data:unplugged — Europe's largest Data & AI Festival

data:unplugged — Europe's largest Data and AI Festival

Since its inception, data:unplugged has rapidly become the largest festival for Data and Artificial Intelligence in Europe. In 2026, organizers expect over 10,000 participants at the MCC Halle Münsterland in Münster — decision-makers, tech professionals, scientists, founders, investors, and politicians. The format: two days of insights, workshops, demos, and networking, all focused on how data and AI are transforming business, society, research, and politics in the 2020s.

5 Stages — Thematic Architecture of the Festival

The five stages offer a clear thematic architecture in 2026:

• Violet Stage — Main keynote stage with prominent speakers, festival opening at 9:45 AM on Day 1
• Green Stage — Topics for SMEs (Mittelstand), AI strategy, digital transformation
• Data Stage — Technical data and analytics sessions, data platforms, governance, architecture
• Dialog Stage — Discussion formats, panels, interactive sessions
• Tomorrow Stage — Innovation, future topics, emerging technologies

New in 2026: the Mittelstand Blazers Stage — a dedicated stage for SME use cases and SME-specific AI strategies.

Speakers 2026 — Business, Media, Politics, Tech

Among the over 200 speakers are:

• Uli Hoeneß — Chairman of the Supervisory Board, FC Bayern Munich
• Markus Lanz — Television presenter and podcaster
• Mona Neubaur — NRW Minister of Economic Affairs and Deputy Minister-President
• Dr. Jarek Kutylowski — Founder and CEO of DeepL
• Pip Klöckner — Tech analyst and investor
• Sascha Lobo — Publicist and internet entrepreneur

Program — 40+ Masterclasses and Special Acts

In addition to the main stages, a dense supporting program runs:

• 40+ Masterclasses offering deep dives into specific AI application areas
• 40+ Side Events and Guided Tours
• Round Tables on topics such as “AI as Your Company's Operating System”, “Agentic AI”, “Data Sovereignty”, “Industrial AI”
• Data & Analytics Hall focusing on infrastructure and governance
• 150+ Exhibitors from the tech industry and startup scene
• Special Act: German rapper SIDO with a live performance

Münster and the NRW AI Hub

Münster, with approximately 320,000 inhabitants, is one of Westphalia's largest university cities — home to the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität with around 45,000 students, Münster University of Applied Sciences, and several research institutes. The MCC Halle Münsterland is one of the most modern exhibition halls in Western Germany. NRW has been positioning itself as an AI hub for years — the state's KI.NRW initiative is a partner of the festival (ki.nrw). Ticket presale opens on October 8, 2026, for the next edition.