The largest festival of public sector innovation
Creative Bureaucracy Festival
Every year, the Creative Bureaucracy Festival brings together over 2,000 participants from government, politics, civil society and beyond – to explore bold ideas and celebrate outstanding innovations in public administration.
Certainly this is one of those places worldwide where the best public innovators come to swap ideas and learn from each other.
James Anderson, Government Innovation Lead, Bloomberg Philanthropies
On 11 June 2026, the festival returns to Berlin for its ninth edition. We once again welcome creative minds, public sector innovators and changemakers from Germany and around the globe to rethink the principles, processes and practices of our public institutions.
Festival Tickets are now available. Secure our Early Bird price now! Information on speakers and the 2026 programme will follow.
A Review of 2025
The 2025 Festival welcomed more than 2,100 participants on site and over 2,000 viewers via the livestream, marking the highest attendance figures in its eight-year history. It welcomed familiar and upcoming creative minds and public sector innovators on four stages and five workshop spaces including our new meetup area. Across 90 sessions, more than 200 speakers from over 30 countries shared bold ideas, practical tools, and inspiring experiences. Speakers included Martina Klement, Chief Digital Officer and State Secretary at the Berlin Senate Chancellery; Ralph Brinkhaus, MP; Simone Schwanitz, Secretary General of the Max Planck Society; and Katja Wilken, President of the Federal Office of Administration. Read more about the participants here.
The programme showcased a diverse range of Creative Bureaucracy in Action, including topics like state reform, inclusive innovation and cultural transformation. Relive the inspiring moments that made the festival so special and see the photo gallery here. The full Impact Stage programme is available on YouTube. You can find all topics and speakers here.
INFORMATION ABOUT THE FESTIVAL 2026
The Creative Bureaucracy Festival brings the public innovation community together to exchange ideas, challenge routines, and explore how better bureaucracy can emerge from within. Whether you’re a policymaker, reformer, or everyday changemaker – the festival is your space to learn, connect, and act.
Big questions are on the table – and the Creative Bureaucracy Festival is the place to tackle them. How do we modernise public institutions without losing sight of democracy? What kind of state do we need to meet today’s challenges?
The Festival takes place on Thursday, 11 June 2026. Doors open at 8:00 (CEST) and all programme sessions will run between 9:00 – 19:00 (CEST). And to ensure this really feels like the festival we all deserve, we are excited to also offer a day of music, art and entertainment throughout the day until late.
The festival will be hosted at Festsaal Kreuzberg in Berlin, located at Am Flutgraben 2, 12435 Berlin. Found between the underground station Schlesisches Tor and the train station Treptower Park, it offers convenient access via bus, S-Bahn and U-Bahn.
Find the location map of 2025 here.
Every year we will offer sessions from speakers around the world presenting innovative solutions for the administration of tomorrow: faster digitalisation, strategies for comprehensive equality, a more skilled work force, and better coordination of collective action on the biggest challenges of our time.
See the programme PDF of 2025 here.
To join us on site in Berlin make sure to secure your festival ticket. It gives you access to all stages and areas at the venue, allowing you to take part in the entire programme.
You can’t travel to be with us on site? You can watch our livestream for free and join us digitally on our website! We stream our Impact Stage which hosts several keynotes, specialist lectures and project presentations on a variety of themes. More information will follow.
The Creative Bureaucracy Festival is committed to being a welcoming and inclusive space for all – regardless of visible or non-visible disabilities, age, race, ethnicity, religion, gender identity, or sexual orientation. We ask everyone to help create a respectful, safe and open atmosphere throughout the festival.
Find our Code of Conduct & Accessibility page here.
BECOME A PARTNER
Find out about different possibilities to support the Creative Bureaucracy Festival as a partner.
