The World Congress of the Hedonist International will take place for the 11th time from May 21 to 25, 2026, and welcomes colorful, constructive, and adventurous ideas, lectures, workshops, inspiring actions, and contributions to changing the world!

Because that is more necessary than ever!

Political hedonism, i.e., the idea and practice of shaping life in the here and now in a self-determined, solidarity-based manner full of pleasure and sensuality, is actually a good thing.

Nevertheless, we are in dire straits: Why do other narratives resonate so much more? Why speculate about the good life in the hereafter? Why should some people be better than others? Why exploit others in order to survive? Why use technology to dominate others? Why is so much aimed at destroying the foundations of life on Earth?

We want to find out what is possible when we base our political actions, our struggles, and our everyday lives on humanity, solidarity, and empathy, as well as on joy,  pleasure, and  enjoyment!

Because the world is full of people who have not forgotten this. People who

• do what isn’t on the form
• fight for woman*, life, freedom
• counter their own hardening with smiling self-reflection
• see planetary boundaries not as limitations but as a promise
• do things that are off the beaten track—and thereby hit the mark
• do not engage in “either/or” questions
• do not confuse the struggle for a good life with a naive smile
• cannot be dissuaded from fighting for a good life for all

The World Congress of the Hedonist International wants to bring such people together.

We are looking for contributions of all kinds on the following key questions:

• How can political hedonism contribute theoretically and practically to not only warding off the authoritarian turn, but rather reversing it into a free, open, and solidarity-based society?
• How can we bring compelling narratives into the public discourse?
• What forms of action, protest, and organization are most effective today?
• How do we build stable political networks and unusual alliances?
• How can we bring hope, joy, and creative energy together in social movements?
• How do we set the course for compassion, care, and cooperation in the short and long term?
• What knowledge, what ideas, and what tools do we need to experience beauty in the here and now? And what do we need to change the course of history?

The congress welcomes well-crafted but hard-hitting philosophy lectures as much as it does playful knowledge transfer workshops. There is room for presentations of projects and actions that shine beyond themselves, as well as for workshops on effective ways to throw a spanner in the works.

You can use unconventional forms of action to pass on your skills or explain the standards of trade union organization. The congress is open to exciting developments in science and technology as well as entertaining night lectures that inspire with absurd political analyses or wonderful nonsense. Whether karate, theater, punk concerts, or drag shows—submit your diverse contributions!

Submitting a contribution – here's how:

Submissions are made via Pretalx – the planning tool for the World Congress. Create an account, fill in all the necessary information, and submit your contribution by March 29.

Please describe your contribution in a way that outsiders can understand what you have in mind. Don't be afraid to submit a first draft. This can and should be refined further. Ideally, the description text should be suitable for the program booklet.

The standard length of lectures is 40 minutes + 10 minutes of Q&A and workshops are 50 minutes. Shorter contributions of 15 minutes or sauna length (100 degrees, 10 minutes, 1 infusion) are also welcome :)

We also welcome performances, installations, concerts, and DJ sets, as well as longer workshops. If formats require specific conditions, simply indicate this in Pretalx.

What happens next?

Submissions are reviewed by the Program Committee, which strives to put together a program that is as diverse, gender-equitable, exciting, and rebellious as possible. Not all submissions can be considered—for example, because the topic area is already well covered. The Program Committee will contact you in April to let you know whether your contribution has been accepted.

The World Congress is a participatory congress in which everyone participates and no one earns money. Even the people who have been organizing for months pay admission. Speakers and artists are participants like everyone else and should purchase tickets in advance. The tickets have a break-even price that must be met on average for the congress to sustain itself. However, participants can determine their own ticket price.

If your contribution incurs costs (e.g., for materials, travel, etc.) that could prevent you from participating, please mention this in your submission. Under certain circumstances, expenses can be covered by the congress. Any surplus from the congress will be donated to social and political projects.

If you would like to get involved in the organization, setup, or similar, join the “Mitmachzentrale” (our pre-congress onboarding event). It will take place on April 14, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at the Regenbogenkino, Lausitzer Straße 21a, 10999 Berlin.

And now let's get started!

Submissions close on 2026-03-29 23:59 (UTC), 2 weeks, 6 days from now.