Night of Ideas 2026 Returns with Enlightenment Now: Independence at 250
Panel Discussion, Performance
Multiple locations across the U.S.
March - May 2026
From March to May 2026, Night of Ideas, Villa Albertine’s popular nocturnal festival, returns in 18 cities across the United States.
Coinciding with the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, this edition will bring together thinkers, scientists, community advocates, and artists for conversations exploring the philosophical and political roots of our democracies.
Drawing on perspectives from both sides of the Atlantic, Night of Ideas will examine the Enlightenment ideals that helped shape democracies in the U.S. and France—such as reason and the rule of law, the pursuit of progress, freedom of expression, and equal access to education and culture—and will ask what might become of these guiding principles as we look ahead to the next 250 years. From pondering how to create optimal conditions for youth engagement and critical thinking to examining the notion of “progress” in the face of the rapidly evolving technologies, Night of Ideas will tackle diverse topics with high stakes for our collective future.
Launched in 2016 during an exceptional evening gathering in Paris of leading French and international voices invited to discuss the major issues of our time, Night of Ideas quickly established itself on the French and international agenda. The 10th edition will take place in the U.S. in 2026.
All Night of Ideas events are free and open to the public.
Learn more and sign up for updates here. Check out the list of participating cities below.
Participating Cities
- Atlanta, GA
- Chicago, IL
- Columbus, OH
- Culver City, CA
- Denver, CO
- Houston, TX
- Honolulu, HI
- Gainesville, FL
- Pasadena, CA
- Portland, OR
- Miami, FL
- New Orleans, LA
- New York, NY
- San Diego, CA
- San Francisco, CA
- Santa Cruz, CA
- San Marcos, TX
- Seattle, WA
- Washington, DC
Please note that this list is subject to change.
Night of Ideas 2026 is presented by Villa Albertine and Albertine Foundation thanks to the leadership support of the Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation. It is coordinated worldwide by the Institut français.
In partnership with
Albertine Foundation
Albertine Foundation is an American nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting French American relations through innovative cultural and educational programs.
In close partnership with Villa Albertine, the French Institute for Culture and Education, Albertine Foundation administers grant programs across diverse creative disciplines including visual and performing arts; cinema; and literature, while also supporting exploratory residencies for creative professionals and thinkers across the United States. Albertine Foundation also contributes to promoting French language learning in the United States and funds new opportunities for students, professors, and researchers in the spheres of secondary and higher education.
Albertine Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation by Internal Revenue Service determination. Contributions from corporate, foundation, and individuals are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Institut français
The Institut français is responsible for France’s international cultural program. Supervised by both the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs and by the Ministry of Culture, it promotes French culture abroad through cultural exchange initiatives. Operating in a space where the arts, intellectual exchange, cultural and social innovation, and linguistic partnerships interact and intersect, it is also responsible for promoting the French language and the sharing of works, artists, and ideas all over the world. The Institut français is one of Villa Albertine’s main French partners.
The Judy and Peter Blum Kovler Foundation
The Foundation’s work has included the underwriting of public spaces. This includes being the largest supporter of Washington’s Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, the principal donor for the Emmett Till Exhibit at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, a major donor to New York’s Statue of Liberty Museum and to Washington’s United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and an early donor to Chicago’s Obama Presidential Center, its latest effort after decades of assistance on Chicago’s South Side.
In connection to French culture and history, it has long supported the restoration of Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris and has only accelerated this work since the 2019 fire; the Louvre Endowment; and education on Holocaust and Deportation scholarship including the 1988 Academy Award-winning documentary, Hotel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie.
French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs
The Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs works to represent, defend and promote the interests of France and French nationals in all areas in foreign countries and international organizations.