January 30, 2024 - The European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF) is delighted to announce that the City of Rimini has won the bid to host the 2026 edition of the prestigious Velo-city conference. Marking its return to Italy for the first time since 1991, ECF chose Rimini in recognition of its remarkable transformation from a car-oriented to a sustainable, liveable, and healthy city for all. The conference is scheduled to take place from 16-19 June 2026.
In its exceptional application, Rimini convened an impressive coalition of partners, including ECF’s member FIAB, which played a prominent role in securing the bid, and ANCI, the National Association of Italian Municipalities. The 2026 edition will be jointly organised by the City of Rimini, the AIM Group, and ECF.
Jamil Sadegholvaad, Mayor of Rimini, said “This outcome brings great satisfaction as it consolidates Rimini’s position among the outstanding cities that have committed to promoting and implementing infrastructure and policies in favour of active mobility. It perfectly captures Rimini in a time of change, the result of processes and measures carried out within a development vision that places sustainable mobility at the centre. With this prestigious recognition, Rimini will be at the centre of the international spotlight on the topic of cycling in Europe.
In Rimini, every delegate will be invited to make their own contribution with best practices and analyses to change neighbourhoods, cities and towns. During the event they will be able to see firsthand what the city has implemented in recent years to position itself as one of the most bicycle-friendly municipalities in Italy: from the pedestrianisation of the seafront to the doubling of the bicycle network, from integrated transport services to the creation of the bicycle hub with the Bike Park, from the promotion of micro-mobility to the use of cargo bikes.
One aspect that impressed the ECF’s team was the speed of project implementation, as in the case of the pedestrianisation of the waterfront. As a municipality, we are working together with the various partners who have contributed so effectively to achieving this extraordinary team effort – and whom I would like to take this opportunity to thank, from ANCI to FIAB, from the Bicycle Council to Italian Exhibition Group and the Palacongressi of Rimini – to organise this international event in the best possible way. Many local Italian administrations will get the opportunity to participate, and this will be a further incentive for us to work diligently on promoting active mobility.”
Stefano Bonini, President of VisitRimini, said “VisitRimini, the official DMC of the city, is particularly thrilled to host the Velo-city event in 2026. This achievement is the result of great teamwork involving all local stakeholders, united by a shared and collective vision of sustainable destination development. Coordination was pivotal for the success of this bid, with everyone playing their part—from public institutions such as the Municipality of Rimini, APT SERVIZI Emilia Romagna, to private entities like Italian Exhibition Group with the Riviera di Rimini Convention Bureau, a trusted partner in the international bidding process, and the state-of-the-art Palacongressi di Rimini, situated in the heart of the city.”
Flaminia Roberti, Global Sales Manager AIM Group International, said: “We are truly excited to have contributed to bringing this iconic event to Italy and Rimini. The key factor in the success of our bid was the great cohesion of the team and the tremendous effort made in perfect synergy between the stakeholders. At the heart of the bid dossier was a narrative centred on how the City of Rimini has changed over the years to become, in some ways, a virtuous example of a sustainable and cyclist-friendly destination. We are working tirelessly to ensure that the delegates’ experience is nothing short of extraordinary: our Bike Village project and Bike Parade will create lasting memories for all attendees.”
Alessandro Tursi, President of FIAB and former ECF Vice President, said: “It’s truly a great result for FIAB, which has been working for years with the City of Rimini and its partners to bring Velo-city back to Italy after the distant 1991 edition. We are proud and aware of FIAB’s responsibility in proposing content, with the strategic role of programme director”.
Jill Warren, CEO of ECF, said “We are thrilled to bring our flagship event to Rimini, a city that has undergone an incredible transformation from a car-centric environment to a people-oriented city. Rimini’s unwavering commitment to green mobility, showcased in transformative projects like the regeneration of its seafront, demonstrates a clear dedication to a sustainable future. ECF has had the pleasure of working alongside Rimini on various projects over the past couple of years, and we anticipate an unforgettable conference for the global cycling community.”
