OpenWalls Spotlight – Homecoming 2026 is built for photographers who want their work to land somewhere real, not just in a folder. With an exhibition tied to Les Rencontres d’Arles and a theme that can be intimate or expansive, this edition asks what it means to return, to a place, a person, a memory, or a version of oneself. The submission deadline is 16 February 2026, and entries are handled through the OpenWalls submission portal, with paid options and free access routes for eligible applicants.

Homecoming is framed as both destination and transformation, leaving room for personal stories, community rituals, environmental recovery, and the uneasy overlap between past and present. The award includes a Stories (series) category and a Single Image category, with selected work exhibited at Galerie Huit Arles in July 2026. Alongside the exhibition outcome, the prize list includes press sharing, features on 1854.photography, and a Stories-category grant of £1,000. For photographers mapping out where to participate in photography challenges across the year, OpenWalls Spotlight is one of the clearer exhibition-led calls currently open.