thesilkroadtoday
Medellín, Colombia – July 2026 – Sixty-eight poets and musicians from thirty-two countries will gather in Medellín for the 36th International Poetry Festival of Medellín, transforming the city once again into a global meeting place for imagination, dialogue, and hope.
Under the theme “Towards the Human Spring: Poetry as the Axis of Hope,” the festival will take place from 4 to 11 July 2026, welcoming voices from diverse cultures and geographies. The participants arrive carrying the words, landscapes, memories, and struggles of their peoples, creating a unique encounter that celebrates both human diversity and shared aspirations.
More than a gathering of authors, the festival represents the creation of a great polyphonic chorus in which every language becomes a homeland and every poem an act of peace. The event affirms poetry as the universal language of conscience and a vital force for understanding in an increasingly fragmented world.
For eight days, audiences will experience sixty-eight different ways of naming life itself, united by the conviction that poetry can nurture solidarity, awaken reflection, and inspire collective renewal. Once again, Medellín will stand as the world capital of verse and a beacon of cultural dialogue.
The 36th International Poetry Festival of Medellín is convened and organized by Prometeo Magazine – Medellín International Poetry Festival and the World Poetry Movement. The project is supported by the Mayor’s Office of Medellín and the Ministry of Culture’s National Cultural Cooperation Program, with sponsorship from Comfama and strategic partnerships with Confiar Coop and the Medellín Chamber of Commerce for Antioquia.
In this thirty-sixth edition, the festival renews its historic commitment to poetry as a force for peace, human dignity, and hope, inviting the world to listen to one shared heartbeat—the heartbeat of the Human Spring.
