The fifth edition of the ZEG Storytelling Festival will run from June 13 to 15, 2025 in Tbilisi, Georgia. The festival continues its mission to facilitate discussions across disciplines and promote Georgia’s connection to the broader international community with the support from Impact Hub, Coda Story, and TBC Concept.
The festival title, ‘ZEG,’ comes from the Georgian word meaning ‘the day after tomorrow,’ reflecting its forward-looking approach to intellectual exchange. As the first international event of its kind in the Caucasus, it has brought together professionals from diverse fields, including journalism, science, art, architecture, economics, and activism, since its founding.
ZEG is curated by award-winning journalists and aims to engage participants with complex and time-sensitive topics in an accessible and inclusive setting. The festival emphasizes cross-disciplinary collaborations and the value of storytelling in contexts ranging from media and politics to science, technology, and the arts.
Its programming is structured to promote intersectoral dialogue and long-term partnerships through both formal sessions and informal networking opportunities.
Program Highlights
The 2025 edition will feature a combination of keynote talks, panel discussions, film screenings, performances, workshops, and curated walking tours throughout Tbilisi. These events are designed to encourage audience engagement.
More than 100 international speakers will participate, including:
- Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Memorial Prize-winning economist
- Platon, British photographer renowned for his political portraiture
- Ed Caesar, journalist and staff writer at The New Yorker
- Dr. Seema Jilani, pediatrician with extensive field experience in conflict zones
- Adam Faze, writer, producer, and director of ‘How Moving’ and ‘River Fork’
- Alejandro Aravena, Pritzker Prize-winning architect known for sustainable urban design
- Armando Iannucci, satirist and creator of ‘Veep’ and ‘The Death of Stalin’
- Volodymyr Yermolenko, Ukrainian philosopher and writer
Additional speakers will be announced in the lead-up to the festival.
In addition to its main sponsor, TBC Concept, the 2025 festival is supported by:
- UN Women
- European Cultural Foundation
- Coca-Cola
- BMW
- Culture of Solidarity Fund
- Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation
- Windsor’s
- Reckless
- AI Accountability Network – Pulitzer Center
- Adjara Group
- Honore
Ticketing and Access
Special presale offers are available to new TBC Concept cardholders with a 25% discount for a limited time (April 7–8). From April 10 onward, a 15% discount will be extended to all TBC Concept cardholders.
Further information on the program and registration details is available through official festival channels.
