GitHub Universe 2026: Call for Speakers

GitHub Universe, the company's flagship developer conference, is set to return to Fort Mason Center in San Francisco from October 28-29, 2026. The announcement, made via the GitHub Blog, also marks the opening of its Call for Sessions.

Developers are invited to submit proposals by Friday, May 1, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. PT, sharing their recent projects, learnings, and insights. Nominations for speakers are also being accepted.

Inspiring Past Sessions

To spark inspiration, GitHub highlighted five memorable sessions from previous years. These examples underscore the event's blend of technical depth and engaging delivery.

• Git’s nine lives: Taming frontend chaos with Git's hidden features (2025) explored Git's lesser-known features through a unique narrative structure.
• Breath of Copilot: Level up your DevEx with GitHub Actions and GitHub Advanced Security (2025) framed CI/CD modernization as a fantasy quest, integrating GitHub Copilot as a helpful tool.
• Dream it in the morning, build it in the afternoon: Collapsing the distance from idea to impact (2025) discussed the accelerated pace of software development and the importance of experimentation.
• Dungeons and deployments: The clusters of chaos (2024) used a roleplaying game narrative to teach Kubernetes security concepts.
• Mission Copilot Autofix: Securing the world's software (2024) detailed GitHub's use of AI to streamline application security and remediation, hinting at future AI capabilities for threat detection. This session also touched on the evolving role of tools like GitHub Copilot in securing software development.

Session Formats and Submission Guide

Universe '26 sessions will fall into three categories: Demo-style sessions (Product demos, Ship & Tell), Thought leadership (Breakout Sessions, Panels, Fireside chats), and Interactive learning (Workshops, Sandbox sessions). A new Ship & Tell format is introduced for startup founders and builders to share their journey.

A submission guide is available, offering details on content tracks, session types, and advice for crafting a strong proposal.

The core ethos for submissions emphasizes real engineering lessons delivered with personality and creativity.