Maia, 2026 European Volunteering Capital

The Centre For European Volunteering (CEV) announced which city will be the European capital of volunteering in 2026. The lucky winner is the Portuguese city of Maia, after a close call with Ballina and Rzeszów.

In choosing Maia as the European Volunteering Capital 2026, the jury noted that "the city is an outstanding example of harnessing volunteering for inclusion, diversity and participation of all its inhabitants, symbolising the European values of connection, diversity and progress."

Furthermore, the jury highlighted Maia's far-reaching initiatives to foster an inclusive society, spanning from local to international levels. These efforts align well with the Blueprint for Volunteering 2030 (BEV2030). This video highlights their dedication to volunteering and the spirit of solidarity, while successfully conveying both emotion and empathy.

The Jury also had a few words of accomplishments for Ballina and Rzeszów. Their progress in creating social awareness actions and making a positive impact with volunteering activities, as well as encouraging citizens to participate in their communities.

The full jury feedback on the each of the EVCapital Candidates 2026 is available at this link.

The competition

This competition was created in 2013 by the Centre For European Volunteering (CEV) with the aim to promote volunteering at the local level, by giving recognition to local municipalities that offer support and close collaboration with organizations and associations of volunteers or that promote altruism, as highlighted by the recommendations set out in the Policy Agenda on Volunteering in Europe.

The competition is held every year and the winning municipality is chosen by a jury composed of many personalities from the European volunteering sector.