Startup Events

Must Attend Startup Events in Barcelona, Spain

Barcelona's startup year turns on 4YFN and MWC on 1–4 March 2027, but the city is busy well before that: Smart City Expo, a free Deep Tech Summit and a cybersecurity congress share Fira Gran Via on 3–5 November 2026, and Tech Spirit Barcelona closes the year on 2–3 December. The 4YFN Awards take applications only until 26 October 2026.
This guide lists startup, tech, investor and women-founder events in Barcelona and its metro area (Fira Gran Via in L'Hospitalet, Sant Cugat, Sitges) from October 2026 to the end of 2027. We checked every date on the organiser's own website or Fira de Barcelona's calendar. Where a date isn't published yet, we say so, and we mark each event as Confirmed (date on the official site), Announced (date from a reliable second source) or Expected (based on past editions only).
This article is regularly updated with new events. Do you know about an event that needs to be added? Send us some info and we will see if it's a fit.

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Must Attend Startup Events in Barcelona 2026–2027: Calendar from October 2026 to November 2027

DatesEventVenueTypeStatus
26–31 Oct 2026Open Tech WeekCanòdrom and Fabra i CoatsOpen source and civic techConfirmed
29 Oct 2026Tech Spirit BIVAMercantic, Sant CugatStartup and corporate eveningConfirmed
3–5 Nov 2026Smart City Expo World CongressFira Gran ViaUrban tech fair and congressConfirmed
3–5 Nov 2026Barcelona Deep Tech SummitFira Gran ViaFree deep tech summitConfirmed
3–5 Nov 2026Barcelona Cybersecurity CongressFira Gran ViaCybersecurity congressConfirmed
6–8 Nov 2026PyConESUniversity of BarcelonaPython developer conferenceConfirmed
16–18 Nov 2026Cleantech Forum EuropeEurostars SitgesClimate investor retreatConfirmed
26 Nov 2026Bcombinator AI DayBcombinator HubAI for foundersConfirmed
28 Nov 2026DevFest Barcelona42 BarcelonaFree developer festivalConfirmed
2–3 Dec 2026Tech Spirit BarcelonaCasa Llotja de MarTech ecosystem congress, pitch competitionConfirmed
2–5 Feb 2027ISEFira Gran ViaAV and systems trade showConfirmed
3–4 Feb 2027EdTech Congress BarcelonaFira MontjuïcEdtech congressConfirmed
1–4 Mar 2027MWC BarcelonaFira Gran ViaMobile and tech showConfirmed
1–4 Mar 20274YFNFira Gran ViaStartup event of MWCConfirmed
15–18 Mar 2027KubeCon + CloudNativeCon EuropeFira Gran ViaCloud-native conferenceConfirmed
1–3 Jun 2027Shoptalk EuropeFira Gran ViaRetail and e-commerce techConfirmed
8–10 Jun 2027HIMSS27 EuropeBarcelonaDigital health conferenceConfirmed
17–19 Jun 2027Sónar (with Sónar+D)Fira Gran ViaMusic and creative techConfirmed
23–24 Sep 2027European Blockchain Convention 13BarcelonaBlockchain conferenceConfirmed
2–4 Nov 2027Smart City Expo World CongressFira Gran ViaUrban tech fair and congressConfirmed

Autumn 2026: October to December

Open Tech Week: 26–31 October 2026

Barcelona City Council's Open Tech Week (26–31 October) brings MozFest, Decidim Fest and an open source policy summit to the Canòdrom and Fabra i Coats: the place for open source and civic tech founders to meet public buyers.

Tech Spirit BIVA: 29 October 2026

📅 Tech Spirit BIVA 2026Confirmed
Dates29 October 2026, 18:00–22:00
WhereMercantic, Sant Cugat del Vallès
TypeEvening summit for startups, corporates and talent in the Vallès
Who it's forFounders near Sant Cugat's business and research cluster
TicketsRegister your interest; places limited
Official sitebiva.techspirit.barcelona
Tech Barcelona's first Tech Spirit outside the city, with panels on the Sant Cugat startup scene and open innovation.

