DevFest is back for 2026, with more than 800 events planned across 115 countries from October 1 through December 31, 2026, according to Google AI. The community-led conference, hosted worldwide by Google Developer Groups (GDGs), is expected to draw close to a million developers and builders under this year’s theme: “Build, Secure, Scale: Developers and Builders in the Agentic Era.”

Google describes DevFest as the world’s largest community-led technology conference. While backed by Google, each event is curated independently by a local GDG, which tailors the agenda to the needs of its regional tech ecosystem. The 2026 season places a stated emphasis on hands-on experimentation rather than passive sessions, with live codelabs, workshops, and agent-athons on the program.

Attendees will work directly with tools across Google’s stack, including Gemini, Google AI Studio, Google Antigravity, Google Cloud, Firebase, Android, Flutter, Angular, and Web MCP. Google says the tracks reflect three core realities of modern software development: building is faster and more accessible than ever; speed should not come at the expense of security and responsible AI guardrails; and builders can rely on production-ready infrastructure from day one.

Google positions the event as open to a broad range of participants, from seasoned software engineers to emerging solution builders. The company says GDGs design their DevFests to foster an inclusive, collaborative environment where participants can sharpen skills and test new architectures together.

Why the Agentic Era Theme Matters

The choice of theme signals where Google sees developer attention heading: AI agents that can plan and execute multi-step tasks. By framing the program around building, securing and scaling agents, Google is pushing security and responsible AI guardrails to the same priority level as rapid prototyping — an acknowledgment that faster development cycles raise new risks around data privacy and secure deployment.

For developers, the season offers structured, no-cost access to practical experience with Google’s current AI tools, at a moment when the gap between experimenting with AI models and shipping reliable agentic applications remains wide. For Google, DevFest functions as a global channel to build familiarity with its stack — Gemini, Google Cloud, Firebase and others — among the developers who will choose which platforms to standardize on.

How DevFest and GDGs Are Organized

DevFest is an annual, multi-month conference season rather than a single event. It is organized by Google Developer Groups, local volunteer-led communities that operate with Google’s backing but set their own agendas. This structure means the content varies substantially by location — a DevFest in one city may focus heavily on Android, while another emphasizes cloud infrastructure or machine learning, depending on local demand.

The scale Google describes for 2026 — more than 800 events across 115 countries and nearly a million expected participants — is, per the company, larger than virtually any other community-run technology gathering. Google encourages attendees to find local events through the DevFest Event Directory and to follow the conversation on social channels via #DevFest.

“DevFest season is officially back. From October 1 through December 31, 2026, nearly a million developers and builders will gather for the world’s largest community-led technology conference.”

— Google AI

What Google Has Not Specified

Several details remain unconfirmed. Google has not published a full list of host cities, dates for individual events, or registration procedures — those are set locally by each GDG and typically appear in the event directory on a rolling basis. The figure of “nearly a million” participants is Google’s own projection, not an audited count, and attendance figures for community-run conferences of this kind are difficult to verify precisely.

It is also not yet clear how much of the 2026 program will be in person versus virtual, what specific agent-athon formats will look like, or whether notable Google product announcements will be timed to the season. The description of the conference as the world’s largest of its kind is Google’s characterization.

Finding Events as the Season Opens

The season opens on October 1, 2026. Developers can locate nearby events through the DevFest Event Directory on Google’s developer site, and follow updates using #DevFest on social channels. Individual GDG chapters are expected to publish their agendas, speaker lineups and registration details progressively as dates approach, so the directory is the practical place to watch over the coming weeks.

Given the emphasis on agentic development, further Google communications — such as new Gemini capabilities or updates to Google AI Studio and related tools — may land during or close to the season, though the company has not announced any specific product launches tied to DevFest.

Where I land

I see DevFest 2026’s emphasis on security alongside speed as the most telling detail in this announcement. Framing an entire global season around “Build, Secure, Scale” suggests Google recognizes — and wants to be seen addressing — the concern that agentic AI development is outpacing safe deployment practices. If the local events genuinely deliver hands-on security content rather than product demos in disguise, that would be a real service to the developer community.

The strongest counterargument is that DevFest remains, at its core, a marketing vehicle. Google backing a community conference whose hands-on tracks showcase exclusively Google tools is a highly effective way to lock in platform loyalty at precisely the moment developers are choosing between competing AI ecosystems. The security messaging may be genuine, but it arrives bundled with a commercial interest in adoption.

What would change my assessment is evidence from the events themselves: if the published agendas show substantial, vendor-neutral security and responsible-AI content — and if independent attendee reports confirm the sessions go deeper than tutorials on Google products — then DevFest would merit being judged primarily as an educational program rather than a distribution channel.

Source: Google AI

Key Questions

When and where does DevFest 2026 take place?

DevFest 2026 runs from October 1 through December 31, 2026, with more than 800 events across 115 countries. Individual dates and venues are set by local Google Developer Groups.

Who can attend DevFest?

According to Google, the events are aimed at everyone from seasoned software engineers to emerging solution builders. GDGs are described as designing their events to be inclusive and welcoming to participants at all skill levels.

What is this year’s DevFest theme?

The 2026 theme is “Build, Secure, Scale: Developers and Builders in the Agentic Era,” with an emphasis on hands-on experimentation, secure deployment, data privacy and responsible AI guardrails.

Which Google tools will be featured?

Google says attendees will engage with Gemini, Google AI Studio, Google Antigravity, Google Cloud, Firebase, Android, Flutter, Angular, and Web MCP through live codelabs, workshops and agent-athons.

How do I find a DevFest event near me?

Google directs interested developers to the DevFest Event Directory to locate local events, and to follow #DevFest on social channels for updates as agendas are published.

Source: Google AI