Ticket sale for European Forum Alpbach 2024 starts

In this historic year, characterised by an unprecedented number of more than 70 elections worldwide, the Forum offers future-oriented debates and seeks solutions for the most pressing challenges of our time. Tickets for all modules can be purchased as of now.

"The year 2024 is a turning point in which more than half of the world's population will cast their vote in crucial elections. These global political decisions offer the opportunity to redefine the future course of climate policy, democracy and the economy. The stakes are particularly high in Europe, where EU citizens will vote in June and a new direction for the European Commission is expected to form in autumn", says Andreas Treichl, President of the European Forum Alpbach, emphasising this year's theme "Moment of Truth".

During the "Euregio Days" (17 to 18 August), people from the Euroregion Tyrol/South Tyrol/Trentino will come together in Alpbach. Outstanding research and innovation will be honoured and "Tyrol Day" will be the first festive highlight of EFA24.

The "Alpbach Seminars" (18 to 24 August) form the international kick-off for over 600 scholarship holders from all over the world at the European Forum Alpbach - a central part of the forum, as Treichl explains: "Young people from more than 70 countries are coming to Alpbach and, together with decisionmakers, a diverse, interdisciplinary and cross-generational exchange is taking place that cannot be found elsewhere. In this way, ideas on how we can shape the present and the future emerge across ideological differences."

Specific questions will be addressed at the "Lab Days" (22 to 24 August). Experts from a wide range of fields will be working on solutions to predetermined issues.

The "Europe in the World Days" (24 to 27 August) will bring together European stakeholders. Decisionmakers from European politics, business, science and culture will meet in Alpbach for the season opening.

The "Austria in Europe Days" (27 to 30 August) will focus on Austria's role in Europe. The most important players of civil society as well as entrepreneurs and politicians will come to Alpbach to exchange ideas with each other and with the next generation.

This year, EFA once again covers four main topics (tracks):

Europe must brace itself to ensure its own security. After almost two and a half years of the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, peace is but a faint memory. And with the upcoming US elections, the defence of Europe by non-European powers is becoming increasingly unreliable. The geo-economic risk of the weaponisation of trade links the Security Track to the issue of economic sovereignty and thus connects with the Finance and Economy Track. Here, we also deal with inequality and the need to invest in the ecological transition. Both topics are a direct reference to the climate crisis: How we fairly distribute its burden and organise our economic systems within our planetary boundaries are important topics to discuss in the Climate Track. The associated bridging of ideological divides and finding common ground are also essential in the fight against right-wing political movements. In addition, the Democracy and the Rule of Law Track deals with democratic engagement in this historic election year.

In addition, the EFA24 arts and culture programme provides a nuanced view on the annual theme: “Inhabit the Future” challenges us to take a step beyond the current Moment of Truth.

Some first programme highlights can already be found online; the more detailed programme will be published in May 2024.