Qatar's Years of Culture initiative announces 2026 partner countries

As the Qatar Argentina and Chile 2025 Year of Culture came to a galloping conclusion during the Polo AlMarsa Years of Culture Championship Trophy, the Years of Culture initiative announced plans for Canada and Mexico as next year's partner countries.  The 2026 Year of Culture with Canada and Mexico carries a special symmetry. The FIFA World Cup 26, co-hosted by Canada, Mexico, and the United States, is the same tournament that inspired the creation of the Years of Culture initiative when Qatar won the hosting bid.  Echoing the spirit of global unity represented by the games, this collaboration with the next World Cup hosts will highlight football's ability to connect cultures. Additional programmes will be presented as legacy projects of Year of Culture Qatar-USA 2021.   Launched in 2012, Years of Culture builds long-term relationships between Qatar and partner nations through a series of cultural, educational, business and creative exchanges. The initiative reflects Qatar's belief that cultural collaboration supports dialogue, strengthens international ties, and promotes understanding across borders.  Throughout each Year of Culture, Qatar collaborates closely with cultural institutions, embassies, artists, and educators to present a diverse calendar of exhibitions, festivals, trade fairs, residencies, academic exchanges, and public events in both countries.Programming often begins in the lead-up to the official year and continues well beyond, creating long-term legacies and relationships.   Since its founding, Years of Culture has established partnerships with Japan (2012), the United Kingdom (2013), Brazil (2014), Turkiye (2015), China (2016), Germany (2017), Russia (2018), India (2019), France (2020), the United States (2021), the MENASA region (2022), Indonesia (2023), and Morocco (2024). Qatar is currently celebrating a Year of Culture with both Argentina and Chile (2025).