FOSDEM 2026 is scheduled for January 31 to February 1 in Brussels, Belgium, bringing together a diverse group of open-source enthusiasts, engineers, and companies. This popular annual event, which has been held since 2000, is expected to attract thousands of attendees and over 1000 speakers.<\/p>\n
As a free event, FOSDEM promotes open collaboration by allowing anyone to attend without prior registration.<\/p>\n
This year’s discussions will prominently feature artificial intelligence (AI), highlighted in keynote talks such as \u201cFOSS in times of war, scarcity and (adversarial) AI\u201d<\/em> and \u201cOpen Source Security in spite of AI.\u201d<\/em> Privacy activist Katharine Jarmul will also address the subject in her talk, \u201cWhat do we mean when we say Sovereign AI?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Funding for free and open-source software (FOSS) is another critical topic, notably discussed in the keynote \u201cFree as in Burned Out: Who Really Pays for Open Source.\u201d<\/em> The need for sustainable funding models in the open-source community is increasingly relevant as the EU focuses on digital sovereignty, reducing dependency on US tech giants. Talks such as \u201cThe Geopolitics of Code: From Digital Sovereignty to Global Fragmentation\u201d<\/em> will further explore these themes.<\/p>\n While existential discussions dominate several sessions, there will also be substantive content for everyday users. Talks will cover topics such as KDE\u2019s 30-year anniversary, a live demo of Libreboot<\/em>, and the challenges facing free\/libre open-source software (FLOSS) office suites in terms of interoperability.<\/p>\n The Graphics DevRoom will dive into advancements in window management, a new Rust-based NVIDIA graphics driver, and provide insight into the architecture of Mesa.<\/p>\n With a total of 71 tracks available, attendees can expect a variety of interesting discussions ranging from mobile FOSS applications to RISC-V hardware and music production.<\/p>\nContent Beyond Serious Topics<\/h3>\n
Importance of In-Person Events<\/h3>\n