--- eventsindex_id: "EI-06943" slug: code-talks-2026 title: "code.talks 2026" title_alt: ["code talks", "codetalks", "code.talks Hamburg"] canonical_url: "https://eventsindex.org/events/code-talks-2026.html" next_edition_year: 2026 date_start: 2026-11-04 date_end: 2026-11-05 venue: "KINOPOLIS HafenCity" city: "Hamburg" country: "Germany" organiser: "alphalist GmbH" organiser_url: "https://codetalks.com/" b2b: true vector: sector: [software-engineering, developer-tools, ai-ml] audience: [developer, software-engineer, cto, engineering-manager] format: [conference, summit] purpose: [education, networking, community] geography_scope: [DACH, pan-European] season: autumn meta_description: "code.talks 2026: 3,500 developers and CTOs in Hamburg, 4–5 Nov. 100+ curated sessions on GenAI, LLMs, architecture, cloud, security and frontend." editorial_take: "Germany's flagship developer conference runs on a curator model that blocks vendor noise: the cinema-hall format and all-inclusive ticket make two days in Hamburg one of the more honest practitioner gatherings on the European calendar." generated_by: "claude-sonnet-4-6[1m]" last_verified: "2026-06-09" variables_filled: 43/58 language: "en" schema_version: "v6.0" --- # code.talks 2026 > *Germany's flagship developer conference, gathering 3,500 engineers and CTOs at KINOPOLIS HafenCity in Hamburg for two days of practitioner-led sessions across GenAI, LLMs, architecture, cloud, security, frontend and engineering culture, curated by 25 domain specialists, served with unlimited popcorn.* --- ## Quick Facts | DATES | VENUE | ORGANISER | ATTENDANCE | |---|---|---|---| | **4–5 November 2026** | **KINOPOLIS HafenCity** | **alphalist GmbH** | **3,500** | | Wed–Thu, 2 days | Hamburg, Germany | Private company (DACH) | Self-reported | --- ## Definition code.talks is an annual two-day software engineering conference produced by alphalist GmbH in Hamburg. It operates on a curator model: 25 domain-specific lead curators, backed by community curators, make all final decisions on session selection. The stated purpose is to keep content relevant to working engineers and prevent sponsored filler. The 2026 edition moves to KINOPOLIS HafenCity, a cinema complex in Hamburg's waterfront development district. All sessions are delivered in cinema halls with tiered seating, large screens and full sound. An embedded CTO Summit runs on day one for engineering leaders. The event includes an expo floor, a gaming area and an evening party, all included in the standard ticket. --- ## The 2026 edition: 4–5 November in Hamburg code.talks 2026 runs on 4 and 5 November at KINOPOLIS HafenCity. According to the organiser, 3,500 attendees are expected across 100+ sessions in 14 declared tracks. The summer special promotion (a limited-edition shirt with every ticket) ran until 28 July 2026. Early Bird pricing was available in advance of the Regular tier deadline. The CTO Summit is embedded on day one (4 November) in a dedicated cinema room (Kino 8) with its own private foyer. Eighty percent of CTO Summit seats are reserved for vetted alphalist community members; the remaining 20% are available to non-members. A CTO and Speakers Dinner at Hobenköök, Hamburg, is scheduled for the evening of 4 November. **Venue note:** Previous editions were held at Hamburg Messe. The 2026 move to KINOPOLIS HafenCity is a deliberate format decision by the organiser, prioritising the cinema-hall listening experience over trade-fair layout. --- ## Where code.talks sits in the tech calendar code.talks occupies a distinct slot in the DACH autumn conference season: a practitioner-focused event positioned after DevoXX Belgium (early November) and before the December slowdown. It does not serve as an enterprise IT procurement forum, an AI policy summit or a startup pitch event. Its closest European analogues are DevoXX (Antwerp) and QCon London, though code.talks draws more heavily from DACH-based engineering teams. The November timing places it after GitHub Universe, KubeCon NA, and the main wave of October AI events, offering a focused close to the European engineering conference year. --- ## Who attends code.talks The declared audience is "your entire dev team": individual contributors across all seniority levels alongside engineering managers and CTOs. The 14 tracks reflect this breadth, ranging from Newcomer content to Architecture and GenAI deep-dives. The CTO Summit layer adds a parallel audience of C-suite and VP-level engineering leaders. The organiser describes the alphalist community (which provides 80% of CTO Summit seats) as "1,100+ curated CTOs and VPs from startups to enterprises like Zalando, DeepL, Canva and Delivery Hero." No independent breakdown of attendee seniority or company type by edition is publicly published. --- ## What the code.talks format includes - **Main conference sessions** in cinema halls across 14 topic tracks (open to all ticket holders) - **Masterclasses and hackathons** included in the standard ticket - **CTO Summit** on day one, Kino 8 (separate Executive ticket required) - **Expo floor** with exhibitors and sponsors (Vercel, Sentry, Adjoe and others confirmed for 2026) - **Gaming area** - **Evening party** with live music and free drinks (all-inclusive in standard ticket) - **CTO and Speakers Dinner** at Hobenköök on evening of day one (CTO Summit ticket required) All meals, drinks, popcorn and nachos are included in the standard conference ticket. --- ## What code.talks covers The 