ROTTERDAM, 7 January 2026 – Rotterdam Partners has handed out the Marketing Awards Rotterdam, with Fenix taking the main prize and Zomercarnaval receiving the lifetime achievement award. Biosphere Solar picked up the talent award, putting a spotlight on a very Rotterdam mix of culture and innovation.
The awards were presented on Tuesday 6 January during the Rotterdam Partners new year reception at LantarenVenster. Mayor Carola Schouten and alderman Robert Simons handed out the prizes.
What the Marketing Awards Rotterdam recognise
The Marketing Awards Rotterdam are annual prizes for people and organisations that strengthen Rotterdam’s image and promotion, whether that happens through culture, entrepreneurship, or a city story that travels far beyond the ring road.
This year’s winners cover three different angles: a cultural institution that quickly became a talking point, a festival that has shaped the city’s identity for decades, and a young company that puts Rotterdam on the map in the sustainability space.
Fenix in Katendrecht Rotterdam wins the main award
Fenix won the 24th Marketing Award Rotterdam. The jury praised the museum for turning a complex theme, migration, into an accessible and emotionally strong visitor experience, and for making a mark quickly after opening in May 2025. Fenix drew major international attention and welcomed more than 300,000 visitors from over 100 countries in its first year.
Zomercarnaval takes the lifetime achievement award in Rotterdam
The Rotterdam lifetime achievement award (Oeuvre Prijs Rotterdam) went to Rotterdam Unlimited Zomercarnaval. It is presented once every five years and honours a long-term contribution to the city’s international profile. The jury highlighted how the event’s dancers, floats, and costumes present Rotterdam internationally as a city with a strong, outward-looking identity, year after year.
Biosphere Solar in BlueCity wins the talent award
The Talent Award Rotterdam went to Biosphere Solar, based in BlueCity, for developing circular, repairable, open-source solar panels. The jury also pointed to the team’s presence in networks and collaborations as a reason the company adds to Rotterdam’s reputation as a place where ambitious ideas can grow into something real.
