The Young V&A in the United Kingdom has been hailed as offering children "a message of hope for the future" when being awarded the 2026 Council of Europe Museum prize. The ceremony was held in Strasbourg in front of parliamentarians from across the continent.
The prize, awarded annually since 1977 by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, honours museums that bridge cultures, promote democratic values or broaden visitors' understanding in fresh ways. The ceremony took place on the opening day of Parliamentary Assembly's spring plenary session.
The Young V&A - a branch of the United Kingdom's national museum of applied arts the Victoria and Albert Museum - is aimed at children, young people and families. In July 2023 it reopened in East London after renovation, featuring three galleries tailored for different age groups.
An outstanding museum in terms of mission
"Children told us they wanted us to create 'the most joyful museum in the world'," said Young V&A Director Helen Charman in her acceptance speech, noting that children's voices, creativity and agency lay at the core of the project through a process of co-working. The award of the prize "champions the role of the children's museum in an era of growing populism in which democracy is challenged at almost every turn".
Presenting the award, Parliamentary Assembly President Petra Bayr said the Young V&A was "clearly an outstanding museum in terms of its mission". By providing experiences that can help children and young people embrace the future with confidence and creativity, it carried "a strong message of hope for the future", she added.
Winners receive the statuette La femme aux beaux seins by Spanish painter and sculptor Joan Miró and a diploma.
The prize forms part of the European Museum of the year awards. Recent winners include Euskararen Etxea, the house of Basque language in Bilbao, Spain (2025), the Sybir Memorial Museum in Białystok, Poland (2024), and the Workers Museum in Copenhagen (2023).
[Video: ]Learn more about the Museum prize
