Lisbon’s first English-language TEDx returns bigger, bolder, with new ideas that challenge our thinking and cross boundaries.
Lisbon will once again host TEDxMarvila on 23 May 2026, bringing together artists, entrepreneurs, and thinkers for a day that sits at the intersection of culture, innovation, and contemporary debate. In its second edition, the event strengthened its position as an independent ideas platform with international ambition, placing Marvila at the centre of a broader global conversation.
This year, the guiding question is simple but deliberately provocative: What Is Love?
At a time of accelerating technological change and uncertainty TEDxMarvila positions the question as both timely and necessary.
The 2026 programme brings together voices across culture, business, investment and the arts, including:
- Haddaway, internationally acclaimed artist whose global hit What Is Love became one of the defining cultural anthems of the 1990s.
- Beatriz de Sousa, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Oncoglam, Portugal’s only publication dedicated to cancer and lifestyle for patients, healthcare professionals.
- Drummond Money-Coutts, internationally recognised magician and television host whose work spans major global platforms including Netflix and National Geographic.
- Stefan Morais, founder and managing partner of Índico Capital Partners, one of Portugal’s leading voices in venture capital and technology investment.
- Chitra Stern, entrepreneur and education leader recognised by London Business School and EY Portugal for her contribution to business and community-building.
- Dan Whitlam, poet and musician known for his unflinching work on vulnerability and modern identity.
Ricardo Pereira, internationally recognised Portuguese actor and producer will also contribute to this year’s edition through an original short film exploring contemporary.
Anel Imanbay, founder and curator of TEDxMarvila said: “When we ask ‘What Is Love?, we are not asking a poetic question. We’re exploring how people build relationships, communities, and futures that last. Love shapes how we lead, how we care, and how we show up for one another. I’m incredibly excited about this edition and feel it builds powerfully on everything we’ve created so far.”
The 2026 programme is structured as a journey through four thematic chapters – Feelings, Emotions, Actions, and Illusions – encouraging audiences to rethink love as a force of shared humanity at the heart of contemporary life.
Henrique Tiago de Castro, co-organiser of TEDxMarvila said: “Lisbon is full of brilliant minds and original thinking and TEDxMarvila is our way of giving back by putting that energy on a bigger stage. We’re building a platform that’s local at its core, but global in its outlook: new perspectives, honest conversation and ideas that travel.”
Since its inception less than a year ago, TEDxMarvila has evolved into a respected platform for thoughtful dialogue in Lisbon, hosting conversations that balance intellectual depth with human insight.
The 2026 edition strengthens its ambition to position Lisbon as a serious city for ideas and one capable of attracting global voices while amplifying local ones.
TEDx Marvila is not for profit and made possible through the generous support of sponsors and the dedication of volunteers.
With limited seating, tickets are now available at tedxmarvila.com.