Welcome to the Education World Forum 2026, taking place in London, UK, from Sunday 17 May to Wednesday 20 May. If you are no longer able to attend or have any queries regarding arrangements for the forum, please email organisers@theewf.org.

If you require any assistance during the forum, please visit the check-in desks on the ground floor of the QEII Centre where members of the organising team will be on hand to help you.

 View the agenda

Queen Elizabeth II Centre
Broad Sanctuary
London SW1P 3EE

Travel to the Queen Elizabeth II Centre

By car: The forecourt is available for drop off and collection of delegates only. Parking is not permitted. 

By public transport: The QEII Centre is located in Broad Sanctuary, Westminster, Central London. The nearest tube stations are St. James's Park (4-min walk, District/Circle lines) and Westminster (5-min walk, Jubilee/District/Circle lines), with Victoria, Charing Cross, and Waterloo mainline stations within 15-18 minutes walking distance.

Travel disruption Tuesday 19 to Friday 22 May 

Please note Transport for London has planned strike action Tuesday 19 to Friday 22 May. Disruption is expected across London on these days – please allow for extra travel time on all journeys, particularly when travelling to and from airports. Please click here for updates. 

To help ensure your safety, we ask for your support for our security arrangements. To gain entry to the QEII Centre for check-in, you must present your EWF ticket confirmation email and photo ID such as a passport or driving licence.

You will be given a security name badge and lanyard at check-in. For security reasons and to assist networking, please wear your name badge on its lanyard so that it is clearly displayed at all times. These will be checked as you move around the centre, and we ask that you carry your photo ID wherever you go.

A ticket-operated cloakroom will open for the duration of the forum on the GF.

Lunch and refreshments will be in the main networking area, the Britten Suite on the third floor. All food will be Halal.

Free wi-fi is available throughout the venue, and no password is needed.

Navigating the QEII

A full downloadable version of the venue floor plan can be found below.

EWF 2026 Venue Floorplan.pdf 

A snapshot of EWF activity across the QEII by floor can be found below. 

GF: Check-in desk, Parallel session room (Churchill)
1F: Media centre, Open meeting space, MOU signing desk
2F: Platinum/Gold partner private meeting rooms
3F: Main plenary hall, Exhibition hall (Britten Suite), Help desk
4F: Parallel session rooms (St James/Westminster), Platinum/Gold partner private meeting rooms, prayer room
5F: UK Government meeting rooms
6F: Parallel session room (Mountbatten)

The check-in desk will be open at the QEII at the following times:

• Sunday, 17 May: 14:00–19:30
• Monday, 18 May: 07:30–17:30
• Tuesday, 19 May: 07:30–17:30
• Wednesday, 20 May: 07:30-14:30

Upon check-in, you will receive:

• Name badge and lanyard
• EWF programme
• QEII floorplan
• Invitation to the Official Government Reception at Lancaster House reception (limited per delegation)

Please note that we have reached maximum capacity, so will be unable to accept any new registrations or additions to delegations on-site. Anyone who is not registered will not be able to attend EWF.

For security reasons, badges cannot be reprinted, so please keep your badge safe. Should it become damaged, please go to the EWF Information Desk with your photo ID to exchange your badge for a new one.

Please refer to the agenda for information on the pre-forum workshops running from 15:30 on Sunday, 17 May on 4F of the QEII.

Aside from the sessions listed on the agenda as 'By invitation only', those with an 'EWF Full Delegate' badge are welcome to attend any session. Signing up for individual sessions is not required.

Sunday, 17 May
Official welcome reception
Third floor of the QEII
17:30–19:30

Monday, 18 May
Official Government Reception – by invitation only
Lancaster House, Stable Yard, London SW1A 1BB
18:00–19:30

Tuesday, 19 May
Afternoon tea showcase: Voices of a shared future 
Third floor of the QEII
17:00-18:30

The EWF Official Government Reception is hosted by the UK Secretary of State for Education and is held at Lancaster House. The reception is for ministers and partner full delegate pass holders only. Ministers are invited to attend the reception with one accompanying member of their delegation only. 

Physical invitations will be provided at check in for those eligible to attend. 

Getting to Lancaster House: Coach transport will be provided from QEII to Lancaster House at 17.30 on Monday 18 May. Alternatively, delegates are welcome to travel by foot. Should you be arriving by private car please arrive via Cleveland Row and alight at Police barrier. There is no parking available.

Return coach transport will be provided back to the Park Plaza Hotel following the reception.

Entering Lancaster House: Please note all delegates will be required to present: 

•    Photo ID 

•    Official invitation (provided at check-in) 

•    EWF delegate pass and lanyard 

Kindly note strict security is in operation at the venue. Please avoid bringing any unnecessary bags with you. There is a strict No Photography policy and your mobile telephone must be turned off. 

