Wikimania:Expressions of Interest

The Wikimania Steering Committee is inviting community groups and regional collaborations to submit expressions of interest (EOI) in hosting Wikimania 2027 and 2028.

Wikimania is the annual international conference that brings together members of the Wikimedia movement, fostering collaboration, learning, and celebration of free knowledge. The event is guided by the Steering Committee, organized by a core organizing team of volunteers and closely supported by the Movement Communications team in the Wikimedia Foundation.

Why host Wikimania?

Hosting Wikimania offers your community a unique opportunity to engage a region and foster collaboration while contributing to the global Wikimedia movement. It’s a chance to bring people together in an engaging, collaborative environment and highlight the impact of Wikimedia projects worldwide.

Please fill the name of the region at the box below and click Submit. For example: 2027:Expressions of Interest/Oceania, 2027:Expressions of Interest/Northern Europe.

Submitted entries are placed under Category:Wikimania 2027 expressions of interest.

Timeline

• The call for the Expression of Interest will remain open from December 2, 2024 to January 27 at 23.59 anywhere on earth.
• Initial reviews will take place from close of applications in January 2025 through to February 2025
• The reviews will be followed by interviews with short-listed candidates in March and April 2025
• We hope to announce the location for Wikimania 2027 in May or June 2025.

What we’re looking for

We welcome community groups and regional collaborations that are enthusiastic and capable of managing the logistical and organizational responsibilities of hosting this large-scale conference. While it’s not necessary to have a venue or sponsorship agreements in place yet, there are a few key factors that will be considered:

Proposal

The proposal should highlight the benefits of hosting Wikimania in the proposed region, such as activating local communities and establishing strategic partnerships in the host country. Innovative, "out-of-the-box" proposals are encouraged, as long as they provide alternative value to the Wikimedia movement by promoting programming concepts aligned with the movement's strategic goals. Additionally, the proposal should include a goal and vision for how the conference could leverage a project or address an issue relevant to the hosting team, country, or region.

Factors we will be looking at:

• Capacity to organize: A core team of local or regional volunteers involved with the Wikimedia movement will be responsible for organizing the conference. This team will be supported by the Wikimania Steering Committee, the Wikimedia Foundation, and professional event organizers
• Location suitability: The expression of interest does not require an exact city or venue to be identified at this stage.
• Safety and security: Ensuring the personal safety of all participants is the highest priority, requiring a welcoming environment that respects diverse identities, expressions, affiliations, races, genders, and abilities. Additionally, freedom of expression is essential; local laws and government policies must not expose participants to undue risk due to their association with the movement.
• Global rotation: We aim to balance hosting locations across different regions to ensure global representation and participation.

Travel and visas

• It is ideal for the proposed location to be close to an international airport and not require extensive travel upon arrival. Please keep in mind international travelers.
• An easy, accessible visa process is key to international participation.
• This could mean few visa restrictions, accessible electronic visas, or embassies / agencies found in many global cities Wikimedians would be traveling from.
• Contact with the relevant government department to facilitate the visa process is welcomed.

Hybrid Format and remote attendees

• Seamless virtual integration with in-person components is a high priority for Wikimania as a hybrid conference.
• Make sure your proposal talks about how Wikimedians will be able to remotely participate at Wikimania.

How to Submit Your Interest

If your group is ready to take on the honor and challenge of hosting Wikimania, we encourage you to submit an expression of interest. You can propose several different cities in your region at this stage. Make sure to consult with your local community before submitting.

Note that we will be choosing hosts for both 2027 and 2028. Please tell us if you are interested in hosting a particular year, are open to either year, or if you are exploring ideas for further in the future.

List of submitted expressions of interest

• ...

The Wikimania Steering Committee

The Wikimania Steering Committee is the steward of the Wikimedia movement’s largest global gathering. We ensure the event remains community-led and community focused. Most of us are past organizers of Wikimania or seasoned attendees, and passionate about what we can achieve when we come together.

The social side of our movement

As a distributed, global, socio-technological movement, we have learned over the years how important it is for us to come together – collaborations flourish, communities strengthen, grievances dissolve, and lifelong connections are forged. Wikimania is the largest event of the Wikimedia movement. If you are interested in hosting the 2027 Wikimania, we’d love to hear from you – you can express your interest on wiki, talk to us, email us at wikimaniawikimedia.org