Group:Librelocal/2026

Tell us about your LibreLocal 2026 meetup

This May is LibreLocal month! The Free Software Foundation (FSF) invites free software supporters like you to organize an in-person community meetup in your area in May, 2026 to bring people together to swap ideas, learn from each other, and celebrate free software. And the FSF is happy to help.

So tell the world about your meetup by listing it below.

LibreLocal meetups were organized for the first time in 2025, and your enthusiastic response to our call was outstanding. Free software supporters like you organized 29 LibreLocal meetups across five continents last year. Your excitement was so captivating that we had to do it again. So this year, let's organize more meetups!

Be a part of these meetups by organizing one yourself. List it below. The FSF is happy to support you in your organizing efforts. Tell us about your meetup so we can help get the word out about your LibreLocal meetup to other free software supporters near you. We will also be happy to have an available FSF staff member join your event virtually, or if possible, even in person!

The FSF is committing to financially assisting as many meetups as we can, but please note that the size and amount of our supporting grants are limited. If you would like to apply for support, submit a request to us -- BUT FIRST please log in or create an account on my.fsf.org! The deadline to apply for funding is March 15, 2026 so apply today.

So you're interested in organizing a meetup? Great! Tell us about it below. We have a whole range of resources that can help you with organization. We have a meetup guide that will give you some ideas, tips, and tricks; a template for your own safe space policy, and accounts of successful events from last year in two parts.

Your event's program and format is completely up to you. As we learned last year, it can range from coffee in a local cafe with like-minded people to a full-blown multi-day conference! We encourage everyone to organize events that help spread the free software philosophy, and are grounded in freedom. We hope you find a way to highlight that, as well as all the other benefits of working in and with free software, in your event.

Looking for a meetup to attend? Take a look at the list below for a meetup near you.

You've already attended a LibreLocal meetup? Tell us what you thought about it by taking the LibreLocal 2026 meetup survey.

Please note that these events are organized by volunteers. The Free Software Foundation hopes that these gatherings will be a great place for the free software community to meet up and wants to help make these events a success but can't be held accountable for anything happening during these events.

LibreLocal 2026 Event Template

---

City and country:

Date and time:

Exact location:

Registration (if any):

Organizer(s) (optional):

Description (What is your meetup about? Why do you think people should come?):

---

The FSF looks forward to promoting your meetup!

LibreLocal 2026 meetups

(in alphabetical order)

Democratic Republic of Congo

---

City and country: Kinshasa, The democratic republic of Congo

Date and time: January 5, 2026

Exact location: Bueno Vista, Avenue Kabila 43, Sebo, Commune de Mont Ngafula

Registration: Contact Narcisse Mbunzama at mbunzama@gmail.com or Tel : +243 84 27 74 438

Organizer: Free Software DRC & Digital Security Group

Description: Meeting to build awareness about free software.

---

City and country: Kinshasa, The democratic republic of Congo

Date and time: February 2, 2026

Exact location: Bueno Vista, Avenue Kabila 43, Sebo, Commune de Mont Ngafula

Registration: Contact Narcisse Mbunzama at mbunzama@gmail.com

Organizer: Free Software DRC & Digital Security Group

Description: Meeting to further build awareness about free software.

Iran

---

City and country: Shiraz, Iran

Date and time: May 28, 2026, 17:00 - 20:00

Title: Free Software Conference

Exact location: Shiraz University

Registration (if any):

Organizer(s) (optional): Persian Free Software Community (جامعه نرم‌افزار آزاد فارسی)

Description (What is your meetup about? Why do you think people should come?): A LibreLocal meetup to promote and discuss free software in the community. Join us to learn, share, and connect with like-minded individuals.

Jordan

---

City and country: Amman, Jordan

Date and time: May 2, 2026

Exact location: Amman, August Coffee House

Registration: Contact Deyaa Al-Khatib at Deyaanaser88@gmail.com or Tel : +962799029949

Organizer: RISC-V Jordan Community

Description: Building the ultimate free, and open software vision for Jordan that will shape the industry in Jordan

Kenya

---

City and country: Nairobi, Kenya

Date and time: May 2, 2026

Exact location: TBD

Registration: Contact Benson Muite at nairobi-gnu@googlegroups.org

Organizer: Nairobi GNU/Linux Users Group

Description: Teach each other how to use and contribute to some free and open source software

Mexico

---

City and country: Mazatlán, Sinaloa. México

Date and time: Saturday, May 16, 2026 at 18:00 hr - 22:00 hr Sábado, 16 de Mayo 2026 de las 18:00 hr a las 22:00 hr

Exact location: Rico's Café - Marina. Blvd. Marina Mazatlan 2216, Marina Mazatlán, 82102 Mazatlán, Sin.