Smart City Expo, Deep Tech Summit and Cybersecurity Congress: 3–5 November 2026

📅 Smart City Expo World Congress 2026Confirmed
Dates3–5 November 2026
WhereFira Gran Via, Av. Joan Carles I 64, L'Hospitalet
TypeUrban tech fair and congress with a startup area and the Match & Fund tool
Who it's forGovtech, mobility and climate founders, city buyers
TicketsVisitor Pass €200
Official sitesmartcityexpo.com
📅 Barcelona Deep Tech Summit 2026Confirmed
Dates3–5 November 2026
WhereFira Gran Via (inside Smart City Expo)
TypeDeep tech summit with a startup exhibition, live demos and BDTS Connection matchmaking
Who it's forDeep tech startups, spin-offs and investors
TicketsFree with registration
Official sitebarcelonadeeptechsummit.com
Run by Barcelona Activa, the city's development agency, and the cheapest way into the Fira that week: a free pass to deep tech investors and corporate one-to-one meetings.
📅 Barcelona Cybersecurity Congress 2026Confirmed
Dates3–5 November 2026
WhereFira Gran Via (with Smart City Expo)
TypeCybersecurity congress with a Startup Pavilion
Who it's forSecurity startups and CISOs
TicketsNot published
Official sitebarcelonacybersecuritycongress.com
Its Startup Pavilion puts security startups in front of corporate security chiefs. In the same halls, Tomorrow.Mobility covers urban mobility and logistics.

PyConES and Cleantech Forum Europe: 6–18 November 2026

📅 PyConES 2026Confirmed
Dates6–8 November 2026
WhereUniversity of Barcelona, Historic Building (Gran Via, Plaça Universitat)
TypeSpain's Python conference
Who it's forDevelopers and technical founders
TicketsTickets on sale on the official site
Official site2026.es.pycon.org
Spain's Python community in one building: a good place to hire Python and AI engineers.
📅 Cleantech Forum Europe 2026Confirmed
Dates16–18 November 2026
WhereEurostars Sitges, Av. Camí de Miralpeix 12, Sitges
TypeClimate investor and corporate retreat with matchmaking
Who it's forClimate tech founders raising money
TicketsNot published
Official sitecleantech.com
Cleantech Group's European forum is a small, investor-heavy retreat in Sitges, on the coast south of Barcelona. The same week is Global Entrepreneurship Week (16–22 November); we found no Barcelona programme for it yet.

Bcombinator AI Day and DevFest Barcelona: 26–28 November 2026

📅 Bcombinator AI Day 2026Confirmed
DatesThursday 26 November 2026
WhereBcombinator Hub, Barcelona
TypeDay on taking AI from pilot to operations
Who it's forFounders and business leaders
TicketsNot shown
Official sitebcombinator.com
Bcombinator is a Barcelona startup hub that also invests, so expect practical AI adoption talks and investors in the room.
📅 DevFest Barcelona 2026Confirmed
DatesSaturday 28 November 2026, 9:00–15:00
Where42 Barcelona, C/ Albert Einstein 11 (per the event description)
TypeGoogle developer festival
Who it's forDevelopers and technical founders
TicketsFree, limited places
Official sitegdg.community.dev
GDG Barcelona's free yearly festival. The listing's venue field still says TBA, so check before you go.

Tech Spirit Barcelona: 2–3 December 2026

📅 Tech Spirit Barcelona 2026Confirmed
Dates2–3 December 2026
WhereCasa Llotja de Mar, Barcelona
TypeYear-end tech congress: 2 days, 100+ speakers, 4,000+ attendees
Who it's forFounders, investors and corporates
TicketsRegistration on the official site
Official sitetechspirit.barcelona
Tech Barcelona's year-end gathering in the old stock exchange building. It hosts ACCIÓ's Catalan Pitch Competition, whose winner becomes Catalan Startup of the Year, and Startups to Funding, an investor matchmaking programme.

Winter and spring 2027: February to June

ISE and EdTech Congress: 2–5 February 2027

📅 ISE 2027Confirmed
Dates2–5 February 2027
WhereFira Gran Via, L'Hospitalet
TypeAudiovisual and systems integration trade show (92,176 visitors in 2026)
Who it's forHardware, AV and proptech founders
TicketsRegistration open; price not shown
Official siteiseurope.org
📅 EdTech Congress Barcelona 2027Confirmed
Dates3–4 February 2027
WhereFira Montjuïc
TypeEdtech congress (with SPARK)
Who it's forEdtech founders, schools and universities
TicketsNot published
Official sitefirabarcelona.com
Both are the same week, so edtech and hardware founders can cover two buyer crowds in one trip. The EdTech Congress dates come from Fira de Barcelona's calendar.

