Organised by:
institutional Support:
Sponsors & Patronage:
From Clay to Camera
Moldar as Margens
Shaping Shores
This festival is a response to the world we live in. It confronts the urgencies of water and environment, the need for sustainability, and the forces of adaptation and transformation. It reflects on body and identity, on culture and memory, on resilience and human connection. F/262 stands as a space of dialogue and imagination, open, critical, and alive to the challenges that shape our shared future.
What is F/262?
Photography Shaping Culture and Territory
F/262 is a biennial international photography festival based in Caldas da Rainha, Portugal, part of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network. The festival brings together contemporary photography in all its forms through open calls, invited exhibitions, and events presented across public space, cultural institutions, and galleries.
Founded by artists for artists, F/262 champions creative diversity and global perspectives while celebrating the region’s cultural identity and its role within the UNESCO Creative Cities Network.
Recognised as a Remarkable European Arts Festival EFFE Label 2026–2027
F/262 – International Photography Festival has been awarded the EFFE Label, a European quality mark recognising remarkable arts festivals.
Initiated by the European Festivals Association with the support of the European Commission and European Parliament, the EFFE Label is awarded to festivals that demonstrate artistic excellence, strong community engagement and an international outlook.
This recognition places F/262 within a network of leading European festivals contributing to the cultural landscape across Europe.
Member of the International Photography Festival Association (IPFA)
F/262 – Festival Internacional de Fotografia is a member of the International Photography Festival Association (IPFA), a global network that connects photography festivals, curators, and cultural organizations around the world. Through this membership, the festival contributes to an international dialogue on photography, cultural exchange, and collaborative programming, strengthening connections between artists, audiences, and institutions across different territories.
Open Call & Awards
Accepting Submissions soon
Submit your work for the 2026 edition of F/262. We welcome professionals and amateurs from all backgrounds. The main theme is open, with a recurring sub-theme: Moldar as Margens / Shaping Shores.
Navigating the F/262 program
F/262: Photography, Community, and Creative Exchange
F/262 takes place on Portugal’s Silver Coast, in the UNESCO Creative City of Caldas da Rainha. Like water, our guiding sub-theme, the festival flows across spaces, transforming streets, gardens, and historic walls into places of photography, dialogue, and discovery.
The program includes large-scale outdoor exhibitions, curated shows, and an international Open Call, alongside the F/262 Analog Lab for experimental processes, the F/262 Photo Book Club dedicated to publishing and photobooks, and the F/262 CineClub bridging photography and film. Through F/SoS — Stories of Solidarity, we affirm photography’s social impact, reminding us that culture can also give back.
Beyond exhibitions, F/262 features talks, workshops, and educational encounters, creating opportunities for artists, audiences, and communities to connect. Rooted on the Silver Coast yet reaching outward, the festival shows how photography can travel like water — crossing borders, carrying stories, and shaping the world we share.
The name F/262 carries layers of meaning.
F/262 is not just a festival. It also stands for Photography, Focus, F-Stop, Family, Fun, Família, Friendship, Freedom, values and ideas that shape the spirit of the event.
262 may look like an f-stop value, but in truth it is the area code of Caldas da Rainha, the city that hosts the festival. It is a nod to place, roots, and belonging.
Colors & Identity: Our palette is inspired by the colors of Caldas da Rainha, particularly purple and yellow. We reinterpret them with blue, purple, and lens-orange, the orange drawn from camera markings, a visual wink to photography itself.
Together, these elements create more than a logo. They form a visual identity that connects photography, community, and territory.
Discover F/262 on the InPhoto App
Explore the festival in a new way. With the InPhoto App you can scan, collect, and discover the artworks and artists of F/262 across Caldas da Rainha. Immerse yourself in exhibitions, save your favorites, and take the festival experience with you.
newsletter signup
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Produced by F/262 & Associação F/SOS
With the support of:
May – September 2026
Caldas da Rainha Portugal
About F/262
F/262 is an international photography festival rooted in Caldas da Rainha, Portugal.
Through exhibitions, talks, education, and public installations, the festival engages contemporary photography with place, community, and the world we share.
©2026 F/262 – Festival Internacional de Fotografia
Produced by Associação F/SOS – Fotografia, Solidariedade e Obras Sociais
English (UK)