2026 is packed with major technology conferences and startup events across the globe. Whether you're a founder looking to raise capital, a developer wanting to level up, or a professional expanding your network, these are the events worth putting on your calendar.
This list is organized chronologically with verified dates, locations, and pricing. We've marked events that have already happened so you can focus on what's still coming up.
Already Happened
1. CES (Consumer Electronics Show)
January 6–9, 2026. Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV, USA
CES 2026 was the largest post-pandemic edition, welcoming more than 148,000 attendees from around the world, including 6,900 media representatives. The event featured 4,100+ exhibitors (including 1,200 startups) across 2.6 million square feet of exhibit space at the Las Vegas Convention Center, The Venetian Expo, Sphere, and ARIA Resort.
Over 55% of attendees were senior-level executives. Programming included 400+ conference sessions with 1,300+ speakers covering AI, robotics, accessibility tech, health, and more. Notable attendees included Alexis Ohanian, Serena Williams, and Steve Aoki.
Who it's for: Hardware companies, consumer tech startups, AI/IoT innovators, and anyone in the consumer electronics supply chain. CES is where the biggest companies unveil products and where startups get discovered.
2. MWC Barcelona (Mobile World Congress)
March 2–5, 2026. Fira Gran Via, Barcelona, Spain
MWC 2026 was the 20th anniversary edition in Barcelona, drawing 105,000 attendees from 207 countries. 58% of participants came from industries adjacent to mobile: software, chip manufacturing, cloud, fintech, and industrial sectors.
Key themes included the convergence of AI, 5G-Advanced, and cloud technologies toward a "Sovereign AI" future. Approximately 40% of speakers were C-level executives and 35% were women.
Who it's for: Telecom, mobile, connectivity, and IoT companies. If your startup builds anything that connects to a network, MWC is the industry's annual gathering.
Coming Up
3. SXSW (South by Southwest)
March 12–18, 2026. Austin Convention Center, Austin, TX, USA
SXSW is a unique blend of tech, music, film, and culture. The 2026 edition features 850+ conference sessions, 600+ mentor and networking events, 4,400 musicians performing across 300+ live showcases, and 375+ film and TV screenings. SXSW also features 450 brand activations and four nights of comedy.
SXSW offers four badge types for 2026, and a presale is currently available. Volunteers can earn a free badge by working 24-56 hours during the festival (must be 18+).
Who it's for: Creative technologists, content creators, startup founders, marketers, and anyone at the intersection of technology and culture. SXSW is as much about serendipitous connections as it is about structured sessions.
Why attend: SXSW is where tech meets the real world. It's less enterprise-focused and more about ideas, culture, and creativity. Many breakout tech trends (including Twitter and Foursquare) got their start at SXSW.
4. Google Cloud Next
April 22–24, 2026. Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas, NV, USA
Google's flagship cloud computing conference. Three days of keynotes, technical sessions, product demos, and hands-on workshops focused on Google Cloud, AI/ML, developer tools, and enterprise infrastructure. Registration is open: early bird pricing was $999 (group discounts available for 10+; student and government discounts available). A free digital pass gives access to keynote streams.
Your ticket includes all conference sessions, product demos, after-hours receptions, and complimentary meals each day.
Who it's for: Developers, architects, CTOs, and data engineers building on Google Cloud. Essential if you're using or evaluating GCP, BigQuery, Vertex AI, or any Google cloud products.
Why attend: Google typically makes major product announcements at Next. It's also one of the best conferences for hands-on cloud and AI workshops.
5. Web Summit Vancouver (formerly Collision)
May 11–14, 2026. Vancouver Convention Centre, Vancouver, BC, Canada
The Collision conference that ran in Toronto for several years has been rebranded and relocated. The team behind Collision is now running Web Summit Vancouver, bringing the same programming to Canada's West Coast: the ALPHA and BETA startup programs, the PITCH competition, investor meetings, and the networking format that made Collision popular. Over 20,000 attendees are expected. Ticket prices range from C$595 to C$1,895 (excluding taxes), with group and early-bird discounts available.
Who it's for: Startup founders, investors, and tech leaders in the North American ecosystem. The Pacific Northwest location connects North American capital to a broader global tech ecosystem.
Why attend: If you attended Collision before, this is its successor. Same organizers (Web Summit), same format, new city. Vancouver's tech scene has been growing fast, and the event puts you in the middle of it.
6. Microsoft Build
June 2–3, 2026. Fort Mason Center, San Francisco, CA, USA
Microsoft Build 2026 marks a major change: the event has moved from its traditional May dates in Seattle to June in San Francisco. Microsoft has described it as a "no-fluff, AI-centric" developer conference with roughly 2,500 developers invited (down from the typical 3,000-5,000). The keynote and select sessions will also be streamed online.
Who it's for: Developers building on Microsoft's platform. Azure, GitHub, VS Code, .NET, and Microsoft's AI tools (Copilot, Azure OpenAI). If you're in the Microsoft ecosystem, this is the annual must-attend.
Why attend: Microsoft typically announces developer-facing AI tools and platform updates at Build. The move to San Francisco signals a more focused, intimate format.
7. Apple WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference)
June 8–11, 2026. Apple Park, Cupertino, CA + Online
WWDC 2026 runs June 8-11 with the keynote starting Monday at 10 AM Pacific. Apple will announce iOS 27, iPadOS 27, the next macOS, and updates across watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS.
WWDC is primarily an online event with developer sessions and labs running throughout the week. Limited in-person attendance at Apple Park has been offered in recent years.
Who it's for: iOS, macOS, and Apple platform developers. If you build apps for Apple platforms, this is the most important event of the year.
Why attend: Early access to new APIs and frameworks, hands-on labs with Apple engineers, and developer community sessions. The online format means anyone can participate for free.
8. VivaTech
June 17–20, 2026. Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, Paris, France
VivaTech 2026 is the 10th anniversary edition of Europe's biggest startup and tech event. The numbers are staggering: 180,000 expected attendees, 14,000 startups, 4,000 partner organizations, and 3,600 investors. A 4-Day Attendee pass costs €650, with a CMO/Tech Leaders pass at €750.
The event runs across four days with sessions, exhibitions, startup showcases, and networking.
Who it's for: European startup ecosystem participants, corporate innovation teams, investors, and anyone wanting exposure to the European tech scene. VivaTech is the European counterpart to events like Web Summit and CES.
Why attend: Massive scale with a strong European focus. Excellent for startups looking for European partnerships, investment, or market entry. The 10th anniversary edition is expected to be the largest yet.
9. TechCrunch Disrupt
October 13–15, 2026. Moscone West, San Francisco, CA, USA
TechCrunch Disrupt attracts 10,000+ founders, investors, operators, and decision-makers. The Startup Battlefield competition has launched companies like Cloudflare, Dropbox, and Mint.
Early-bird ticket savings of up to $680 have been available.
Who it's for: Startup founders (especially early-stage), venture capitalists, and the broader Silicon Valley tech ecosystem. If you're building a startup and want investor visibility, Disrupt is one of the highest-profile stages.
Why attend: The Startup Battlefield competition, quality of investor networking, and TechCrunch's editorial spotlight make this one of the most impactful events for early-stage startups.
10. Web Summit Lisbon
November 9–12, 2026. MEO Arena & FIL, Lisbon, Portugal
Web Summit Lisbon expects 71,000+ attendees from around the globe. The event brings together 1,800+ investors, 2,700+ startups, and leaders from major tech companies across four days of talks, exhibitions, and networking at Lisbon's Parque das Nações district.
Ticket prices range from approximately €850 (early bird / 2-for-1 deals) up to €4,320+ for Executive and Chairman-level passes. Group discounts are available for 5+ attendees.
Who it's for: Everyone in tech, from startup founders to enterprise leaders, investors, media, and policymakers. Web Summit's scale means it covers virtually every tech vertical.
Why attend: The sheer scale creates unmatched networking density. Web Summit also hosts Night Summit (evening networking events across Lisbon's restaurants and bars), which is often where the real connections happen.
11. AWS re:Invent
November 30 – December 4, 2026. Multiple venues, Las Vegas, NV, USA
AWS re:Invent is Amazon Web Services' flagship conference: five days spread across Caesars Forum, Mandalay Bay, MGM Grand, The Venetian, and Wynn. The event draws 60,000+ attendees and features 2,000+ technical sessions.
This is where AWS makes its biggest product announcements and where cloud practitioners get hands-on with new services through workshops, labs, and certification opportunities.
Who it's for: Cloud engineers, DevOps practitioners, architects, and anyone building on AWS. If AWS is a core part of your infrastructure, re:Invent is the deepest dive you can get into the platform.
Why attend: Major AWS product launches, hands-on labs, and the deepest technical content available for the AWS ecosystem. The networking with other AWS practitioners is also excellent.
Tired of hunting for events?
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Chat with ScoutySmaller Events Worth Watching
Not every good event has 50,000 attendees. These smaller conferences often deliver better networking and more focused content.
- MicroConf US (April 12-14, Portland, OR). The conference for bootstrapped and indie SaaS founders. Around 250 attendees. Intimate, high-signal, no VC pitch theater.
- Startup Grind Global Conference (April 28-29, Silicon Valley). 500+ startup teams meet 400+ funds. Pre-seed and seed founders get real investor access with scheduled 1-on-1 meetings.
- Bits & Pretzels (Late September, Munich). Happens during Oktoberfest. 5,000 attendees, 21,000 founder-investor meetings. The combination of startup content and Bavarian culture makes it unlike anything else.
- Techsylvania (Cluj-Napoca, Romania). Grown from 380 to 3,000+ attendees. Strong on growth scaling, climate tech, and emerging tech. One of the best events in Central/Eastern Europe.
How to Decide Which Events to Attend
With so many options, here's a framework for choosing:
If you're raising capital: Web Summit Vancouver, TechCrunch Disrupt, Web Summit Lisbon, and VivaTech all have strong investor attendance and matchmaking programs.
If you're a developer: Google Cloud Next, Microsoft Build, AWS re:Invent, and WWDC offer the deepest technical content for their respective ecosystems.
If you want broad exposure: Web Summit Lisbon, SXSW, and VivaTech have the widest scope and largest attendee counts.
If you're on a budget: SXSW offers volunteer badges, Google Cloud Next has free digital passes, and WWDC is primarily online. Smaller events like MicroConf and local meetups are often free or low-cost.
If you're a bootstrapped founder: Skip the mega-conferences. MicroConf and Startup Grind will give you more value per dollar than any 50,000-person event.
Never Miss an Event
This list covers the major conferences, but thousands of smaller events: hackathons, meetups, demo days, workshops: happen throughout the year and often provide even more value than the big conferences. The best networking often happens at intimate 50-person events, not 50,000-person conventions.
Scouty monitors the web for events matching your specific interests and sends alerts to your WhatsApp. Whether you're looking for "AI conferences in Europe," "startup pitch competitions," or "developer hackathons near me," Scouty watches for you so you never miss an opportunity.
Chat with Scouty on WhatsApp and tell him what kinds of events you care about. He'll take it from there.
Last updated: March 10, 2026. Event details are verified from official sources. Dates and pricing may change: check the linked official event websites for the latest information.