This year’s theme, GLOW, is conceived as an invitation to look beyond noise and distraction. “The world makes noise. GLOW brings light.” It is not about a temporary sparkle, but about learning to recognize the territories, communities and ideas that already shine. The aim is to distinguish true light from mere glare, making visible the sparks that are already present in people, places and visions.
Founded as a non-profit organization, TEDxCortina was created to contaminate the Dolomite ecosystem with ideas worth spreading. Every year, the “Queen of the Dolomites” welcomes voices from different fields of knowledge, from medicine to technology, from art to economics, in line with TED’s international mission of sharing ideas capable of changing perspectives and opening new possibilities.
The 2026 edition will open at 8:30 with accreditation, followed by a series of activities from 9:00 to 10:00. The TEDxCortina Talks will take place from 10:00 to 13:30, followed by the “PicNic delle idee”, a convivial moment designed to continue the exchange of reflections and connections beyond the stage. Additional activities will be available throughout the day.
The event has also been designed as an inclusive experience for different generations and audiences. A return transfer service from Acquabona to the Rifugio will be available while seats last. The venue will also host a Kids Area for children aged 0 to 10, a Young Lab for young people aged 11 to 14, a Pets Area, and the possibility to have lunch at the Rifugio.
The speaker line-up reflects the multidisciplinary spirit of TEDxCortina, bringing together entrepreneurship, science, sport, medicine, technology, architecture, neurodiversity and exploration.
Among the speakers is Fabrizio Capobianco, founder of a unicorn company in the United States, who is now working to rethink the future of mountain territories from Sondrio. Livio Valenti will bring to the stage his work on vaccines that can be administered through a patch, while Californian “Mindset Doctor” Anne Marie Frank, founder of Happy Whole You™, will share insights drawn from more than 20 years of experience in neuropsychology and wellbeing.
Sport and high performance will be represented by Gilberto Nobili, Luna Rossa athlete and America’s Cup competitor, whose story embodies strength, discipline and teamwork. Also on stage will be Riccardo Ceccarelli, physician and founder of Formula Medicine, known for his work as mental coach to Jannik Sinner and for his experience with astronauts.
Technology and health innovation will be at the centre of Emma Prevot’s talk. At only 26, she is developing a digital twin of human beings to fight Alzheimer’s disease through artificial intelligence. Fabrizio Acanfora, musician, activist and author of Eccentrico, will focus on the power of neurodiversity, bringing a vital and necessary perspective to the conversation.
The exploration of space and the boundaries of what is possible will be addressed by Michele Roberta Lavagna, aerospace engineer at Politecnico di Milano. The new ways in which younger generations travel and build communities will be explored by Fabio Bin, co-founder of WeRoad. Finally, Arianna Bavuso, co-founder and Lead Architect of AB+AC, will bring her vision of architecture, regeneration and community, designing places capable of creating meaningful connections between people and territories.
With GLOW, TEDxCortina 2026 positions itself not only as a conference, but as a collective experience: a day of ideas, dialogue and discovery in one of Italy’s most iconic mountain landscapes.
Tickets are available through Eventbrite. FormatBiz readers can benefit from a 20% discount using the code FORMATBIZ_20_ILL
