The European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress 2026 will take place from 5 to 9 September in Barcelona, Spain, with the option to join online.
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The ERS Congress is an annual conference. It brings together the world’s respiratory experts to present and discuss the latest scientific and clinical advances across the entire field of respiratory medicine. For more information about the ERS Congress programme, visit the ERS Congress website.
Each year, ELF organises activities at the Congress to support patient representatives in getting actively involved. We are dedicated to ensuring that patient organisations and representatives have the opportunity to attend the Congress and share their valuable expertise in sessions throughout the programme. Once again, we are delighted to welcome patient representatives from diverse countries, organisations and lung conditions.
The European Respiratory Society (ERS) Congress 2026 theme is: “United for better breathing: partnership between patients, clinicians and researchers.”
This reflects a strong focus on collaboration and creates important opportunities for patient involvement across the Congress programme. The 2026 priority topics include:
Patient perspectives will be a key part of the ERS Congress 2026 and ELF will support ERS assemblies and session organisers to include patient and carer perspectives in sessions and ensure the programme reflects what matters to people living with lung conditions. This is an important opportunity for the ELF community to contribute across the Congress and support stronger, more visible patient involvement.
ELF recently hosted a webinar on how patient voices can shape the ERS Congress 2026.
ERS and ELF provide a dedicated Congress registration category, and reduced cost, for patient organisations and their representatives. The patient representative registration aims to make Congress more affordable and accessible, particularly to those who wish to bring more than one member of their organisation. Members of the ELF Patient Advisory Committee and patient advisory groups are entitled to further benefits from the ERS Congress.
Please note: ELF-registered patient representatives cannot access the ERS exhibition area or industry-sponsored sessions. This restriction is required by law in Barcelona and industry guidelines.
Organisations that are part of the ELF Patient Organisation Network can also apply for a bursary to help cover travel and accommodation costs to attend the 2026 Congress in Barcelona, Spain.
Find out more about registration and apply for a bursary using the links below.
Registration for the ERS Congress at the reduced patient representative rate is open to patients, carers, paid staff and volunteers linked with a respiratory patient organisation. The respiratory patient organisation must be a member of ELF’s patient organisation network. To participate, new patient organisations can easily register to join the network for free.
Patient representatives attending the Congress have two main options. If you are eligible, you can register for free to attend the Patient Organisation Networking Day on Saturday 5 September only. This free day pass is available for both in-person and online attendance.
Alternatively, for a reduced rate, patient representatives can attend the whole Congress. In-person attendance costs €130, while online attendance is €50. Both these paid options include access to the ELF Patient Organisation Networking Day plus the wide variety of informative sessions available throughout the ERS Congress.
Patient representatives cannot access any industry-sponsored content. This is due to strict regulation around marketing drugs and medical equipment to patients and the public. This restriction is required by law in Barcelona and industry guidelines. The ERS Congress is closely monitored to ensure it follows these laws and we ask that any patient representatives attending please follow these rules. There is more information here.
To support patient representatives attending the ERS Congress, we have identified hotel and accommodation options to meet different needs and budgets. ELF has secured a limited number of rooms for priority booking by patient representatives until end April 2026. After April, the rooms will go on general sale. If you would like more information, please contact us on info@europeanlung.org.
There are two types of travel bursary available:
1. €350 bursary (available if you meet one of the following criteria)
2. €800 bursary
To apply, your organisation must meet the following criteria:
We recognise that voluntary sector organisations often face financial challenges. Bursaries will therefore be prioritised for those who need the most support. On the application form, we ask for details of your organisation’s annual income, number of paid staff and whether this is the first time a representative from the organisation has attended the ERS Congress.
*If you live more than 150km from Barcelona, Spain, and are receiving partial funding from another source, you may still apply for the lower (€350) bursary. Applicants will be asked on the form to provide details of the external funding, including the source, amount and what it will be used for.
The ERS exhibition is an area of Congress where ERS industry partners can communicate directly with ERS members and healthcare professionals about new products and medicines.
Promotion of prescription medicines is limited to healthcare professionals who are licensed to prescribe medicine ONLY. This means that entry into the exhibition area at ERS Congress is available only to healthcare professionals. It is against the law for companies to promote prescription medicines to members of the public. Patients and representatives of patient organisations are not categorised as healthcare professionals in Barcelona.
In accordance with industry and national guidelines, patients, patient representatives and members of the public who are attending the ERS Congress are not permitted to enter the ERS Congress exhibition area in Barcelona.
Please note that if you are a healthcare professional and you choose to register as a patient representative at a reduced cost via ELF, you are not permitted to enter the ERS Congress exhibition area or access any industry-sponsored sessions.
ERS and ELF staff and the Congress security team are instructed to respect these guidelines. We ask you to understand that we work within these guidelines at the request of our industry partners and the laws put in place by the country hosting this year’s ERS Congress.
ERS Congress industry partners welcome interaction with Congress delegates that are not categorised as healthcare professionals and ask that you arrange to meet your contacts in other areas of the Congress centre. The World Village is a dedicated space at the ERS Congress for delegates to gather, strengthen existing partnerships, make new connections and find out more about ERS’s ongoing initiatives.
For further information regarding the ERS exhibition area please contact corporate.relations@ersnet.org who will be happy to help.
The ELF Patient Organisation Networking Day is an opportunity for members of the ELF Patient Organisation Network to connect, share knowledge and explore current challenges in respiratory health. The 2026 event will take place on Saturday 5 September with the theme “United for better breathing: partnership between patients, clinicians and researchers”.
This event offers a space to reflect on the overall ERS Congress theme, best practice for partnership in healthcare and to learn from organisations that are working collaboratively in innovative and effective ways.
Learn more about this year's eventAt the ERS Congress 2026, we are committed to ensuring that patients are not just present but actively involved in shaping discussions, sharing insights and influencing the future of respiratory healthcare. Each year, we look for new and innovative ways to increase patient participation, both in person and online. This year, opportunities include:
All confirmed speakers and contributors to the programme from the ELF network will be published on this page.
The Healthy Lungs for Life campaign will be in Barcelona during the ERS Congress 2026, with activities for both the public and Congress participants.
Members of the public can take part in a free lung function testing event in Plaça de la Universitat. This is a drop-in activity with no booking required, offering a simple lung health check and practical advice on protecting your lungs.
The campaign will also host Take the Active Option on 9 September 2026 in Montjuïc, a 5 km run or a 2.5 km walk. This is a paid event which sells out every year, so early registration is recommended.
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