The CONSUL DEMOCRACY Foundation and the City of Munich host the annual ConsulCon — a three-day gathering on digital democracy, open-source civic technology and democratic empowerment. Expect demos, workshops on designing participation processes, sessions on open-source technology as a digital public good, and keynotes on the democratic potential of it all. Open to all; donation-based tickets.

The International Observatory on Participatory Democracy (OIDP) will return for its 25th annual conference in Kraków from 21–23 September 2026, under the theme “Hope and renewal in the face of a global crisis of democracy.”

Join the 14th Athens Democracy Forum, organized by the Democracy & Culture Foundation in association with The New York Times. This year's Forum asks how democracy must evolve to be fit for the 21st century, bringing together policymakers, civil society, academics and young leaders for sessions led by senior NYT journalists. Features the Kofi Annan NextGen Democracy Prize and the City of Athens Democracy Award.

The GDC Global Forum brings together insights from regional dialogues across Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe into a shared global agenda for democratic resilience. Co-located with the Athens Democracy Forum, this hybrid event focuses on strengthening collaboration across the democracy ecosystem at a time of shrinking civic space and declining funding for democratic governance.

The Global Forum on Modern Direct Democracy will convene in 2026, bringing together democracy practitioners, civil society leaders, researchers, and policymakers from around the world to explore the future of modern direct democracy.

The Council of Europe's 14th World Forum for Democracy explores "Democratic Foresight" — how democracies can anticipate future risks and build collective responses. Over three days, participants engage with forward-looking scenarios through democracy labs featuring innovative initiatives from around the world. Includes a Democracy Innovation Award and open Call for Initiatives.