From April 27-29 in Madrid, Spain, Bloomberg CityLab will convene more than 700 mayors, policymakers, innovators, and creatives to address major issues facing cities worldwide including AI, housing and affordability, and the role of cities as bulwarks of democracy in an era of polarization

New York, NY & Madrid, Spain – Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Aspen Institute will bring the world’s mayors, policymakers, and urban innovators together at Bloomberg CityLab on April 27-29 in Madrid to strengthen global cooperation and share practical city-led solutions across borders. At a time when international alliances and cooperation are under strain, the summit will spur vital city-to-city connections, confront urgent shared challenges, and advance bold, practical solutions shaping the future of cities—and the world.

“As national governments struggle to confront global challenges and traditional alliances fray, cities are stepping up. They’ve always been where progress happens—and today, empowering them isn’t optional, it’s urgent. Bloomberg CityLab provides the infrastructure cities need to connect across borders, collaborate at speed, and turn ambitious ideas into real-world change,” said James Anderson, who leads the Government Innovation program at Bloomberg Philanthropies.

“Mayors are getting things done—they are forging stronger connections with communities and are relentless in their pursuit to improve city life. Bloomberg CityLab Madrid will showcase the vital role of city leaders in solving domestic and international challenges in the face of polarization at the national level—not through ideology, but through bold action. This gathering is about sharing what works and then accelerating it, so that local solutions can travel farther and faster,” said Bunmi Akinnusotu, Director of City Innovation at the Aspen Institute.

Mainstage conversations will focus on critical issues like the accelerating impact of AI on urban economies, labor markets, and governance. Also prominent in this year’s agenda are emerging solutions to housing and affordability crises, as well as new approaches mayors are taking to rebuild trust in an age of polarization. These topics will be brought to life through panel discussions, one-on-one interviews, interactive breakout sessions, artistic performances, data visualizations, and field trips across Madrid featuring mayors, city innovators, tech entrepreneurs, and more.

Initial featured speakers include Michael R. Bloomberg; Nadia Calviño, President of the European Investment Bank; Norman Foster, Architect and Founder of Foster + Partners; José Luis Martínez-Almeida, Mayor of Madrid; and Teresa Ribera, First Executive Vice-President for a Clean, Just, and Competitive Transition at the European Commission.

More than 100 city leaders are also expected to attend this year’s Mayors Innovation Studio on April 27 hosted during CityLab. Featuring Norman Foster and other global design leaders, the session will challenge mayors to rethink design as one of the most powerful—and underutilized—tools of city leadership. As commissioners of design, mayors shape not only skylines, but systems. The Studio will explore how design can be deployed more deliberately to advance core city priorities—from service delivery and economic opportunity to trust, resilience, and quality of life.

Also on April 27 during CityLab, more than 150 of the world’s leading municipal innovation officers will convene around a different—but equally urgent—question: how governments can get better at inviting ideas in. The session will focus on open innovation as a strategy of governance, examining how city halls can elevate public problems to communities of potential solution-providers—including entrepreneurs, local residents, academics, and civic technologists—and integrate those ideas into real policy and program delivery. The goal will be to uncover a more humble, open, and effective model of governing—one that expands who gets to help solve public problems and delivers better outcomes for residents.

This year’s Bloomberg CityLab in Madrid builds on Bloomberg Philanthropies’ partnership with the municipality under Mayor José Luis Martínez-Almeida and Bloomberg Philanthropies’ expanding work to strengthen local government capacity across Europe.

Among the summit’s confirmed attendees are mayors from cities across Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia, North America, and Latin America, representing more than 30 countries worldwide. The summit will be hosted at various notable venues throughout the city, including Teatro Real, Real Teatro de Retiro, the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía and the historical Palace hotel.

New speakers and topics will be announced and posted on the Bloomberg CityLab 2026 website in the weeks to come.

Bloomberg CityLab was founded on the principle that important innovation is happening at the local level and that global impact can be achieved when cities share solutions. For over a decade, CityLab summits have convened the most influential mayors and voices from hundreds of cities worldwide. Summits have generated tangible takeaways for attendees and made international headlines. Past CityLab conferences have been hosted in New York, Los Angeles, London, Miami, Paris, Detroit, Washington, D.C., Mexico City and Amsterdam.

Members of the media are invited to apply to attend events on April 28-29. Media credentials must be confirmed in advance. For more information, please contact rebecca@bloomberg.org or jon.purves@aspeninstitute.org.

About Bloomberg Philanthropies:
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 700 cities and 150 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on creating lasting change in five key areas: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a philanthropic consultancy that advises cities around the world. In 2025, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $4.3 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org, sign up for our newsletter, or follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Threads, Facebook, and X.

About the Aspen Institute:
The Aspen Institute is a global nonprofit organization whose purpose is to ignite human potential to build understanding and create new possibilities for a better world. Founded in 1949, the Institute drives change through dialogue, leadership, and action to help solve society’s greatest challenges. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. and has a campus in Aspen, Colorado, as well as an international network of partners. For more information, please visit www.aspeninstitute.org.

Media Contacts:
Bloomberg Philanthropies:
Rebecca Carriero, rebeccac@bloomberg.org

The Aspen Institute:
Jon Purves, jon.purves@aspeninstitute.org