017-2018), Baia Mare (2018-2019), Iași (2019-2020), Constanța (2021-2022), Târgu Jiu (2023), and Ploiești (2024).

In 2025, Vaslui will hold the title with its concept “#întinerEȘTI,” aimed at aligning the interests of various social groups in the city. The program, under the banner "ACCED," focuses on professional and re-professional development in five key areas: entrepreneurship, culture, civic-political involvement, ecology, and digitalization.

(Photo source: Ungureanu Vadim | Dreamstime.com)