The Most Important AI Conferences in Europe 2026/2027: Festivals, Summits and Data Events

d:u – data:unplugged

In the European event calendar, d:u is the fixed point from Germany: what began three years ago as a festival in Münster is today Europe's biggest movement for data, AI and digital transformation. Alongside the annual festival there are smaller exchange formats, most recently the d:u Deep Dive in Berlin. Particularly interesting for international visitors: a direct look at how companies in Germany are approaching the data and AI transformation.

d:u27 Festival – 13 & 14 April 2027 (Münster)

d:u26 in Münster is done – the biggest edition so far. Looking ahead already pays off: on 13 and 14 April 2027, d:u returns to Münster for its fourth round – bigger and deeper, with around 17,000 participants, six stages, more than 350 speakers, over 80 masterclasses and more than 250 exhibitors at the expo. That makes d:u the biggest festival for data and AI in Europe – not a tech event with an AI track, but an event built entirely around data and artificial intelligence.

Alongside the Main Stage for strong impulses and big names such as Philipp Klöckner, Herbert Diess, Markus Lanz and Wladimir Klitschko, there will once again be an SME Stage, by and for mid-sized companies, where concrete data and AI use cases, learning curves and best practices are shared. The Data & Analytics Stage with its deep tech topics remains a core part of d:u. New for 2027 are dedicated stages for finance and health.

The festival has grown across several sold-out editions to tens of thousands of participants. d:u27 continues that path and deliberately remains a festival rather than a conference: stage programme, hands-on formats and experience interlock, with content and networking standing side by side as equals.

Münster once again becomes the meeting point of the European data and AI scene – from SMEs and family businesses, start-ups and tech corporations through to research, policy and society, increasingly from beyond Germany too. For teams, booking early pays off: with the d:u27 Group Pass ("Buy 4, get 5") you bring colleagues along directly. Secure your ticket for d:u27 early and bring your team to Münster.

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World AI Cannes Festival (Cannes, France)

10–11 February 2027

The World AI Cannes Festival opens the European AI event season in style. In the legendary Palais des Festivals – yes, the one that hosts the film festival – WAICF positions itself as the "#1 AI Event for Business and Society".

The fifth edition in February 2026 gathered more than 10,000 participants, 320 international speakers and 220 exhibitors. For 2027 the organisers are deliberately going for a more compact format: 7,500 participants, over 200 speakers and more than 80 exhibitors are expected, bundled into three tracks covering business, technology and policy.

Keynotes come from CEOs, chief data officers and tech leaders at international corporations and major European companies. In panels, experts discuss current AI trends and their impact on business. What makes this AI conference distinctive is its dual focus on business applications and the societal consequences of artificial intelligence. Sessions cover everything from scaling machine learning projects in companies to navigating the EU AI Act. Visitors can explore cutting-edge developments in generative AI, robotics and big data through live demos.

The glamorous setting does not hurt either: if you need to convince the C-level that AI events are worth the trip, the Côte d'Azur is a decent argument.

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The AI Summit London (London, UK)

9–10 June 2027

The AI Summit London has established itself as the leading enterprise AI conference in Europe. The claim says it all: "Where commercial AI comes to life."

At Tobacco Dock during London Tech Week, around 5,000 technologists and business leaders from all over the world came together in 2026. For 2027 the organisers are staying at that scale and expanding the programme: more than 300 speakers across ten content stages, spread over 14 thematic tracks, with a strong focus on real-world implementation in companies. This is not a research conference – here, companies share how they actually deploy AI systems and machine learning at scale.

Core topics are AI governance, scaling strategies and industry-specific applications in manufacturing, finance, healthcare and retail. The expo floor with more than 100 exhibitors showcases current AI tools and technologies, making the event a practical place for tool evaluation.

For decision-makers with concrete implementation questions, London delivers actionable insights. The networking is excellent – the d:u team is regularly on site to benchmark against international best practices. What we pick up there feeds directly into the programme of the SME Stage in Münster.

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VivaTech (Paris, France)

16–19 June 2027

VivaTech at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles is Europe's largest general technology trade show – and long since more than a start-up showcase. Artificial intelligence now runs as a common thread through the programme, even if the range of topics stays considerably broader than at a dedicated AI event.

The scale of the anniversary edition in June 2026 makes that clear: more than 200,000 visitors from 165 countries, over 15,000 start-ups, 4,500 exhibitors and 1,155 speakers. Emmanuel Macron and Narendra Modi were among those who came to Paris for the tenth edition. Germany was named "Country of the Year", India "AI Country Partner" – an indication of how far the event has become a stage for technology policy alliances.

In terms of content, VivaTech focuses on five areas: AI and productivity, cybersecurity and defence, greentech, space and deeptech. For international decision-makers, Paris is interesting for one reason above all: nowhere else can you observe the French AI ecosystem in such concentrated form. Mistral AI and the debate around European data centres, sovereignty and infrastructure investment shape the programme – topics that concern mid-sized companies too, as soon as they start thinking about which AI providers to work with.

