YOUTH SUMMER FEST – 5TH EDITION –
Welcome to the 5th edition of Youth Summer Fest in Timișoara, Romania, a summer movement where young people create experiences for other young people, learn by doing, and turn their energy into real impact.
Since 2022, YSF has brought together international and local volunteers in a vibrant exchange and learning context. This is not just a festival! It’s a learning festival. Here, you don’t just “help out”; you grow, experiment, facilitate, reflect, and level up your skills while having an amazing summer.
For 30 days (19th of July – 17th of August 2026), dedicated volunteers transform Timișoara and Lugoj into a playground for creativity, collaboration, and community vibes. From concerts and public celebrations to interactive workshops, educational sessions, and fun challenges, everything is organised #ByYouForYouth.
You don’t just participate, you co-create. You’ll shape the festival with your own ideas, skills, and activity proposals, seeing them come to life while creating real impact for others, and developing yourself every single day.
The structure
This year’s edition comes with a new approach in structure. Alongside the first teambuilding & training week for the teams, the volunteers will benefit from workshops delivered by experts in Timisoara. These sessions will equip them to later replicate & facilitate in the following week for communities outside the city.
- Week 1: Teambuilding, onboarding and training
- Week 2: Pop-Up Week (Timișoara)
- Week 3: Replication week (Lugoj)
- Week 4: Reflection, evaluation & closing
And we have two core pillars on which we base our activity:
#LEARN – through workshops, trainings, and hands-on experience
#SHARE – by multiplying what you learn and facilitating activities for local youth
Main areas of involvement
As a volunteer, you can choose one main team and contribute throughout the entire festival:
- Facilitation: preparing and delivering workshops and activities, evaluating impact, and contributing to festival reporting;
- Media & Promotion: photography, video, articles, magazine creation, online content, and creative city promotion;
- Logistics: preparing spaces, equipment management, materials organisation, transport, and event support.
Who can apply?
We are building a diverse international team that will work together for one month. Volunteers should be:
- Between 18 and 30 years old;
- Able to communicate in English;
- Residents of an ESC eligible country.
We value open-mindedness, flexibility, and tolerance. Organising a large festival means adapting to changes and working with various stakeholders. Respect for diversity is essential — racism, sexism, or harassment are not accepted.
What will you gain?
- Learn how a festival is organised from the inside
- Build facilitation, communication, and teamwork skills
- Receive a Youthpass certificate describing your learning outcomes
- Meet people from different cultures
- Develop your portfolio within a recognised international project
Recruitment Timeline
- Recruitment starts: 20 February 2026
- Application deadline for non-EU: 20 March 2026
- Application deadline for EU: 30th of April 2026
- Confirmation for visa applicants: 3 April 2026
- Confirmation for non-visa applicants: 12 May 2026
Only applications submitted through the European Youth Portal will be considered. Applicants must have a pre-registered account and submit an authentic motivation statement.
Applications are made exclusively through the Youth Portal:
For more details regarding accomodation, food or travel reimbursements, make sure to check the infopack below.
Important: Only applications submitted through the European Youth Portal will be considered. Applications generated using AI tools may not be considered, as we are looking for authentic, personal responses that reflect your own experience, motivation, and voice.
Project co-funded by the European Union.