From 3–6 September 2026, the River Spree will host the fourth Confluence of European Water Bodies in Berlin.
For four days, rivers, lakes, lagoons, glaciers, seas, and wetlands from across Europe will gather along the shores of the Spree to exchange experiences, build friendships and alliances, and imagine new ways of living with water. On Saturday, 5 September Spreepark Art Space will host a full-day programme with Kayaking expeditions, microscopy and painting workshops, rainwater knowledge, river food practices, artistic activities, exhibition tour, and water ceremony.
The Confluence is a growing network of more than 40 European water bodies and their communities. Since its first gathering at the Mar Menor in 2023, it has brought together artists, activists, researchers, lawyers, policymakers, Indigenous representatives, and water stewards to explore questions of ecological justice, Rights of Nature, river restoration, care, and more-than-human coexistence.
This year's edition, hosted by the River Spree and curated by Léon Gross and Jakob Kukula of Symbiotic Lab, will unfold across four unique locations in Berlin: FLUSSBAD Campus, SPORE Initiative, Spreepark Art Space, and Floating University.
Together, we will listen to rivers, paddle through canals, cook and eat together, hold assemblies and ceremonies, debate law and democracy, build alliances, learn from Indigenous and local water struggles, celebrate victories, and imagine new futures for Europe's waters.
