The 2026 edition of The Nature of Cities Festival will take place in Cali, Colombia.
TNOC Festival is a transdisciplinary, immersive gathering where art, science, practice, and community meet to shape more just, creative, and nature-positive cities
This marks the first Global South edition of TNOC Festival. Cali’s river, cultural diversity, and community spirit make it the perfect place to explore how cities can care for life in all its forms.
The theme for the festival is TRUEQUE — Cities that Care for Life
Rooted in Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and mestizo traditions across Latin America, trueque represents the ethics of care and reciprocity — a way of relating that values what is shared over what is owned. It acknowledges that every exchange transforms both sides and that knowledge, like seeds, only grows when shared..
In 2026, Cali becomes the host and co-creator of the festival, a city of rivers, rhythms, diversity, and powerful collective imagination. A place where Trueque — the ancestral practice of exchange and reciprocity — comes alive.
Throughout one week, participants will experience:
- Plenary sessions with keynote speakers, dialogues and art
- Creative workshops & hands-on sessions
- Public art & cultural experiences
- The Cali Futures Workshops, co-led with the Alexander von Humboldt Institute and the city of Cali
- Fieldtrips, performances & open dialogues
English
Spanish