The International Youth Festival is the ‘flagship event’ of Atlantic Bridge. It is the only activity during the year that brings multiple Bridgebuilders Clubs together and best expresses the vision of Atlantic Bridge. Youth from many different cultures, countries, lifestyles and beliefs meet each other for seven days of fun, friendship and faith. The key elements of the Festival are introducing and inspiring participants to the mission of bridgebuilding and the Christian faith.

The International Youth Festival takes place in a different country each year with between 120 and 180 participants. Most groups come to the Festival after participating in an exchange with their Bridgebuilders Club. Each festival has a specific theme that is explored during the week.

The main elements of the Festival are:

1. MeetPoint
2. Small Groups
3. Workshops
4. Optionals
5. Discovery Trip
6. Country Presentations
7. Talent Show
8. Café de Connexxion

The morning of each day is filled with a MeetPoint where games, music and the news and love reports prepare everyone for the speaker of the day. Then everyone goes to their Small Group where the theme is unwrapped on a more personal level and youth can discuss related issues.

The afternoon is a relaxing time with various Workshops and Optional activities. One afternoon the entire Festival goes on a Discovery Trip to learn about the town or region that is hosting the festival.

The evening program is a chance for each group or individual to present themselves through the Country Presentations and Talent Show. And Café de Connexxion provides the perfect end to the day with a cozy chat and cup of coffee, relaxing music or invigorating game.

Although Atlantic Bridge is a Christian organisation, many of the participants have no church background or belief in God.

If you are a Christian and you want to join us next summer, we will ask you to keep that in mind. This is not a festival where you will get a lot of in depth Bible studies, but one in which you will be challenged as you learn to openly share with people who think and believe different from what you are used to.

If you don’t believe in God, we ask you to keep in mind that there are people in the camp who think and behave different from what you are used to. This is not a festival where you will be ‘indoctrinated’ with the Christian faith, but it is a place where we openly share our lives and experiences with each other, and talking about the role of faith in our lives is an essential part of that. Come and join us for an incredibly fun and inspiring time.

Participation in the festival is usually per group. If you are interested in participating as an individual, you can contact us directly by This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or write to us.