City Week 2026

City Week is returning for its 16th annual edition! Held in-person over two days in London from 18-19 May, as well as being live-streamed around the world, next year’s edition will take place at a time when the financial services are undergoing profound change. Geopolitics are reshaping trade and investment flows. Technology, especially AI, is transforming business models. Regulatory regimes are having to pivot to a pro-growth stance in the face of a widespread cost of living crisis. The role of the financial services industry in combating climate change is under challenge. Crypto, digital assets and blockchain have finally achieved acceptance in mainstream finance. No financial institution can afford to stand still in the face of such change.

Organised in partnership with the UK Government, the City of London Corporation, TheCityUK, UK Finance and leading City institutions, next year’s edition will analyse all the current change drivers in international finance and their implications for financial institutions. Day One explores the impact of geopolitical, geoeconomic and macro factors in general and specifically on the capital markets. Day Two analyses the implications of AI, crypto and digital assets for financial institutions. Both days take innovation as their central theme and reflect the boardroom agenda of leading financial institutions.

Renowned for its content-rich agenda, exceptional speakers and unrivalled networking opportunities, City Week has become a must-attend event for senior decision-makers from not only the UK but also from all the other major financial centres. More than 1,000 delegates attend this comprehensive week of cutting-edge presentations, panel discussions, social events and networking. Like previous editions, this year’s forum will feature many well-known names from the global financial services industry, the world of politics and the international regulatory community.

The financial world is in a state of flux. How can financial institutions navigate the shifting sands of geopolitical developments and trade flows? What are the strategies that UK and other international financial centres are adopting to promote economic growth? What is the outlook for the global economy and how will it impact your company? Regulatory regimes are evolving – what does the trend towards ‘smart regulation’ mean in practice and what are the trade-offs involved? What are the consequences of the reset in U.S. financial services regulation for the rest of the world? And how are today’s powerful crosscurrents reshaping the landscape of climate finance?

London has long been a leading global financial centre. To increase their competitiveness, the UK’s capital markets have been going through a period of significant reform. Is this process on track to succeed? What further reforms are planned? The European Capital Markets Union project has been slow going. Is this likely to change, and. If so, what will it take? Green bonds have already demonstrated that capital markets can be harnessed for climate purposes, but what do the next generation of market-based solutions look like for climate, nature and biodiversity? And how can London leverage its advantages to become the global centre for transition finance? Finally, capital markets are dynamic allocators of capital – what are the current drivers in international M&A and which are the hot sectors?

Digital assets, tokenisation and cryptoassets have finally achieved acceptance in mainstream finance, a process catalysed by a highly supportive U.S. administration. What has been the wider international impact of ‘Project Crypto: Leading America’s Future in Digital Asset Innovation’? How are other countries developing their regulatory regimes for cryptoassets? Here in the UK, what has been the response of the Bank of England and the FCA? What steps are necessary to realise the potential of tokenisation for real world assets (RWA)? What is the future of money with the advent of stablecoins, tokenised deposits, CBDCs and the latest payment innovations? And, finally, do digital assets meet the requirements of institutional investors?

Since ChatGPT arrived on the scene a few years ago, there has been a lot of hype about the potential of AI to transform financial services. However, financial institutions are now implementing numerous real-world applications of Gen AI and are tentatively exploring the next phase of AI, Agentic AI. What are the current and future use cases of AI in the financial sector? Which global problems might AI solve and in what timeframe? What progress has been made in developing International governance, regulation and standards for AI? Turning to the experts, where do AI leaders think we will be in 5- and 10-years’ time? And finally, the arrival of AI has increased the focus on cybersecurity, as AI has increased cyber threats – are boards sufficiently focused on cybersecurity and operational resilience?

The premier c-suite event of its kind for the international financial services industry, now in its 16th edition
Organised under a partnership with the UK government and well-known City bodies
Supported by a Board of Patrons comprising leaders from the financial services industry
A programme that reflects the boardroom agendas of financial institutions
100+ world-class speakers
Highly relevant content of exceptional quality
Attended by 1000+ senior decision-makers each year
Unparalleled networking opportunities via themed lunches, drinks receptions, private dinners and the app

£295

Per half day summit

Book now

Hong Kong’s Green Finance Edge As global trade faces challenges that may limit access to vital green technologies, Hong Kong is positioning itself at the forefront of sustainable finance. By embracing tokenised green bonds and real-world asset tokenisation, the city is bridging investment gaps and empowering smaller investors to support renewable energy. Driven by forward-thinking policies and a vibrant fintech ecosystem, Hong Kong offers a pathway to more inclusive participation in the green transition and plays a key role in advancing global green investment stability.

Algorithmic trading has been used in the financial markets for years and is highly regulated. The regulatory framework governing algorithmic trading was established by 2014 amendments to Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II) and has been applicable since 2018, both in the United Kingdom (UK) and in the European Union (EU). In recent years adoption of algorithmic and high-frequency trading techniques has spilled over to the commodity markets, with market participants more frequently adopting various forms of trading technology in their day-to-day business. The purpose of this note is to explain the UK and EU regulatory frameworks applicable to algorithmic trading in commodity derivatives and wholesale energy products.

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