Viva Technology 2026
David Chelly, January 13, 2026
Viva Technology 2026 is held in Paris, from Wednesday May 22 to Saturday May 25, 2026. The show takes place at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles and brings together, over four days, the European and international tech ecosystem around a simple goal: connect startups, large corporations, investors, talent, researchers and public-sector players in one place, to accelerate partnerships and give visibility to innovations that already have a real impact on the economy.
Dates and hours
From May 22 to 25, 2026, doors open from 9:00am to 6:00pm each day. Access closes 30 minutes before closing time, so it's important to plan late-afternoon arrivals ahead, especially if you're aiming for a conference, a specific demo or a booth meeting. Saturday, May 25 is announced as the day dedicated to the general public. This day is better suited to discovery, demonstrations, orientation- and inspiration-focused conversations, and a smoother visit for those not attending strictly for business purposes.
What you'll find on site
VivaTech is organized as a major innovation showcase and a business meeting hub. Startups present products and prototypes, large companies showcase their use cases, and investors explore trends and teams. For a company, the value lies in comparing solutions in near real-world conditions, quickly identifying partners, and testing a market's maturity by talking directly with the teams building the products. For a visitor looking to position themselves, it's an accelerator for staying informed, since topics and offerings are concentrated in one place and interactions happen without intermediaries.
An online platform
VivaTech maintains an online experience, designed to follow part of the content and access remote interactions. This digital extension mainly serves to avoid depending entirely on time spent on-site. You can use it to prepare your agenda, spot exhibitors, follow certain sessions, then continue the conversation after the show. This changes the way you visit. Being there in person remains the most effective way to network, but the online tool helps frame the visit and avoid missing the booths or conferences that really matter.
2026 themes
The 2026 program is structured around themes that cover both business issues and societal issues. The future of work and talent stands out as a central theme, along with the transformation of jobs, everyday AI and the question of skills. Marketing and leadership topics find their place through decision-maker-focused formats, including the CMO Forum and executive keynotes. The event also emphasizes industries in transformation, including mobility, the race toward Net Zero and energy transitions, the scalability of organizations and infrastructure, as well as health. More forward-looking topics such as space, the metaverse, Web3, and questions of cybersecurity, democracy and regulation take up significant space, as they combine innovation, risk and political trade-offs.
Stages, speakers and key moments
VivaTech is also a platform for public speaking. The main stages host conferences, interviews and announcements. The show has already welcomed global figures and political decision-makers, making it a place to pick up strong signals, both on tech and on industrial strategy. For 2026, several speakers are announced from a wide variety of backgrounds, spanning research, industry, media and investment. Bob Metcalfe, Jessica Sibley, Tony Elumelu, Luca de Meo, Sunil Bharti Mittal, Fleur Pellerin, J. Michael Evans, Nicolas Hieronimus, Arthur Sadoun and Malik Abu-Ghazaleh are among the names cited for this edition, confirming the international, multi-sector orientation of the lineup.
Tickets and visit pace
Ticketing is offered in several phases that reward early purchase. The Super Early Bird period ends on February 8, the Early Bird period on April 4, after which rates move to a Regular phase. Prices vary by pass type and purchase date, but the logic stays the same: the earlier you register, the better the access terms. For a successful visit, the most effective strategy is to prepare one main objective, then two secondary objectives. A main objective helps frame the day, such as finding solutions on a specific topic, meeting startups in a given sector, or identifying partners. Secondary objectives help you absorb opportunities on-site without losing focus. This approach avoids the trade-show effect, where you walk a lot, see a lot, and come back with few concrete decisions.
Recruitment and employment
VivaTech is not just a technology show, it's also a talent marketplace. The organization promotes a team culture built around initiative and execution, and offers a careers page to join the event. In parallel, the VivaTech Job Board lets you browse openings related to IT, digital transformation, innovation and digital marketing. Its main strength is the concentration of employers and startups in one place, which makes spotting opportunities and making first contact easier. For a candidate, an efficient visit means targeting a few companies and arriving with a clear pitch, skills, projects, availability, in order to turn a conversation into an interview.
Practical tips
Paris Expo Porte de Versailles is best visited with a simple plan. Arriving early reduces wait times and helps secure priority content. Moving between halls takes time, so it's best to group booths by zone and limit back-and-forth trips. Meetings run more smoothly when scheduled with realistic windows, allowing margin for foot traffic and crowd density. Finally, Saturday has a more discovery-oriented atmosphere, which is ideal for a broader visit, but less suited if your goal is a tight series of business meetings.