Registration (optional): Email your attendance if possible please Enviá un correo si es posible

Organizer(s) (optional): <Ariel Del Valle> arielmazatlan@gmail.com

Description (What is your meetup about? Why do you think people should come?): Might be informal, not much planned in advance, but you will meet people with your same interest. If you are new, there probably will be more than one person that will be able to answer any question you might have about the free software's ideas and aspirations. If you come from Culiacán, Durango, Tepic or any other place closeby, I'll be able to offer you a free one night stay accommodation, only paying for cleaning at 400 pesos between people staying, just email me to see availability first please. If we unite, we can organize in the future a more mature event with talks on institutions in the future, and other activities to promote free software. Thank you.

Spanish: Quizá un poco informal sin mucha organización con anticipación, pero podrás conocer personas con tus mismos intereses en la comunidad. Si eres nuevo seguramente encontrarás respuestas de parte de otras personas entusiastas. Si vienen de Culiacán, Durango, Tepic o cualquier otro lugar cercano, ofrezco una noche de estancia gratuita, solo pagando la limpieza en 400 pesos entre el número de personas que se hospeden. Si la quedada tiene éxito, podríamos unirnos y organizar un evento más en forma para promover en un futuro pláticas y activismo en instituciones y en la sociedad en general sobre el software libre. Gracias. Saludos.

New Zealand

---

City and country: Auckland, New Zealand

Date and time: 11am, 9 May

Exact location: Rewarewa room (upstairs), Orewa Library (opposite New World), Moana Avenue

Registration (if any): Sending an e-mail if you're interested in attending is appreciated, but not compulsory. Please message in advance if you'd like help with your computer.

Organizer(s) (optional): Carmen-Lisandrette Maris / Mission:Libre -- carmen@missionlibre.org

Description (What is your meetup about? Why do you think people should come?): Join us for lunch and a friendly chit chat about all things free software. If you're new to free software, there will be help to find libre programs to suit your needs and install GNU/Linux. All ages welcome.

Spain

---

City and country: Oviedo (Asturias - España).

Date and time: (Inglés) May 5 and 12 and 19 at 19:00 h, plus optionally some Saturday in May.

(Español) 5 y 12 y 19 de mayo a las 19:00 h, más opcionalmente algún sábado de mayo.

Exact location: El Olivar (Calle Oscura, 1/3 - Oviedo - Asturias - España).

Registration (if any):

Organizer(s) (optional): PicaHack https://www.picahack.org

Description (What is your meetup about? Why do you think people should come?): (Inglés) Introductory talk on libre computing, installation of libre operating systems for anyone who wants it, introductory workshop on the use of libre operating systems, computer repair.

(Español) Charla de iniciación a la informática libre, instalación de sistemas operativos libres a quien quiera, taller de iniciación al uso de sistemas operativos libres, reparación de ordenadores.

Ukraine

---

City and country: Kyiv, Ukraine

Date and time: May 2026

Title: Free Software Conference Ukraine

Exact location:

Registration (if any):

Organizer(s) (optional): AOP Robotics, Relvecorp, Kirill Sorudeykin

Description (What is your meetup about? Why do you think people should come?): Space to discuss technology and freedom as it is

United States

---

City and country: Livermore, California

Date and time: Sunday, May 17, 2026 — 12:00pm to 5:45pm

Exact location: Livermore Public Library Community Rooms A & B

Registration (optional): Send Joe a message at https://aspisdata.com

Organizer(s) (optional): Joe Lee

Description (What is your meetup about? Why do you think people should come?): A meetup to learn about free software, share stories and experiences, get help with installing GNU/Linux, and organize efforts to help cities break free of proprietary software.

---

City and country: New Haven, Connecticut, United States

Date and time: Thursday, May 28, 2026 — 5:00pm to 9:00pm ET

Live Stream: Starting 5:00pm ET: https://privacysafe.live/rooms/5et-av7-cwx-slr/join Access code: pzu6rv

Exact location: MakeHaven (Lower Level), 770 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT USA

Organizer(s): Sean O'Brien, Sheree Ip & Mikalai Birukou

Description: Celebrate the vital role of Free Software for digital freedom! Enjoy a hands-on, community-driven evening at MakeHaven, sponsored by PrivacySafe.app. This LibreLocal meetup welcomes all experience levels to share in the legacy and future of digital freedom and features demos, talks, and networking.

Highlights include:

• 5:15pm - 6:15pm ET — Demonstration of free software E2EE tools by PrivacySafe.app
• 6:30pm - 7:00pm ET — Live-stream conversation free software, security, and government transparency with ex-CIA whistleblower John Kiriakou
• 7:00pm - 9:00pm ET — Socialize, network, and share libre tools and strategies!

Whether you're an experienced free software developer or just curious, join us to explore the technologies, ethics, and activism of the free software movement.

We'll be serving world-famous New Haven apizza and refreshments!

---

I'm looking for fellow activists to organize a meetup together

If you're looking for fellow activists to organize a meetup together you can add your contact information and the city you'd like to organize the meetup in below. If you don't want to provide contact information here you can email campaigns@fsf.org and we will connect you to people who are interested in organizing a meetup together with you.