GitHub Universe 2026 runs on October 28–29, 2026 at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco, and the keynotes can be watched online for free with a virtual pass. The opening keynote starts at 9:00 a.m. PDT on October 28 (16:00 UTC), and the closing keynote starts at 2:00 p.m. PDT on October 29 (21:00 UTC). Recorded sessions are added to the virtual pass after the event.

GitHub Universe 2026 dates and venue

According to the official GitHub Universe site, the conference has three days around the main event:

  • October 27 (Day 0): invitation-only programming, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  • October 28 (Day 1): doors open at 7:30 a.m., opening keynote at 9:00 a.m., then breakout sessions from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
  • October 29 (Day 2): doors open at 8:00 a.m., breakouts from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., closing keynote at 2:00 p.m., campus closes at 3:00 p.m.
  • October 30: an optional Day of Learning at GitHub headquarters, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It needs a separate ticket and was listed as sold out as of October 2026.

All of these times are San Francisco local time. The event's listing on the official site gives the start as 09:00 at UTC−7, which is Pacific Daylight Time. US clocks do not change until November 1, 2026, so both keynotes fall within PDT.

Keynote times in your time zone

Most of Europe returns to standard time on October 25, 2026, three days before Universe, so the usual gap between Europe and the US West Coast is one hour shorter during that week. Check your calendar entry with that in mind.

Opening keynote: Wednesday, October 28

  • San Francisco (PDT): 9:00 a.m.
  • New York (EDT): 12:00 p.m.
  • UTC: 16:00
  • London (GMT): 16:00
  • Berlin, Paris (CET): 17:00
  • Kyiv (EET): 18:00
  • India (IST): 21:30
  • Singapore (SGT): 00:00 on Thursday, October 29

Closing keynote: Thursday, October 29

  • San Francisco (PDT): 2:00 p.m.
  • New York (EDT): 5:00 p.m.
  • UTC: 21:00
  • London (GMT): 21:00
  • Berlin, Paris (CET): 22:00
  • Kyiv (EET): 23:00
  • India (IST): 02:30 on Friday, October 30
  • Singapore (SGT): 05:00 on Friday, October 30

How to watch GitHub Universe 2026 online

Remote viewers need the free virtual pass rather than a paid in-person ticket:

  1. Go to githubuniverse.com and choose the virtual seat option.
  2. Complete the free registration on GitHub's Universe registration portal.
  3. On the keynote days, go back to githubuniverse.com or sign in to the attendee portal with the account you registered. GitHub has not published step-by-step viewing instructions yet, so watch for its confirmation email.

GitHub says the virtual pass includes:

  • live-streamed keynotes;
  • access to the GitHub Universe Insider Event;
  • content made only for virtual attendees;
  • full access to recorded sessions once they are published.

You can browse talks before the event in the public session catalog. It helps you decide which recordings to watch if a keynote falls late at night where you are.

In-person passes and add-ons

An in-person pass costs $1,399. Groups of four or more pay $1,119 per pass. The pass includes keynotes, sessions, demos, partner booths, and a programmable badge. GitHub also sells a $99 hands-on workshop and a $30 discounted GitHub Certification voucher. Prices are as listed on the official site as of October 2026.

What GitHub usually announces at Universe

Universe is GitHub's main product event, and the opening keynote usually carries the largest announcements. At Universe 2025, held on October 28–29, 2025, GitHub used the opening day to announce Agent HQ. Agent HQ lets developers assign and track AI coding agents from several vendors in one place. GitHub also previewed Code Quality, a Copilot metrics dashboard, and an agent control plane for enterprise governance.

GitHub has not published its 2026 announcements ahead of the keynote. Based on past events, expect news on Copilot and coding agents, GitHub Actions, and supply chain and code security. We cover these areas in our DevOps tooling and security sections. Other events are listed under conferences.

Frequently asked questions

Is GitHub Universe 2026 free to watch online?

Yes. The virtual pass costs nothing and includes the live keynotes and recorded sessions. Only in-person attendance, workshops and the Day of Learning are paid.

What time is the GitHub Universe 2026 keynote?

The opening keynote starts at 9:00 a.m. PDT (16:00 UTC) on October 28, 2026. The closing keynote starts at 2:00 p.m. PDT (21:00 UTC) on October 29.

Can I watch the sessions later?

Yes. GitHub says virtual pass holders get full access to recorded sessions once they are released. GitHub has not announced a release date for the recordings.

Where is GitHub Universe 2026 held?

The main event is at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco. The optional Day of Learning on October 30 is held at GitHub's headquarters.