About Web Summit
Few technology events gather as broad a cross-section of the industry as Web Summit. Held each November in Lisbon, it brings founders, investors, large technology companies, policymakers and journalists together for several days of talks, masterclasses and networking. The organiser also runs sister events in Rio, Qatar, Vancouver and Hong Kong (RISE), but the Lisbon gathering remains the flagship.
The event is conference-led. Its content is spread across a large number of tracks that look at how technology is changing different industries, from AI and software to sport, health and media. Alongside the talks sit a startup programme, investor sessions, a developer programme, a women in tech strand and the evening Night Summit, which carries the networking on after the halls close.
The exhibition side reflects that format. Much of the floor is given over to startups with compact booths, while partner companies take larger branded spaces. Visitors are a trade audience in the broadest sense: entrepreneurs looking for capital, investors looking for deals, corporate teams scouting partners and press covering the sector.
Companies take part for visibility and introductions. A partner stand can put a brand in front of senior technology buyers and a heavy international media presence in one place, while startups use the event to meet investors and test their pitch against a crowded field. Because so many conversations happen between sessions, stands that are easy to read at a glance and leave room to talk tend to work best.
Next edition
Web Summit 2026: what to expect
Web Summit 2026 runs from 9 to 12 November in Lisbon, with the organiser's event page naming MEO Arena as the venue. The programme again combines content tracks, a startup programme with a pitch competition, investor sessions and the Night Summit.
For context on scale, the organiser reported 71,386 attendees, including 1,857 investors from 86 countries, at the 2025 Lisbon event, which it described as its largest attendance to date.
Most of the action happens in a large arena setting with crowds moving quickly between stages, so signage that reads from a distance and a single clear message matter more than detailed product displays. Partners planning larger spaces should leave room for meetings, as investor and partner conversations often follow on directly from sessions.