We are delighted to be hosting an Afternoon Tea Showcase: Voices of a shared future on Tuesday 19 May in the main plenary hall and exhibition area. Please see the order of proceedings below. 

17:00: Plenary 6 ends.

17:00-17:20: Performances by Portsmouth Singing Champion Choir in main plenary hall.

17:20-18:30: Afternoon tea reception in Britten Suite with performances by the Royal Academy of Music.

The dress code is business dress across the whole event, including evening activities.

All proceedings will be held in English.

All plenary and parallel sessions real-time translation will be accessible via an AI-solution for mobile devices in the six official United Nations languages (Arabic, English, French, Mandarin, Russian, Spanish). Turkish, Japanese and Portuguese will also be available in select sessions. If you require translation to or from a language outside of these six, we kindly ask that you arrange your own translation services.

Using the translation service (requires use of your own personal device) : 

•    Scan the QR code on your table (using own mobile device) 

•    Select language output on your phone 

•    Either read the translation transcript, or listen to the audio translation

Please note headphones will not be provided. Any delegates wishing to use the translation service should bring headphones suitable for their own personal device. 

To maintain the integrity of ministerial dialogue, all participants and their communications teams must adhere to the following rules regarding content capture:

A. Open Sessions

Includes: The Opening Ceremony, the Opening Plenary of each day, and the Global Schools Prize Award.

●    Status: On-the-Record

●    Policy: Photography, filming, and social media engagement are encouraged. Consent is not required for capturing or sharing content from these specific sessions.

B. Closed Sessions

Includes: All Private Ministerial Exchanges, Parallel Sessions, Networking Areas, and all other Plenaries.

●    Status: Off-the-Record (Strictly Chatham House Rule)

●    Policy: To facilitate open and honest dialogue, these sessions are strictly confidential.

○    Usage of Information: You may share general themes or insights, but you must not identify the speaker or their affiliation.

You are welcome to share your own Minister’s perspective. However, direct quotes or photographs featuring other participants may only be posted if explicit consent has been obtained from the individuals involved.

Official assets & daily highlights

To support your digital coverage, EWF and its convenor, Times Higher Education (THE), will provide professional imagery and video throughout the event.

●    Daily LinkedIn Highlight Reels: Follow @education-world-forum and @times-higher-education on LinkedIn. A curated video wrap-up will be posted every evening.

●    Official Flickr Gallery: EWF album - High-resolution photos will be uploaded in real-time throughout the event for your use.

Amplification: handles & hashtags

To maximise reach and ensure that your content is picked up by the global education community, please use the following tags and hashtags:

Primary handles

•    Education World Forum: @education-world-forum (LinkedIn)

•    Times Higher Education (parent co): @timeshighered (X) | @times-higher-education @times-higher-education-events (LinkedIn) |  @THEeventsglobal (Instagram)

•    Phil Baty, Director General, EWF @philbaty (LinkedIn) | @Phil_Baty (X)

Official hashtags

Main: #EWF26

Social media conduct & consent guidelines

1.    The Consent Rule: Do not post a direct quote or a photo featuring another delegate or minister unless you have received their explicit approval.

2.    Chatham House Respect: In closed sessions, do not identify which minister said what.

3.    The "Trusted Space": Maintain the professional atmosphere of the QEII Centre. Avoid photography in networking or dining areas (without explicit consent).

4.    Amplification: Tag @education-world-forum, @timeshighereducation and @times-higher-education-events on all approved content so we can support your messaging through our global channels.

Press engagement and access

Please visit our media centre for full details on media guidance and access at EWF and our new code of conduct for 2026. All accredited journalists have agreed to this code. The media schedule is available by request. Please email carina.mckeown-johnson@timeshighereducation for any questions regarding press and the access schedule.

Key media contacts and media centre

Official photography and videography will be taking place throughout the event and its social functions. The official forum photograph will be taken at Lancaster House at the close of the reception on Monday evening.

Get the most from the event with the official app.

Our free mobile app is available for iOS and Android and will allow you to get the most from the event with easy access to everything you need to know. Access the agenda, plan which sessions you will attend and create a personalised agenda, and connect with fellow delegates and explore our partners

Download the app via the buttons below or by searching for "Times Higher Education Events" in the App Store or Google Play. Once you have downloaded the app, log in using the email address with which your ticket was booked.

For those delegates who would like to arrange a transfer by chauffeur-driven car directly from the airport to Central London or return, please contact Prestige Chauffeur Services by email bookings@prestige-chauffeurs.com, phone + 44 (0) 203 772 7312 or visit their website www.prestige-chauffeurs.com.

Prestige Chauffeur Services operates 24/7 from all airports and offers various levels of cars with different capacities.

If you have not already informed us of any special requirements (including dietary ones), please email organisers@theewf.org as soon as possible to enable us to accommodate your needs.

If you are no longer able to attend or have any queries relating to the event, please email organisers@theewf.org.

We look forward to welcoming you to London!