Deadline:
August 02, 2026
Location(s)
Norway
Trondheim
Overview
From 11 to 21 February 2027, ISFiT will transform Trondheim into a global meeting place for students, ideas, and cultural exchange.
ISFiT is the world’s largest international student festival, taking place biennially during the spring semester in Trondheim, Norway. We gather students from different national and cultural backgrounds to talk and connect through exciting and engaging topics and discussions. Including inviting students from all over the world, the festival also has a large cultural program for all inhabitants of Trondheim!
Founded in 1990, ISFiT is the world's largest international student festival. Every two years, students from around the world gather to explore pressing global issues through dialogue, workshops, debates, art, and music. The festival creates opportunities for meaningful connections, new perspectives, and conversations across cultures.
The theme for ISFiT 2027 is Changing Winds. It is an invitation to reflect on a world shaped by political change, climate challenges, and shifting global realities, and on the role young people play in navigating and shaping the future.
Details
What is ISFIT?
ISFiT is short for the “International Student Festival in Trondheim”. What the name does not say, is that ISFiT is also the world’s largest international student festival. ISFiT is a non-profit organization and is brought to life with the efforts of more than 400 student volunteers. The vision of ISFiT is to create a better future for young people in the world.
ISFiT is arranged every other year, and each festival has a theme related to social and political topics with international relevance. The festival is held in the city of Trondheim, Norway. Here, over 450 students from all over the world gather to attend 18 different workshops and take part in the cultural program of the festival.
Participants spend their days attending workshops that relate to the theme "Creating Knowledge’. You can see information about the workshop options in the ‘workshops’ tab. Here you will have discussions with other students about relevant topics, and participate in a variety of activities. In addition to the workshops you will attend talks from international speakers, and cultural events such as concerts, theatre performances, and comedy nights. And of course, there will be parties and social events with the ISFiT volunteers and students of Trondheim!
The History of ISFiT
It all started back in 1988, when a group of students at Studentersamfundet had an idea of creating an international student festival to gather students from all over the world to create unity between students across borders. Since the very beginning, ISFiT has held a wide program of cultural events providing entertainment to both the international audience and the citizens of Trondheim. The cultural program of ISFiT consists of concerts, scene art, meetings and ceremonies. Through the cultural program, ISFiT wishes to create a venue where the participants get the opportunity to break through cultural barriers. During the festival there will also be workshops. These are smaller workgroups where participants will be discussing and sharing their views on topics related to migration. Right before the festival kicks off in Trondheim there will be held dialogue groups where participants will meet to understand their situation and how to use dialogue as a tool. The dialogue groups have been running since 1997, and have spanned various conflicts and countries since that time.
A year later, in 1998, the students of ISFiT began to wonder why the Nobel Peace Prize was never awarded to students. This was the beginning of the Student Peace Prize. The Student Peace Prize will be handed out during the festival, to a student or student organization that strives towards peace and understanding rather than violence.
Over the years a number of significant people have visited the festival, including Gro Harlem Brundtland, the Dalai Lama, Chai Ling, Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, Desmond Tutu, Betty Williams and numerous others.
Opportunity is About
Eligibility
Candidates should be from:
Description of Ideal Candidate
ISFiT welcomes applications from students of all academic disciplines, nationalities, and backgrounds. To apply, you must be an active student during the spring semester of 2027 and be comfortable communicating in English, as all festival activities are conducted in English.
The selection process is based entirely on the written application submitted through Participant Web. Our primary focus is not academic achievements, professional experience, or previous participation in international programmes. Instead, we look for motivated and engaged students who are eager to contribute to discussions, share their perspectives, and learn from others.
When selecting participants, we aim to create a diverse group that represents a wide range of cultures, experiences, viewpoints, and fields of study. While we strive for broad international representation, there are no country or regional quotas in the selection process.
To apply, you must submit an application through Participant Web, ISFiT's online application portal. The portal can be accessed through the "APPLY" button on this page and will remain open until August 2, 2026, at 23:59 Central European Summer Time (CEST).
Dates
Deadline: August 02, 2026
Cost/funding for participants
You will get both free food and accommodation during the festival. Travel expenses (airfare etc.) are generally not covered by ISFiT. However, one can apply for airfare funding in the application form. We will do our best to allocate the funding fairly and help as many as possible.
Un-save Opportunity
Internships, scholarships, student conferences and competitions.