If European AI sovereignty is your topic, you will find the German perspective on it at the Data & Analytics Stage at d:u27 in Münster.

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AI & Big Data Expo Europe (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

19–20 October 2026

The AI & Big Data Expo takes a different approach: less AI conference, more trade show. The Amsterdam edition at the RAI is part of TechEx Europe and runs alongside seven further trade shows – across all events, more than 8,000 visitors, over 250 speakers and more than 200 exhibitors are expected.

For teams evaluating AI tools and big data technologies, that is valuable. Companies present their solutions, from automation platforms to data infrastructure tools. Developers and data scientists can explore the latest applications in machine learning, generative AI and analytics technologies through live demos. The conference tracks cover practical topics: from prototype to production, data governance, industry-specific use cases. New this year is the Agentic AI Pavilion, dedicated to autonomous software agents – one of the topics that made the leap from experiment to regular operation in 2026.

The atmosphere is pragmatic rather than visionary. Visitors come to see demos, compare solutions and make purchasing decisions. If selecting AI tools or big data platforms is on your agenda, Amsterdam belongs on the list. The event also offers workshops and technical deep dives for anyone moving beyond evaluation into implementation.

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World Summit AI (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

7–8 October 2026

Also in Amsterdam, but an entirely different format: the World Summit AI positions itself as the "Epicentre of the Global AI Ecosystem". Where the expo focuses on vendors, World Summit AI puts ideas and people at the centre. In 2026 the summit celebrates its tenth edition at the Taets Art & Event Park, with more than 10,000 participants, over 300 speakers and ten thematic tracks. It also anchors World AI Week, around which numerous smaller specialist events take place across the city.

The participant mix is uniquely broad – data scientists, machine learning engineers, developers, CEOs, co-founders, investors, policymakers, researchers. The summit has a reputation for major announcements; companies are said to spend years on the waiting list to launch products here. If you want to know where artificial intelligence is heading globally, this is where you find the answers.

For decision-makers at mid-sized companies, World Summit AI offers perspective on what is coming. Sessions cover deep learning, generative AI, robotics, computer vision and AI ethics – more technical and visionary than immediately practical, but the networking is strong. Where else can you have a coffee with leading AI researchers and discuss your own implementation questions? Tech leaders, chief scientists and industry heavyweights share the room with start-ups and developers.

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Data Innovation Summit (Stockholm, Sweden)

18–20 May 2027

The Data Innovation Summit is the flagship data and AI event of the Nordic region – and has grown into an event of international standing. The 2026 edition at the Kistamässan brought together more than 3,500 participants from over 50 countries and more than 1,000 companies across 15 stages. In 2027 the summit again runs over three days, from 18 to 20 May.

The programme balances technical depth with business value. Days one and two cover data engineering, machine learning operations, AI governance, data science and analytics strategy. The third day belongs to dedicated industry tracks for finance, manufacturing, healthcare, retail and the public sector – a good way to explore what digital transformation looks like across different parts of the economy.

What makes Stockholm worth the trip is the community and the networking. The Nordic data and AI ecosystem has a reputation for pragmatism and openness – people share what actually works, not just what sounds impressive. Keynotes come from experts and researchers around the world. The networking party and the DIS Run around the island of Kungsholmen reflect the summit's approach: serious content, human connections, real exchange.

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FT Future of AI Summit (London, UK)

4–5 November 2026

If your job title contains "Chief" or "Head of", the FT Future of AI Summit is the right AI event. The Financial Times curates the programme consistently for the leadership level, and the attendee list reflects that.

The focus is on strategic leadership topics: scaling AI investments, navigating regulation and governance, the transformation of work through artificial intelligence, and measuring business value and ROI. Sessions feature CEOs and executives who have led digital transformation inside companies – not vendors pitching solutions.

The deliberately small format enables genuine peer-to-peer exchange. For C-level executives looking for open conversations about successful AI adoption and concrete use cases, London in November offers exactly that environment. If you want that kind of exchange among equals without travelling to London, the SME Stage at d:u27 in Münster is built on precisely the same principle.

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And in Germany?

Alongside d:u, there are major German AI festivals. We cover this in detail in our overview of AI trade fairs and data events in Germany.

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Planning your AI event calendar

Europe offers a diverse landscape of AI events – from executive summits through technical conferences to large community festivals. Whether London, Amsterdam, Paris, Stockholm or Münster: there is a format to match every objective and every team.

For the remainder of 2026, Amsterdam follows in October and London in November. The 2027 season is already largely scheduled: Cannes in February, Münster in April, Stockholm in May, and London and Paris in June.

The most important factor when choosing: do not try to be everywhere. Pick two or three events that match your current priorities – and bring the right team. AI competence affects every part of a business. For a successful transformation, it is crucial to bring key people to these events together.

The next big d:u date is already set: on 13 and 14 April 2027, the d:u27 Festival in Münster brings more than 17,000 participants, decision-makers and data experts into the business reality of AI for two days – across six stages, with 350+ speakers and 80+ masterclasses. Secure your ticket for d:u27 now.

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