F/262 International Photography Festival

F/262 is a new international photography festival based in Portugal’s Centro region, unfolding between two UNESCO Creative Cities — Caldas da Rainha, recognized for its arts, crafts, and ceramics, and Óbidos, celebrated as a literary city. Each place brings its own identity: Caldas with its vibrant contemporary art school, museums, and cultural centers; Óbidos with its medieval walls, bookshops, and literary spirit. Together they frame a unique dialogue between image and word, craft and story, public space and cultural heritage.

The name F/262 carries layers of meaning. It is not just a festival title but an ethos: Photography, Focus, F-Stop, Family, Fun, Família, Friendship, Freedom — values that shape the spirit of the event. While “262” may resemble an aperture setting, it is in fact the area code of Caldas da Rainha and Óbidos, a nod to place, roots, and belonging. The festival’s colors reinterpret the city flags — Caldas (purple, yellow) and Óbidos (blue, yellow) — merged with lens-orange, drawn from camera markings, creating a visual identity that connects photography, community, and territory.

F/262 unfolds through several key pillars:

Analog Lab – workshops in experimental and alternative photography, from pinhole cameras built from Coca-Cola cans to gelli plate monoprints and cyanotypes.

PhotoBook Club – a celebration of the photobook through fairs, signings, and debates, naturally rooted in Óbidos, a UNESCO Literary City.

PhotoFilmFest – screenings and conversations at the crossroads of photography and cinema, including documentaries, shorts, and open-air film nights.

F/262 Photography Award – an international open call that exhibits selected works across the cities, produced at no cost to photographers, giving visibility to emerging and established voices alike.

While F/262 does not impose a single overarching theme, each edition develops a sub-theme that provides cohesion across exhibitions and programs. For the inaugural 2026 edition, the focus is Water — an element that is at once ecological, cultural, and symbolic, evoking urgency and universality.

Beyond exhibitions, F/262 invests in education and community engagement: youth-led NextGen initiatives, masterclasses, school collaborations, and projects exploring photography as a tool for therapy and social connection. The festival also sustains international networks, working with institutions, federations, and industry partners to ensure both