The SIDS SMART Futures Festival is a three-day public event, running as a prelude to the UN Conference on Small Island Developing States. Scheduled from May 24-26 in Antigua and Barbuda, just before the main conference from May 27-30, this festival is uniquely designed to engage civil society, with a special focus on youth. It aims to cover all 55 island nations in the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) by extending its daily activities from midnight to 11 PM on Friday and Saturday, and until 7 PM on Sunday, all times set to Antigua and Barbuda's local time.

The festival will delve into the futures of 2030 and beyond, centering on crucial themes for big ocean small states, such as 'The Blue Economy and Climate Change', 'Economic Resilience', and 'Human Security'. The event celebrates three key visions: Futures We See Emerging, The Futures We Want, and The Future We Are Seeding, which together explore current achievements and the desired advancements towards creating a resilient, inclusive world.

Activities at the festival include interactive workshops, storytelling, games, panel discussions, and artistic presentations, all aimed at fostering a collaborative and memorable engagement with the themes of the upcoming UN Summit of the Future and other critical global agendas like the UN Ocean Decade and COP 28+. Participants will also have the opportunity to participate in live polls and surveys, providing valuable input that will inform civil society’s ongoing involvement in these vital international dialogues.