Leaders from across the open source ecosystem will gather in Halifax, Nova Scotia, on September 22 and 23, 2026 for the fourth Open Source Congress (OSC), followed by the companion Stakeholder Day.
This convening continues a journey that began in Geneva in 2023, Beijing in 2024, and Brussels in 2025. Each year, the Congress has provided an intimate forum for foundations and ecosystem leaders to exchange views on the global forces shaping open collaboration. Over time, these discussions have reflected the growing importance of open source as critical digital infrastructure, as well as the increasing complexity of the environment in which it operates, including evolving policy frameworks, geopolitical dynamics, security challenges, and questions of long-term sustainability.
The 2026 edition builds on this foundation. As open source becomes ever more central to economies and societies worldwide, the need for coordination, shared understanding, and collective action continues to grow. The Congress will bring together leadership from open source foundations to deepen alignment on these shared priorities and to explore how the ecosystem can respond to emerging challenges while preserving its core principles of openness, collaboration, and global participation.
This year, the conversation will expand further. In addition to the core Congress discussions, a second day will invite policymakers and industry stakeholders to engage directly with open source leaders. This broader dialogue reflects the increasing intersection between open source, public policy, and industry adoption, and the importance of building mutual understanding across these communities.
The event will be held under the Chatham House Rule, and attendance is by invitation only.