4YFN and MWC Barcelona: 1–4 March 2027

📅 4YFN 2027Confirmed
Dates1–4 March 2027
WhereFira Gran Via (North Entrance), L'Hospitalet
TypeStartup event of MWC Barcelona, with the 4YFN Awards (€20,000 for the winner)
Who it's forStartups, investors and corporates
TicketsAttendee Pass €399 including VAT (current pass page; 2027 price to be confirmed)
Official site4yfn.com
Spain's biggest startup stage. The 4YFN Awards take applications until 26 October 2026; the top 20 get €1,500 and a free pod. MWC Barcelona runs the same days and is the biggest week of the year for meeting telecom and corporate buyers, and Talent Arena (1–3 March, Fira Montjuïc) brings developers to town.

KubeCon Europe: 15–18 March 2027

📅 KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe 2027Confirmed
Dates15–18 March 2027
WhereFira Gran Via, L'Hospitalet
TypeCloud-native and open source conference
Who it's forDevtools and infrastructure founders
TicketsNot published
Official sitelinuxfoundation.org
Thousands of platform engineers in one place: a strong room for devtools and infrastructure startups looking for users.

Shoptalk Europe and HIMSS27 Europe: June 2027

📅 Shoptalk Europe 2027Confirmed
Dates1–3 June 2027
WhereFira Gran Via, L'Hospitalet
TypeRetail and e-commerce tech conference with startup tickets and meeting matchmaking
Who it's forRetail-tech and e-commerce founders
TicketsNot shown; startup tickets offered
Official siteeurope.shoptalk.com
📅 HIMSS27 EuropeConfirmed
Dates8–10 June 2027
WhereBarcelona (venue not published)
TypeHIMSS's European Health Conference and Exhibition
Who it's forHealthtech founders and hospital IT leaders
TicketsRegister your interest
Official sitehimss.org
Shoptalk brings senior retail buyers; HIMSS brings Europe's hospital IT leaders. Book meetings before you arrive.

Sónar and Sónar+D: 17–19 June 2027

📅 Sónar 2027Confirmed
Dates17–19 June 2027
WhereFira Gran Via, per Fira de Barcelona's calendar
TypeMusic festival with Sónar+D, its creativity and technology strand
Who it's forCreative tech, music tech and AI founders
TicketsNot published
Official sitesonar.es
Sónar+D is where creative tech and AI founders show their work; its 2027 programme and venue are not out yet.

Summer and autumn 2027

📅 European Blockchain Convention 13Confirmed
Dates23–24 September 2027
WhereBarcelona (venue not announced; 2026 was at the Palau de Congressos de Catalunya)
TypeBlockchain and digital assets conference
Who it's forFintech and Web3 founders, banks and funds
TicketsNot shown
Official siteeblockchainconvention.com
A B2B crowd of banks, funds and Web3 companies, with startup pitch battles at past editions.
📅 Smart City Expo World Congress 2027Confirmed
Dates2–4 November 2027
WhereFira Gran Via, L'Hospitalet
TypeUrban tech fair and congress
Who it's forGovtech, mobility and climate founders, city buyers
TicketsNot published
Official sitesmartcityexpo.com
Fira de Barcelona's calendar also lists the Barcelona Cybersecurity Congress on the same days. Tech Spirit Barcelona and BNEW are expected again in autumn 2027.

Dates not announced yet

  • Tech Spirit Barcelona, Health Edition: last held on 18 February 2026 during Biocat's Health Innovation Week; expected in February 2027.
  • Barcelona Woman Acceleration Week: the 6th edition was on 4–6 March 2026 at DFactory Barcelona; expected in March 2027. Biocat
  • HackUPC: the 36-hour student hackathon ran on 24–26 April 2026 at UPC Campus Nord; expected in spring 2027. hackupc.com
  • Health Revolution Congress (Barcelona Health Hub): last held on 27–28 May 2026 at Sant Pau; expected in May 2027.
  • Esade Entrepreneurship Summit: last held on 28–30 May 2026 on the Esade campus; expected in late spring 2027.
  • Tech Spirit Women: last held on 17 September 2026 at Pier 07; expected in September 2027. Luma
  • BNEW (Barcelona New Economy Week, with a Startup Innovation Hub and awards): last held on 5–7 October 2026. bnewbarcelona.com
  • Tech Spirit Barcelona 2027: expected in December 2027.

Past events

  • WomenHack Barcelona, October 2026: an invitation-only hiring event for women in tech on 22 October 2026 at Lighthouse, Av. de Josep Tarradellas.

