# Hacktoberfest 2026

> 300+ in-person Fests plus a global online event, all about building with open source AI. Join a Fest near you this October.

Hacktoberfest is an annual event stewarded by Major League Hacking (MLH) and DEV, with presenting partner DigitalOcean. It began in 2014 as a pull-request challenge run by DigitalOcean. In 2026 it becomes an event you take part in: 300+ community-hosted, one-day “Fests”, plus an online event open to everyone. The focus is hands-on building with open models, open source agents, and open tooling.

## Start here

- [Hacktoberfest 2026](./): The event overview, the mission, and how to get involved.
- [Complete event context](./llms-full.txt): The full public copy of the site as one plain-text file.

## Taking part

- Hosting is the live call to action. Anyone can host a Fest — a meetup group, a university club, or a few coworkers with a room to book. Organizers get funding toward their event, plus swag and programming support. Applications open soon; the site collects interest in the meantime.
- Sponsorship has its own interest form.
- Attendee sign-ups are not open yet. Fest dates, cities, and venues have not been announced. The site can notify you about local Fests once there is news — that goes through the same interest form.

## The story so far

- [2014](./#history): A challenge is born. DigitalOcean launches Hacktoberfest: open four pull requests in October, earn a t-shirt.
- [2015–2025](./#history): A generation joins open source. Thousands of developers make their first contribution! The door opens. This works at first, but maintainers start to burn out from volume and low-effort PRs as the years go by.
- [2026](./#history): A new chapter. Under the stewardship of long-time partners Major League Hacking (MLH) and DEV, Hacktoberfest refocuses on high-value, meaningful learning. Online and local events (Fests) everywhere, all about building with open source AI.

## The mission

Hacktoberfest 2026 is about meeting you wherever you are in your open source AI journey because we believe AI belongs to everyone.

## Common questions

- How do I organize a Fest?
- When will my Fest be confirmed?
- What support will I receive for my Fest?
- Will you promote my Fest?
- So we’re not making PRs anymore?

Answers to all of these are in [llms-full.txt](./llms-full.txt).

## Key facts

- Dates: October 2026. Specific Fest dates are not yet announced.
- Format: in person at 300+ local Fests, plus a global online event.
- Organizers: Major League Hacking (MLH) and DEV.
- Presenting partner: DigitalOcean.
- Theme: AI belongs to everyone — open source AI.