The triennial ICOM General Conference is coming to Rotterdam in 2028. With this, ICOM Netherlands is bringing the world’s largest international museum conference to the country. The announcement was made on 14 November 2025, during the ICOM General Conference 2025 in Dubai. Together with the city of Rotterdam, ICOM Netherlands won the competition between several cities to host this prestigious event. With the theme “Building Bridges. Connecting Worlds, Cultures and Generations,” the 2028 edition will highlight the connective power of museums and positions the Netherlands as a leading location for innovative museum concepts.
ICOM General Conference
From 27 August to 1 September 2028, Rotterdam will be devoted to museum practice. In Ahoy convention centre, a multi-day scientific programme of lectures and sessions will unfold. Leading speakers from the Netherlands and abroad will share their expertise across a wide range of museum disciplines—from collection management and exhibitions to conservation and facility management. Key topics include: the impact of AI, geopolitical shifts, youth engagement, sustainability, and decolonisation. Other conference days will focus on excursions to museums across the country.
“I am incredibly proud that we succeeded in bringing this international museum conference to the Netherlands! After Rio de Janeiro, Milan, Kyoto, Prague, and Dubai, among others, we will welcome thousands of museum colleagues to Rotterdam in 2028. This shows that the Netherlands is hospitable, eager to connect, committed to sharing knowledge, and highly innovative in the museum field. I want to express enormous thanks to the city of Rotterdam, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, all partners, and the ICOM members for their support and trust.”
— Caroline Breunesse, Chair of ICOM Netherlands
Dynamic and innovative Rotterdam
The dynamic and multicultural metropolis of Rotterdam, with its world-class and forward-thinking museums, is an ideal location for this major conference. In 2021, Depot Boijmans Van Beuningen opened as the world’s first publicly accessible art storage facility. In 2025, FENIX opened— the first museum to explore migration history through visual art. On top of that, the completely renewed Fotomuseum will reopen in 2026 as well.
“Rotterdam is the perfect city to host the ICOM General Conference in 2028. In recent years, our city has strongly focused on cultural innovation, and we are proud to have the opportunity to showcase what Rotterdam has to offer. This conference is not only a moment to present our unique museums, but also to engage in a global conversation about the future of museums. We look forward to showing Rotterdam as a place where new ideas and cultural innovation meet. Such a large international conference also brings a welcome economic boost to the city—from our hotels and restaurants to the cultural sector itself.”
— Said Kasmi, Alderman for Education, Culture and Events, Municipality of Rotterdam
Dubai hands over the ICOM flag to the Netherlands during ICOM General Conference in Dubai, 14 November 2025.
ICOM – International Council of Museums
Since 1946, ICOM has been the international association for museum professionals. More than 57,000 people across 120 countries are members. The Dutch committee represents the interests of over 6,000 members in the Netherlands, including in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. Previous conferences have taken place in, among other cities, Prague, Kyoto, Milan, and Rio de Janeiro. The last time the ICOM General Conference was held in the Netherlands was in 1989, in The Hague.
Caroline Breunesse, Chair ICOM Netherlands, and Maureen Mollis, Head of Cultural Department, Rotterdam Municipality, during the Flag Ceremony in Dubai, 14 November 2025
Partners
The ICOM General Conference 2028 is organised in collaboration with:
