Wikimania 2025 brought together people from across the Wikimedia movement and across generations. A total of 2,376 participants from more than 135 countries took part—776 in person and over 1,600 online.
Half of all the conference attendees were 34 years old or younger, and half were relative newcomers to the movement, having started contributing in the last five years. Among them were a handful who had been to every Wikimania, while for many this was their first. One of them was AramilFeraxa, 2025 Functionary of the year, for whom this was their very first Wikimania. Quite the debut!
Wikimania 2025 spoke five languages—Swahili, Arabic, Spanish, French, and English—thanks to a team of 35 tireless interpreters from 20 different countries, some logging in at midnight their local time. For a few, this was their third time supporting Wikimania!
“We greatly appreciate the sharing spirit, the Wikimedia community, and the philosophy behind it. We have also learned a lot. Most importantly, this has been a very fulfilling assignment for us. So thank you!”— from the Interpretation Team
This year’s program included more than 200 sessions and over 350 speakers. The last day included some forward-thinking sessions and wrap-ups. Here are some highlights:
- Hackathon Showcase and Coolest Tool Awards – The Hackathon 2025 participants shared what they had worked on during the week, and also celebrated the 6th Coolest Tool Awards. Congratulations to this year’s winners: Abuse filter analyzer (Greatest service to the community), Database report (Most Evolved), and Paulina (Most Innovative).
- The future of Wikimania – The Steering Committee hosted a conversation to discuss the future of the conference. Volunteers had the opportunity to make suggestions and share reflections about Wikimania.
- Artificial intelligence and the evolution of Wikimedia – This session went over concrete examples of how artificial intelligence is changing Wikimedia. Speakers stressed the importance of preserving openness, neutrality, and community trust as AI’s influence expands.
The closing ceremony opened with Voices in the Edit, a powerful spoken-word performance by Nairobi-based poet Stella Kivuti. It reminded us that Wikimedians are “the quiet guardians of knowledge” and “not just filling the footnotes.” When she asked, “Who shares the knowledge?” the audience’s response was unanimous: “We do!” The performances continued with WikiChoir taking the stage twice and getting everyone to join in a fun chorus of Jambo Bwana.
In her last Wikimania as CEO, Maryana Iskander shared reflections on what the next generation of Wikimedians needs from us, drawing on conversations she had with participants throughout the week: boldness, openness, and working together to face the challenges ahead.
Before the ceremony came to an end, the Wikimania Nairobi Core Organizing Team passed the baton to their counterparts in Paris, who will host Wikimania Paris from July 21 to 25, 2026. The handover linked Nairobi’s energy and ideas to the next chapter in France, where the conversations will continue.
As the lights came on at the closing ceremony, you could see the faces of different generations of Wikimedians, some who helped build the projects from the start, others just beginning. Having them together in one place was what made Wikimania 2025 so special.
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