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Check out the talks, masterclasses and meetups taking place at Web Summit 2026. We’re adding more every week.
Join us in Lisbon this November for a first look at tech’s future.

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11 November 2024; A general view of Centre Stage during the opening night of Web Summit 2024 at the MEO Arena in Lisbon, Portugal.

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Web Summit 2026 kicks off with Opening Night on Monday, November 9. Full schedule and speaker details coming soon.

Coming soon... Opening Night

In December 2020, European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen announced the Digital Services Act (DSA) at Web Summit. In an effort to combat so-called hate speech and online misinformation, the legislation has become a crucial part of how European regulators address harms caused by online platforms. However, some free expression advocates have warned of threats to free speech under the guise of tackling incitement. Our panel asks: Is the DSA necessary to combat big tech or an effort to control online discourse?

Free or controlled internet? The great DSA debate

AI in healthcare is everywhere – but separating genuine breakthroughs from marketing hype is harder than ever. Sanofi CDO Emmanuel Frenehard and Owkin CEO Thomas Clozel cut through the noise with hard-won lessons from the pharma R&D frontlines, discussing why healthcare is both the hardest and most important AI frontier, and how AI agents are reshaping R&D workflows and advancing precision medicine.

AI-driven R&D: Unlocking precision medicine at scale

Are AI actors a threat to human performance, or the arrival of a new art form? AI actress Tilly Norwood and her creator Eline van der Velden present a bold vision for the future of film and TV. In this session we ask how synthetic performers can sit harmoniously alongside traditional entertainment as a separate, thriving industry built for the next generation of digital-native audiences.

How AI actors are creating entertainment's next frontier

For decades, Europe has depended on the US not only for its security, but also for much of its technological and financial infrastructure. As the transatlantic relationship continues to fracture, Europe faces a question much bigger than how to spend more on defence. Can it reduce its dependence on American technology, capital and financial infrastructure while building the industrial capacity to defend itself? And can it do so without sacrificing prosperity and the welfare state?

The future of Europe: Can it stand on its own feet?

As market cycles tighten and exits get longer, standard financial backing isn't enough to help startups succeed. Modern venture capital requires a complete support structure to lower risk and speed up growth. This session focuses on what it takes to turn complex ideas into durable, market-ready companies.

Rethinking venture capital

Journalism is facing unprecedented disruption, driving audiences toward two extremes: raw, unfiltered frontline reporting on one end, and calm, behind-the-scenes legal and political analysis on the other. This session explores what's driving this divide between the streets and the strategists, whether social media is to blame, and if this surge of content can inspire real-world change.

The chaos and the campaign

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Our 2026 schedule is now live!