Written by members of the DrupalCon Chicago Steering Committee.
Contributors: Stephen Mustgrave, Avi Schwab, Nikki Flores, and Rosie Gladden.
DrupalCon Chicago 2026 brought together leading experts in digital experience development, open source innovation, and enterprise technology.
The event provided a unique opportunity to connect with decision-makers, technical leaders, and innovators shaping the future of digital experiences. More than 1,300 tech leaders, CEOs, developers, marketing executives, agencies, and enterprise decision-makers gathered to help define the future of the Open Web.
A Diverse and Multilingual Global Community
Participants from 26 separate countries brought with them an estimated 15+ languages, reflecting the rich linguistic and cultural diversity of the Drupal ecosystem. The United States (82.4%), Canada (6%), India (2%), Germany (1.2%) and Costa Rica (1.1%) were topping the list in terms of attendee numbers, with Brazil (1%), Colombia (0.8%) and the United Kingdom (0.8%) close behind.
This global span not only highlights Drupal’s widespread adoption, but also underscores the strength of a community shaped by varied perspectives, experiences, and ideas from around the world. Next year we’d love to add more blue!
Event Attendance
A total of 1,316 participants attended in Chicago, an increase from 1,288 for Atlanta 2025. Of these we saw 394 first-time attendees, marking a 10.67% increase from those new to the event in 2025.
539 of 1,316 also chose to extend their learning at the Summits & Trainings, with the AI Summit seeing the largest turnout in its first year, with 104 attendees joining to learn about the latest insights connected to Drupal AI.
Welcoming the Next Generation: Drupal in a Day
Outside of the main conference, and following the successful Drupal in a Day organized ahead of DrupalCon Vienna by Hilmar Kári Hallbjörnsson, DrupalCon Chicago saw the North America inaugural program take place alongside the contribution day.
The training session, organized and staffed by ten volunteers, welcomed 55 learners of high school and college age to interact with Drupal CMS for the first time, helping to expand the reach of the community to new users of all ages. We thank the mentors and supporters who made this event a welcoming place for students, and particularly thank all the individual donors who made this happen, as well as Acquia for sponsoring, and Martin Anderson-Clutz and Jordan Thompson for instructing.
Grassroots to Global
Building on the momentum of 2025, the local community ticket-sharing initiative (1 complimentary ticket for every 5th sold through participating organizations) resulted in an increase of 77.5% of ticket purchases which were affiliated with a local group at registration. This initiative continued to grow in both reach and impact, what began as a strong show of grassroots participation has evolved into a more connected and collaborative global network of local camps and meetups celebrating together at DrupalCon.
Participation has expanded beyond the initial groups, with 61 communities engaging through shared resources, cross-promotion, and increased visibility at the 2026 conference. This growth reflects not just higher numbers, but a deeper alignment across the community, where local leaders feel empowered, recognized, and increasingly integrated into the broader Drupal ecosystem.
A Community Spanning All Skill Levels
DrupalCon Chicago 2026 showcased a well-balanced and highly skilled community, with attendees representing every stage of the Drupal journey. Experienced professionals made up the majority, including 348 advanced practitioners (32%) and 301 self-identified Drupal experts (27.7%), creating a strong foundation for in-depth technical exchange and innovation.
Intermediate attendees accounted for 297 participants (27.3%), playing a key role in connecting emerging talent with seasoned leaders. At the same time, the event remained welcoming to newcomers, with 117 beginners (10.8%) and 25 individuals completely new to Drupal (2.3%) joining the community.
Special Luncheons
The Drupal Association formerly required sponsors, who provided programming support for community interest luncheons. These were folded into general programming this year, and we’d like to acknowledge that not all programs had an assigned, designated host. In the next year, our focus is on strengthening local, regional, topical, and community interest groups, so please reach out to us on how to get connected.
| Breakfast & Luncheons | Registered |
| Black in Drupal Luncheon | 68 |
| Ripple Makers Breakfast | 200 |
| Women in Drupal Luncheon | 200 |
| Total | 468 |
See You in Orlando
DrupalCon Orlando will see vision meet execution. Whether you're architecting enterprise platforms, launching your next big project, or scaling what you've already built in Drupal, this is the event that meets you where you are and pushes you further.