Wiki Loves Monuments 2026
Wiki Loves Monuments is the world's largest photography competition by entries, run by Wikimedia chapters in dozens of countries. The 2026 cycle runs throughout September; entries must be cultural heritage monuments licensed under a free copyright licence. AI-generated images are banned and the organising committee may request RAW files for verification. Despite being free to enter, the contest's policy is among the strictest in any large-scale public photography programme.
- Deadline
- September 30, 2026
- Entry fee
- Free entry
- Opens
- September 1, 2026
Authenticity policy
AI policy
It is forbidden to submit images generated by generative artificial intelligence tools to the competition, and to verify this requirement, the organising committee reserves the right to ask the authors of the photographs to submit the original photo in RAW format for the works participating in specific categories.
RAW files
The organising committee reserves the right to ask the authors of the photographs to submit the original photo in RAW format for the works participating in specific categories.
Editing rules
Wiki Loves Monuments has one of the cleanest published AI policies in the contest landscape: outright ban with RAW-format enforcement available to the organising committee. All entries must be licensed under a free copyright licence or released into the public domain (CC BY-SA 4.0 recommended), aligning the contest with Wikimedia's broader content philosophy.
Verified on June 12, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- Does Wiki Loves Monuments 2026 allow AI-generated images?
- No. Wiki Loves Monuments 2026 does not permit AI-generated images in its competition entries.
- Are RAW files required to enter Wiki Loves Monuments 2026?
- Finalists may be asked to supply their RAW files for verification.
- When is the Wiki Loves Monuments 2026 entry deadline?
- Entries for Wiki Loves Monuments 2026 close on September 30, 2026.
- How much does it cost to enter Wiki Loves Monuments 2026?
- Wiki Loves Monuments 2026 is free to enter.
Do you run a photo contest? See how organizers verify entries