WikiConference North America/2026
WikiConference North America 2026 will take place in Edmonton from September 24–27, 2026. (Pre- or post-conference events may be scheduled for adjacent dates.)
This year's theme is "?".
The local team would be arranged with Wikimedia Canada.
The organizers applied for and received a grant in the August 2025 Conference and Event Fund round.
The "?" theme celebrates ?. It seeks to fuel the Wikimedia movement’s growth, encouraging participants to reimagine how free knowledge can empower individuals, encourage cross-cultural collaboration, and transform societies worldwide.
This year, approximately 250 attendees are expected at the 4-day event, including scholarship recipients, guest speakers, and Wikimedia affiliates from across the region. The conference will feature workshops, presentations, and networking opportunities, fostering connections among Wikimedians, educators, and cultural organizations.
Conference Details
[edit]Pre-conference (Wiki Culture Crawl)
- Thursday, September 24, 2026 – Culture Crawl
- Location: TBA
Opening Reception
- Time: TBA
Main Conference
- Friday, September 25 – Sunday, September 27, 2026
- Location: Lister Centre at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2H6
Hashtag
Theme
[edit]Our theme will be "?", celebrating ?. We will be honoring ?.
Culture Crawl
[edit]The conference will kick off with a Culture Crawl on Thursday, September 24, 2026, offering attendees the chance to explore Edmonton’s cultural institutions and community partners through tours, exhibitions, and performances.
Main Conference
[edit]The main conference will take place over three days: Friday, September 25, Saturday, September 26 and Sunday, September 27, 2026. These days will feature keynote talks, workshops, panel discussions, lightning talks, and community meetups focused on free knowledge, Wikimedia projects, and movement strategy.
Submissions
[edit]WikiConference North America is made up of presentations, panels, workshops, and roundtables led by the Wikimedia community and institutions of knowledge and technology.
Proposals are welcome in English, French, and Spanish for both in-person and virtual presenters. WCNA 2026 will be a hybrid event – attendees and presenters may participate fully in-person, fully virtual, or in a hybrid format as suits their needs. We invite submissions that explore the future of Wikipedia, missing pieces (content gaps, editor demographics, etc.), credibility, and editor safety. While these focus areas will shape much of the event, we welcome all proposals relevant to the Wikimedia movement — you do not need to limit your ideas to the theme.
Program proposals are accepted until Month? Day?, 2026.
Submissions can belong to a variety of session types, including:
- Lightning talk (LT): Very short presentation lasting only a few minutes; a data blitz. (5 minutes)
- Lecture (LEC): A lecture or presentation on any topic within the conference themes. Please reserve at least 5 minutes for questions. (15–30 minutes)
- Edit-a-thon or Workshop (ED/WS): Facilitated group tutorial, working session, or collaborative editing on a pre-selected topic. (30–120 minutes)
- Lunch Meetup (LUN): Informal themed meetup during lunch. (60 minutes)
- After-hours Meetup (AFT): Social or interest-based gathering in the evening. (60–120 minutes)
Proposals may be in various formats and cover topics related to Wikimedia projects or the broader free culture movement.
Submissions will be reviewed by a Programming Committee. Each proposal is evaluated on its likely impact and outcomes, expected community interest, and alignment with the theme or focus areas. Committee scores are averaged, and the top-rated submissions will be accepted based on schedule availability.
You will be notified about the committee’s decision via email. If your proposal is not included in the preliminary schedule, don’t be discouraged — WikiConference North America 2026 will include space for self-organized sessions during our lightning talks and unconference blocks.
Submit a proposal on the official Submissions page
Program Tracks
[edit]To help organize and review program submissions, we suggest # broad thematic tracks. If your submission applies to more than one theme, you may specify a secondary track in the form.
- ? – Topics may include ?
- ? – Addressing ?
- ? – Focusing on ?