The Wikimedia Foundation, along with the Conference Support Committee, is pleased to announce the approval of six dynamic, community-led conferences through the first round of the Conference & Event Fund 2025–2026. From Edmonton to Accra, these events will bring together diverse voices and energize Wikimedia communities worldwide in 2026 bringing an approximate 800 Wikimedians together.
Conferences approved in this funding round include gatherings for Indigenous communities, language preservation activists, and researchers interested in the Wikimedia movement. Each event offers unique opportunities for participants to connect, learn, and innovate together.
Region-Based Events that Foster Collaboration
Regional conferences within the Wikimedia movement have evolved into some of our strongest community events. They gather Wikimedians for celebration and collaboration across the eight global regions. Two such conferences have been approved in the first funding round.
In September 2026, Wikimedia Canada will host the annual WikiConference North America in Edmonton, Alberta, with an expected 250 participants. The conference is the primary gathering for contributors from English-speaking Wikimedia communities across North America. Continuing a well-loved tradition, a “Culture Crawl”, giving participants the chance to explore a variety of cultural institutions in Edmonton.
Originally planned for 2025, WikiConference India will now take place in September 2026 in Kochi, Kerala. The organizers aim to provide a platform for the many diverse Wikimedia communities from India and neighboring countries, to showcase their work and achievements, and strengthen regional collaboration.
Thematic Spaces for Learning and Innovation
Alongside region-based gatherings, the Wikimedia movement has developed a strong ecosystem of thematic conferences. These events bring together community members and experts working in specific areas of interest.
In April 2026, the second edition of “WikiCredCon” will take place at the same venue as in 2025, the Internet Archive in San Francisco. The first edition successfully brought together Wikimedians and activists dedicated to tackling misinformation, disinformation, and missing information across Wikimedia projects. The organizers plan to build on that success and expand the event’s audience while focussing on Addressing Reliability in an Era of Information Erosion.
Wikimedia Poland and Wikimedia Ukraine have partnered to host the first research-focused Wikimedia event in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region. Their conference, “Open Knowledge: Wikimedia & Research in the CEE Region,” will be held in October 2026 in Katowice, Poland. It aims to create a space where Wikimedians can exchange ideas with researchers and academics working with or on Wikimedia projects.
In 2024, the Wikimedistas de Wayuu user group, an Indigenous community of Wikimedians from the Wayuu people in Colombia, received the “Wikimedian of the Year” award in the “Newcomer” category. Building on that recognition, the group plans to organize a meeting of leaders from Indigenous communities already active on Wikimedia projects, either by contributing to major-language editions or by developing projects in their own languages. Supported by Wikimedia Colombia, this gathering will take place in June 2026 in Riohacha, Colombia.
2026 will also see the first-ever “Language Diversity Conference” in Accra, Ghana (October 2026). Organized by Wikitongues and the Dagbani Wikimedians User Group, with support from the Language Diversity Hub and Wikimedia UK, the event will bring together Wikimedians, activists, and experts working to advance underrepresented languages on Wikimedia platforms. By focusing on documentation, revitalization, and content creation for Indigenous and minority languages, the organizers aim to amplify voices often excluded from digital spaces.
The Wikimedia Foundation’s Commitment to support Conference Organizers
All six proposals went through a rigorous review process by Wikimedia Foundation staff and volunteers from the Conference Support Committee. The Wikimedia Foundation remains committed to providing structured support for community organizers, including advice on program design and development, and, especially for larger events, direct booking of travel, accommodation, and venues.
Additionally, the Wikimedia Foundation is also working with the various organizers on shared practices around choosing conference locations, venues and other measures to boost participant safety and security.
ROUND 2: Opening Soon
The submission deadline for proposals for the next funding round is February 2, 2026. If you are interested in submitting a proposal please get in touch with us and we will be happy to collaborate on building the proposal/budget together; please email us at conferencegrants@wikimedia.org. If you are interested in learning more about the Conference & Event Fund, you can find detailed information on Meta.
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