Recurring meetups and communities

  • Tech Barcelona: the Pier01 and Pier07 community runs Tech Spirit and a busy public events calendar. Tech Barcelona events
  • Founder Institute Barcelona: a pre-seed programme; apply by 10 November 2026 for the cohort that runs 16 November 2026 to 16 February 2027. fi.co/barcelona
  • GDG Barcelona: free Google developer meetups, such as Cloud AI Live on 14 October 2026, and the DevFest. GDG Barcelona
  • Bcombinator: a startup hub and investor with regular events, including AI Day. Bcombinator
  • WomenHack: invitation-only hiring events for women in tech, with Barcelona dates through the year. WomenHack
Some names have gone quiet. Startup Grind Barcelona lists no upcoming events, we found no Techstars Startup Weekend Barcelona since 2018, the last Female Founders Day Barcelona was in 2023, and IoT Solutions World Congress has merged into the Barcelona Cybersecurity Congress. AI Congress Barcelona (20–22 October 2026) has closed public registration.

Events for women founders in Barcelona

  • WomenHack Barcelona: invitation-only hiring events for women developers, designers and product people, such as the one on 22 October 2026.
  • Barcelona Activa INICIA: a programme for women-led projects that ran four editions in the first half of 2026. Barcelona Activa
  • Barcelona Woman Acceleration Week: expected in March 2027. Biocat
  • Tech Spirit Women: Tech Barcelona's women's edition, expected in September 2027. Luma
  • FFX Female Founders Experience: an application-only day for about 120 people; the last edition was on 10 February 2026, with no 2027 date yet. luma.com/FFXBCN
If you organise an event for women founders in Barcelona, send it to us and we'll add it.

Funding and support to know before you go

  • Startup Law: certified startups pay 15 percent corporate tax in their first year with profit and the three years after, and the tax-free limit on employee stock options rises from €12,000 to €50,000 a year. BOE, Ley 28/2022
  • Digital nomad visa: the same law created a visa for people who live in Spain and work remotely for foreign companies or clients. BOE
  • ENISA Emprendedoras Digitales: participative loans from €25,000 to €1.5 million, without guarantees, for tech companies driven by women. ENISA
  • Barcelona Activa: the city's development agency has a €66.2 million budget for 2026, and the city's venture funds prioritise companies led by women. Barcelona City Council
  • More events in Spain: Madrid, Valencia, Málaga and Bilbao are in our Spain guide.

How to get the most out of Barcelona startup events

  1. Apply to the 4YFN Awards now. Applications close on 26 October 2026; the top 20 get a free pod at 4YFN in March. See more startup competitions.
  2. Use the free passes. The Barcelona Deep Tech Summit gets you into Fira Gran Via during Smart City Expo week at no cost, and DevFest and GDG meetups are free.
  3. Plan around the Fira weeks. 3–5 November and 1–4 March fill hotels fast; book early or stay near a metro line to Fira Gran Via.
  4. Pick your sector. Smart City Expo for govtech, KubeCon for devtools, Shoptalk for retail, HIMSS for health, ISE for hardware.
  5. Go to Tech Spirit. In December the whole local ecosystem is in one building, and ACCIÓ's pitch competition picks the Catalan Startup of the Year.

List your event in this guide

Do you run a startup, tech or investor event in Barcelona? Send us the name, dates, venue and official link, and we'll check whether it fits this guide. We list events for founders, with a real date and an official page.
This article is regularly updated with new events. Do you know about an event that needs to be added? Send us some info and we will see if it's a fit.

🔗 Add an awesome event

Startup events in other places

FAQ

What is the biggest startup event in Barcelona?

4YFN, the startup event of MWC Barcelona, on 1–4 March 2027 at Fira Gran Via. MWC runs the same days.

When is the 4YFN Awards deadline?

26 October 2026. The winner gets €20,000, and the top 20 get €1,500 and a free pod at 4YFN.

Are there free startup events in Barcelona?

Yes. The Barcelona Deep Tech Summit (3–5 November 2026) and DevFest Barcelona (28 November 2026) are free with registration.

Are there events for women founders in Barcelona?

Yes: WomenHack hiring events, Barcelona Activa's INICIA programme, Tech Spirit Women and the Barcelona Woman Acceleration Week (both expected in 2027).

Does Spain have a startup law?

Yes. Ley 28/2022 gives certified startups a 15 percent corporate tax rate for four years and created a digital nomad visa.

About the Author

Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
2026-10-19 15:25 By city