Open Spaces

PyCon US 2026 offers more than just talks and workshops! It is a chance to engage with the community and contribute to shaping the event through opportunities like Open Spaces.

Open Spaces consists of self-organized gatherings occurring at one-hour intervals within designated rooms across the conference venue. While most of the conference is planned months in advance, Open Spaces are created "in real time" by PyCon US attendees throughout the conference.

Open Spaces let you self-gather, self-define, and self-organize any way you like. They're a chance for attendees to come together and discuss a wide range of topics, from technical subjects like computer security and data science, to fun activities like board games and AcroYoga.

So whether you're interested in Python-powered maker projects, diversity initiatives, or just want to connect with other attendees, Open Spaces at PyCon US 2026 are the perfect way to do it. Don't miss out on this unique and exciting part of the conference – be sure to show up and see what's happening!

How do I participate in an Open Space?

It's pretty easy: Just show up :)

During PyCon US, you can view the Open Spaces Schedule. If a topic is not listed yet, find an open time slot and submit it!

What Open Spaces are there?

There are Open Spaces on many subjects a bunch of PyCon US attendees would like to discuss. Since the PyCon US attendees are a diverse bunch, so are the Open Spaces. In past years, we've had a mani/pedi party, a feminist hacking space, an AcroYoga space, and a board games room. There are also plenty of the usual suspects of technical subjects, from computer security to your favorite Python project to professional occupations like DevOps.

Where and when are the Open Spaces?

The Open Spaces are in a set of dedicated rooms during all three of the conference days (Friday, May 15, Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17). Some rooms may be needed for other events during portions of some days; please consult the Open Spaces boards onsite for the final word on what's going on and where. The Open Spaces boards will be near the registration desk in the Main Entrance Lobby.

How do I host an Open Space?

The best part? Anyone can host an Open Space! Open Spaces submissions are once again digital! Starting on Thursday, you will be able to sign up for Open Spaces at PyCon US via us.pycon.org. The link to book your open space will be available during the conference.

Signups for a given day will open the day before, and is allowed up to 1 hour before the current time!

Ideas for Open Spaces

Here are a few ideas for potential Open Space topics and activities:

• Hacker space (maker projects) that use Python (e.g. in Raspbery Pis, iOT, home automation, robots / drones / blimps auto piloted with Python)
• Hacking/networking/devops
• Data visualization/science
• Natural language processing and generation (e.g. chatbots)
• Quantified Self Diversity initiatives, for example a feminist hackerspace
• A space for organizers - of conferences, workshops, diversity initiatives (Django Girls, PyLadies, etc.)
• Framework specific Open Spaces, for example, Django or Flask How to contribute to open source - a help / mentoring group for beginners
• Git
• Support - how to avoid burnout
• Recruitment workshops

If there's a certain Open Space you'd love to see at PyCon US but you don't want to host it yourself, please add it to our list and maybe someone else will take up the topic and host an Open Space about it.

Planned Open Spaces

If you have an idea for an Open Space and a day and time when you would like to meet, you can log in to your us.pycon.org/2026/ account and submit this proposal form here to have it listed below. You must be registered for PyCon US 2026 to submit an open space proposal.

PLEASE NOTE: Filling out this form does not book your open space. You will still have to submit your Open Space via us.pycon.org/2026/ when at PyCon US to officially book a time slot and a room for your Open Space. The link to book your open space will be available during the conference.