Web Summit will announce during its 2027 edition where it will be held in 2029, founder and chief executive Paddy Cosgrave told ECO, leaving open whether Lisbon will retain one of Europe’s biggest tech events after the current contract expires in 2028. The conference has been held in Lisbon since 2016 and is a high-profile fixture for the country’s tech and business ecosystem.
In the interview, Cosgrave said Lisbon remains the group’s “home base” but added that the company is also looking at possible expansion in Africa and China, after already opening in Rio de Janeiro and Qatar. “During the Web Summit of 2027 we will announce where we will be in 2029. And maybe it will be Lisbon”, he said.
Cosgrave also said Web Summit’s business is growing, with nearly 300 hires this year compared with almost 100 at the same point last year. He said much of that growth continues to come from the Global South and described the 2026 edition as the event’s most diverse yet, with more countries represented than ever.
On the conference agenda, Cosgrave said this year’s edition will feature a stronger Chinese presence and more debate about artificial intelligence, including company valuations, debt and competition from Chinese AI labs. He said health startups and public policy are also taking a larger role in the programme.
Cosgrave was sharply critical of major AI groups, saying warnings from big tech chiefs about AI safety look like “a great marketing strategy” rather than genuine concern. He also said some highly valued companies had shown little willingness to discuss issues such as valuations, debt and Chinese AI competition, adding: “I personally start to get worried. Because I think: we are definitely in a bubble.”
Source: Eco News
