ESRA LISBON 2026 — MORE THAN A CONGRESS
Every year, the ESRA Annual Congress brings together education, science, innovation and friendship.
But some years feel different.
This year, Lisbon will not simply host scientific sessions.
It will become THE meeting point of the ESRA community.
And there may be no better place for this than Portugal.
A country shaped by discovery, conversation and welcoming people around the same table.
The Portuguese have a unique word: saudade. It is difficult to translate, but perhaps it means recognising a moment while you are living it—and already knowing you will want to return.
That is the feeling we hope to create in Lisbon.
Like a good Fado song, a great congress is not only about performance—it is about emotion, connection and stories shared together.
Across a few days, colleagues become collaborators, experts become mentors, ideas become projects, and conversations started over coffee become future research, educational initiatives and lifelong professional connections.
For many members, the ESRA Congress is not only where they learn.
It is where they reconnect. Where they discover. Where they find inspiration. Where they remember why they chose this specialty.
And yes—between science and sessions, there may also be time to rediscover another Portuguese tradition: bringing people together over food, conversation and hospitality.
Whether around a coffee and a pastel de nata, during an evening discussion, or sharing ideas over a plate where somehow bacalhau always appears in one of its many forms—some of the most memorable congress moments happen outside the programme.
For Lisbon 2026, we are rethinking parts of the congress experience to create more opportunities to connect, exchange ideas and make every moment count—not only inside lecture rooms, but across the entire congress environment.
Our ambition is simple:
To make Lisbon the most interactive ESRA congress experience so far.
And this is only the beginning.
DISCOVER THE NEW ESRA VILLAGE
Not just a place to pass through — a place to stay.
For Lisbon 2026, we are introducing a new concept designed to become the social and community heart of the congress.
Welcome to the ESRA Village.
Located within the exhibition area, the Village is being designed as an open and welcoming space where members can pause, reconnect and experience another side of congress life.
Because some of the most memorable moments do not happen in auditoriums.
They happen between sessions.
They happen during conversations.
They happen when people meet.
What you may find in the Village:
Think of it as the living room of ESRA.
A place to meet old friends, make new ones, discover opportunities and experience the Society beyond the scientific programme.
Whether you are attending your first ESRA congress or returning after many years, the Village aims to create a place where everyone feels welcome.
Come for five minutes.
Stay for much longer.
FROM THE LECTURE STAGE TO REAL CONVERSATIONS: MEET YOUR REGIONAL ANAESTHESIA & PAIN MEDICINE STARS
Every congress offers inspiring speakers.
But what if there were more opportunities to connect beyond the lecture hall?
Lisbon 2026 is exploring new ways to create moments that feel more personal, more accessible and more human.
Moments where conversations replace distance.
You may discover opportunities such as:
Have you ever wanted to ask:
How did they build their career?
What mistakes taught them the most?
What would they do differently?
What advice would they give to the next generation?
This may be your opportunity.
Because great ideas often begin with a simple conversation.
And sometimes, the people whose names appear on guidelines and congress stages turn out to be colleagues happy to share a coffee and a story.
A SCIENTIFIC MILESTONE FOR ESRA
Before registration closes and before we meet in Lisbon, there is already one achievement worth celebrating together.
Lisbon 2026 has already reached the highest number of abstract submissions in ESRA history.
But submissions will close soon.
This is more than a number.
It is a message.
A message that members continue to choose ESRA as the place to present their work, challenge ideas, exchange experiences and contribute to advancing regional anaesthesia and pain medicine.
It reflects confidence in the scientific standards of the Society. It reflects engagement from our community. And it confirms ESRA’s role as an international scientific hub at the highest level.
Behind every abstract there is a team, a mentor, a trainee, a clinical question, a project and a willingness to improve patient care.
To every author who submitted, thank you.
To everyone still considering submission—
there is still (short) time to become part of this milestone.
POSTER HUBS: POSTERS REIMAGINED
More discussion. Less walking past.
Scientific posters have always been an important part of ESRA.
This year, we want to create even more opportunities for interaction and visibility.
Rather than simply displaying scientific work, we are exploring ways to transform poster areas into active discussion spaces.
And because great science deserves recognition—
we are exploring a People’s Choice Poster experience, allowing delegates to interact and vote through the Congress App and celebrate outstanding contributions during the awards session.
Bring your questions.
Bring your curiosity.
Bring your ideas.
This is your opportunity to present, discuss, challenge and inspire.
MICRO SESSIONS: LEARNING BETWEEN THE SESSIONS
Because learning also happens between sessions.
Some of the most valuable moments at congress are unexpected.
That conversation.
That practical tip.
That five-minute explanation that changes your practice.
Across the exhibition space, Lisbon 2026 aims to introduce short and energetic learning experiences designed to spark discussion and inspire new thinking.
Short.
Dynamic.
Interactive.
Learning designed for modern congress life.
Because sometimes ten minutes can stay with you longer than an hour.
Stay tuned!
SCIENCE. COMMUNITY. EXPERIENCE.
Of course, Lisbon will continue to offer what members expect from ESRA: world-class education, leading experts, high-quality science, innovation and opportunities to grow.
But this year, we also want to create something more.
A congress where people stay a little longer.
Talk a little more.
Discover something unexpected.
Meet someone new.
Feel part of something bigger.
And perhaps leave with a little saudade.
Because the best congresses are not measured by the number of slides.
They are remembered by the conversations, the people and the moments that stay with us long after we return home.
Registration is now open.
Join us in Lisbon.
Come for the science.
Stay for the people.
#ESRA2026
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