re:publica Berlin
Europe's largest festival for the digital society – the 19th edition under the motto 'Never Gonna Give You Up' at STATION Berlin
About re:publica
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From a blogger conference in 2007 – today a major societal event
re:publica started in 2007 as a small blogger conference and has since become one of the most important European platforms for discussing the digital society, network policy, democracy, and technology. Today, the festival attracts tens of thousands of participants from politics, academia, activism, the tech industry, and media to Berlin every year.
Never Gonna Give You Up
The 2026 motto plays with the most famous Rickrolling song in internet history while carrying a serious political message: Despite platform consolidation, disinformation, the AI hype, and authoritarian tendencies, the values of an open, democratic internet must be defended. The curatorial line spans from political theory (Quinn Slobodian) and tech criticism (Karen Hao, Cory Doctorow) to artistic-analytical voices (Hito Steyerl) and investigative tech journalism (Taylor Lorenz).
Format
Over 1,000 speakers on more than 20 stages: that's the scale of re:publica 2026. In addition, there are workshops, meetups, maker spaces, and an expo area where initiatives, companies, and NGOs present themselves. Two special program strands complement the main program: ON SCREEN on the second festival day brings film, series, games, and XR to the stage (in cooperation with Seriesly Berlin and the MediaTech Hub). TINCON Berlin – the concurrent conference for young digital culture – is completely free for participants aged 13 to 25.
STATION Berlin
For years, the main venue has been STATION Berlin – a former post office station in the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district (Kreuzberg locality), now one of the city's most important event venues. The former reception hall with its historic iron structures and several event rooms is ideal for a festival that requires both large stage events and intimate workshop spaces.
re:publica — edition 2026
The 19th edition focuses on defending an open, democratic internet. 'Never Gonna Give You Up' is both a tongue-in-cheek homage to internet folklore and a programmatic statement: Despite platform consolidation, the AI hype, and political pressure, hope for a better digital society should not be abandoned. Over 1,000 speakers, spread across three festival days and over 20 stages, represent the spectrum of this debate.
Programmatic focuses for 2026: Artificial intelligence and its risks (with Karen Hao, whose bestseller on OpenAI is internationally discussed), platform economy and democracy (Quinn Slobodian), artistic reflection of digital images (Hito Steyerl), platform activism and newsfluencer culture (Fabian Grischkat, Taylor Lorenz), democratic resilience (Matthias Quent, Gilda Sahebi). Cory Doctorow represents the digital civil rights line.
Programme re:publica 2026
Monday, May 18, 2026 – Day 1
- Opening keynote and main political speech
- Keynote speakers: Karen Hao, Cory Doctorow (among others)
- Tracks: Network policy, AI, democracy, activism, tech criticism
- Workshops and meetups in parallel
Tuesday, May 19, 2026 – Day 2 (ON SCREEN focus)
- Program special ON SCREEN: Film, series, games, and XR – in cooperation with Seriesly Berlin and the MediaTech Hub
- Talks: Hito Steyerl, Annekathrin Kohout, Quinn Slobodian
- Maker spaces, expo area, NGO stands
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 – Day 3
- Keynotes: Taylor Lorenz, Gilda Sahebi, Matthias Quent, Fabian Grischkat
- Closing panel on the festival motto
- Closing keynote and festival party
Parallel Festival: TINCON Berlin
- Conference for digital youth culture, 13–25 years old
- Guests: Maria Popova, Franziska Giffey, among others
- Completely free of charge
Full program and session search on re-publica.com/en/schedule. Live streams of selected sessions available online for free.
Highlights re:publica 2026
- 19th edition, motto 'Never Gonna Give You Up'
- Over 1,000 speakers on more than 20 stages
- Keynote speakers include: Karen Hao, Hito Steyerl, Quinn Slobodian, Cory Doctorow, Taylor Lorenz
- ON SCREEN program special: Film, Series, Games, XR
- TINCON Berlin concurrently, free for 13–25 year olds
Prices re:publica 2026
Practical information — re:publica
Getting there
STATION Berlin, Luckenwalder Straße 4-6, 10963 Berlin (Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district, Kreuzberg locality). U-Bahn U1/U2/U3 Gleisdreieck directly in front, S-Bahn S+U Yorckstraße approx. 5 min.
Tickets
Day tickets and festival passes via re-publica.com. Early bird and solidarity tickets available. TINCON Berlin for 13–25 year olds is completely free. Live streams of individual programs often available online for free.
Organizers
republica GmbH. Concept: Markus Beckedahl, Tanja Haeusler, Andreas Gebhard, Johnny Haeusler.
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Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a re:publica al mejor precio.
Sponsored link
Where it takes place re:publica
STATION Berlin
Luckenwalder Straße 4-6, 10963 Berlin