DrupalCon Chicago 2026 Sees Modest Growth and Expands Community Programmes

DrupalCon Chicago 2026 brought together 1,316 participants, marking a modest increase from 1,288 attendees at the 2025 Atlanta event, according to a post by the Drupal Association. The event convened developers, business stakeholders, and community contributors to discuss developments in open source and digital experience platforms.

The increase included 394 first-time attendees, representing a 10.67% rise in newcomers compared to the previous year. A total of 539 participants took part in extended learning formats such as summits and training sessions. Among these, the AI Summit was introduced for the first time and recorded 104 participants.

Participants came from 26 countries and spoke more than 15 languages, reflecting a geographically diverse audience with a strong North American presence. The United States accounted for the majority of attendees, followed by Canada and India, with smaller participation from Europe and Latin America.

The programme also included a North American edition of the “Drupal in a Day” initiative, which introduced 55 high school and college students to Drupal. In addition, a ticket-sharing initiative involving 61 local communities supported broader participation and collaboration across regional groups, indicating continued efforts to expand access and engagement within the Drupal ecosystem. The update was written by members of the DrupalCon Chicago Steering Committee, with contributions from Stephen Mustgrave, Avi Schwab, Nikki Flores, and Rosie Gladden.