International Museum Day 2026 – A message from the President

On 18 May 2026, museums around the world will come together to celebrate International Museum Day (IMD) under the theme "Museums Uniting a Divided World." Since 1977, the International Council of Museums (ICOM) has convened this annual celebration bringing together the global museum community around our shared commitment to bridging divides and strengthening our common future.

This year's theme reflects a conviction I hold deeply: museums are not simply custodians of the past; they are vital agents for connection, understanding, and peace in the present. At a time when social, cultural, and geopolitical divisions are increasingly impact societies, museums stand as spaces where differences are approached with respect rather than suspicion, and where shared humanity finds expression through objects, stories, and meaningful dialogue.

Museums provide unique opportunities for listening and learning. They safeguard the memories of communities that have too often gone unheard. They create environments where people from different backgrounds, generations, and perspectives can listen and learn from one another; not to impose or to erase what makes them distinct, but to discover what they hold in common, to deepen our understanding of what we share. This is not a passive role. It is a profound responsibility, and one our global community is uniquely positioned to fulfill.

This year's International Museum Day also reinforces three United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that connect to the heart of our mission: SDG 10 on Reduced Inequalities, SDG 16 on Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, and SDG 17 on Partnerships for the Goals. Together, these goals remind us that the work of museums is inseparable from the work of building a more peaceful, equal, and sustainable world.

For instance, the Peace category of the ICOM Award for Sustainable Development Practice in Museums has become a key repository for innovative museum practice in peace building. The Ars Aevi Nucleus Kyiv project, for example, emerged from a profound moment of solidarity, demonstrating how art can foster peace by building upon shared experience in wartimes. Similarly, the shortlisted Khakenos' project began in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine, after the museum was struck by a rocket attack. During the necessary hiatus for restoration work, the museum sustained its mission by maintaining exchanges between artists and the audience, ensuring that dialogue, reflection, and resilience continue even in the most difficult circumstances.

For ICOM, 2026 holds even greater significance: we mark our 80th anniversary; eight decades of advocating for the social role of museums, strengthening the global museum community, and standing firmly for the protection of cultural heritage worldwide. This anniversary invites us not only to celebrate how far we have come, but to renew, with clarity and conviction, our commitment to the work that lies ahead.

I warmly invite every ICOM member, every museum, and every community to participate in International Museum Day 2026. Let us translate this theme into concrete action through programming, partnerships, dialogues, and experiences that open doors, build trust, foster mutual understanding, and strengthen our collective sense of belonging.

Together on 18 May, International Museum Day, let us show the world the full power of museums when they stand united, speaking with a strong voice for dialogue, dignity, and peace. This is the power of ICOM and the global museum community acting together.

With profound appreciation and confidence in our shared mission,

Antonio Rodríguez
President, International Council of Museums (ICOM)