The medium-sized Italian coastal city, known for its charm and historical heritage, faces the mobility challenges of a metropolis with 3.3 million tourists arriving every year. In response to this, Rimini has taken significant strides by initiating a comprehensive plan of urban regeneration, supported by substantial investments and concrete action. One of its flagship projects is the 15 km waterfront, where grey car-dominated infrastructure was transformed into an Urban Sea Park, making room for green areas, cycling, walking, open-air gyms, and creating more beach space. This incredible process has led to Rimini being greener than ever before and well on its way to reaching 50% of daily trips completed by cycling, walking, and public transport in 10 years, as outlined in its Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan.
Rimini stands out as an excellent example of how investing in sustainable mobility and cycling becomes a key pillar in improving citizens’ health and well-being. The Bicipolitana, a 135 km network of bicycle routes connecting the sea, the city, and the countryside, further exemplifies Rimini’s commitment to sustainable mobility. The city’s dedication is also evident in the implementation of the bike park strategically located in front of the train station, offering bike rentals and other services.
Velo-city is the unrivalled global cycling conference, attracting over 1,500 delegates from more than 60 countries. Highly regarded as the key annual moment for the active mobility community, it is the leading knowledge-exchange platform for advocates, cities, decision-makers, academics, and industry leaders.
In 2023, the 30th edition of the world cycling summit was held in Leipzig, Germany, once again proving to be the cornerstone in setting the agenda for the future of cycling and active mobility. Following Ghent in 2024 and Gdańsk in 2025, Rimini will be the next city in line to host Velo-city.
Rimini aims to seize the opportunity of the conference to further boost and focus its efforts on improving the city’s cycling strategy and discover innovative solutions and best practices that could inspire its actions in this direction.
About the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF)
We are the single European umbrella organisation for cycling for both transportation and leisure. With more than 70 member organisations in over 40 countries, we unite the European cycling movements as the only civil society voice at the pan-European level, and as the world’s largest and best-known cyclists’ advocacy organisation. The vision we share with our members is to improve and increase cycling across the whole of Europe.
About Velo-city
Velo-city is widely considered as the premier annual world cycling summit and is the flagship event of the European Cyclists’ Federation (ECF). Serving as a global knowledge-exchange platform for the promotion of active and sustainable mobility, it brings together all those who are involved in the policy, promotion and provision for cycling, active mobility and sustainable urban development.
About Rimini
Rimini is a medium-sized city with 150,423 inhabitants in the Emilia Romagna region, situated on the northeastern coast of Italy, facing the Adriatic Sea. Easy to reach, the city has undergone significant regeneration in the last 10 years with the aim of making the location more attractive and sustainable. Founded in 268 BC by the Romans, the city of Federico Fellini, Rimini is a candidate for the 2026 Italian Capital of Culture.
About VisitRimini
VisitRimini is the city’s official Destination Management Company, appointed by the City Council, which has entrusted it with the communication, marketing, promotion, coordination and marketing of services for individuals or groups, with leisure or business targets. VisitRimini’s strategic objective is to raise the perception of the quality of services offered by the territorial system and to position Rimini as an attractive destination all year round.
About AIM GROUP
AIM Group International is a global, multi-service and everchanging company, which leads the way on conferences, events and communication, since 1960. Events, Communication, Consultancy: three talented teams interact and work together to design experiences, ideas and solutions. Our offices: Barcelona, Berlin, Brussels, Budapest, Florence, Hamburg, Lisbon, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Oporto, Paris, Prague, Rome, Vienna.
About FIAB
With 140 local organisations throughout Italy, FIAB is the largest advocacy organisation for cyclists in Italy, with over 20,000 members. As a founding member of the ECF and the national coordinator for EuroVelo (the European cycle route network), FIAB has been working for over 30 years to promote urban cycling and bicycle tourism. It engages with Ministries, Regions, Municipalities, bicycle-friendly companies, and connects local movements to the European level.