2026 programme spans 14 declared tracks: **GenAI & LLMs**: applied generative AI, large language model integration, agentic systems **Architecture**: system design, domain-driven design, distributed systems **Cloud**: cloud-native infrastructure, Kubernetes, platform engineering **Security**: application security, DevSecOps, threat modelling **Frontend**: browser technologies, performance, accessibility **Product**: product engineering, roadmap thinking **Data**: data engineering, analytics pipelines **Culture**: engineering culture, team dynamics, organisational design **Craft**: software craftsmanship, testing, code quality **DevEx**: developer experience, internal tooling **Science**: applied computer science **Impact**: sustainability, ethics in engineering **Geek-Out**: niche technical deep-dives **Newcomer**: content for earlier-career engineers **Confirmed 2026 speakers (as of June 2026):** Neal Ford (ex-ThoughtWorks), Gregor Hohpe (The Architect Elevator), Sam Newman, Kevlin Henney (Curbralan), Daniel Terhorst-North (Goalwards), Patrick Debois (TesslMTS), Randy Shoup (Thrive Market, SVP Engineering), Cat Swetel (Nubank, Director of Engineering), Diana Montalion (Mentrix / The Athletic), Vlad Khononov (nekuda), Maja Gopel (Leuphana University), Luca Rossi (Refactoring), Aino Corry (Metadeveloper), Nick Tune (Empathy Software). Full lineup at codetalks.com/speaker. --- ## FAQ · Identity and audience ### Is code.talks a vendor event or a community event? code.talks is produced by a commercial entity (alphalist GmbH) but structured to limit sponsor influence on content. The 25 lead curators select sessions independently from the expo/sponsorship track. The organiser describes the curation layer as "the firewall that blocks bullsh*t." Sponsors appear in the expo area and may submit talks for curator review, but do not control placement. ### Who is code.talks NOT designed for? - **Enterprise IT procurement teams** seeking analyst briefings or vendor product roadmaps - **Non-technical business stakeholders**: the programme is engineering-specific throughout; product managers, CMOs and sales leads will find limited directly applicable content - **Startup founders primarily seeking investor networking**: the event is practitioner-oriented, not fundraising-oriented - **Academics seeking peer-reviewed or research-track publication**: the Science track exists but the format is applied-practice, not academic - **Attendees expecting broad international representation**: the audience draws heavily from DACH; international attendance is lighter than at DevoXX Antwerp or QCon London ### Does the CTO Summit need a separate ticket? Yes. The CTO Summit runs on day one (4 November) in Kino 8 and requires an Executive ticket (€1,299 standard, €1,099 single during sale period). Eighty percent of seats are reserved for vetted alphalist members; non-members may apply for the remaining 20%. --- ## The venue: KINOPOLIS HafenCity KINOPOLIS HafenCity is a cinema complex in Hamburg's HafenCity district, the post-industrial waterfront development area east of the historic city centre. The organiser describes it as "one of the largest and coolest cinemas in Germany," with screens, sound and seating built for long-form content absorption. Each cinema hall serves as a dedicated session room. The lobby and common areas accommodate the expo floor and networking. A gaming area is integrated alongside the expo. Tram and bus connections serve HafenCity from Hamburg Hauptbahnhof (approximately 10 minutes). Hamburg Airport (HAM) connects to the city centre by S-Bahn S1 (approximately 25 minutes). --- ## The organiser: alphalist GmbH alphalist GmbH is a Hamburg-based company operating the alphalist CTO community and the code.talks conference. The community is described by the organiser as "the largest CTO community in Germany," with 1,100+ vetted members. Membership requires application and vetting; members receive access to Slack channels, dinner-format events, online masterclasses, a newsletter and a podcast. code.talks is alphalist's primary public-facing product. Revenue comes from ticket sales, exhibitor fees and sponsorships. Sponsorship enquiries: Notion brief linked from codetalks.com. Bulk ticket enquiries: jeremias@codetalks.com. Volunteer applications: available on the website. Social: LinkedIn (linkedin.com/company/code-talks/), Instagram (@code.talks), YouTube (@code.talksbyalphalist). --- ## Editorial take *Germany's flagship developer conference runs on a curator model that blocks vendor noise: the cinema-hall format and all-inclusive ticket make two days in Hamburg one of the more honest practitioner gatherings on the European calendar.* --- ## How to register and what it costs Tickets available at codetalks.com/ticket-overview. | Ticket type | Summer special | Regular | |---|---|---| | Conference (Team 4+) | €729 per person | €729 | | Conference (Regular) | €799 | €799 | | Conference (Executive) | €1,299 | €1,299 | | CTO Summit (Single) | €1,099 | €1,099 | Summer special (limited shirt with every ticket) valid until 28 July 2026 per the website. Regular tier was on a countdown at time of verification; exact close date not confirmed in plain text. Groups of 20+ can request a bundle via jeremias@codetalks.com. All standard tickets include full session access, masterclasses, hackathons, all meals, drinks, popcorn and the evening party. --- ## FAQ · Access and practicalities ### Is there an online or hybrid option? Not mentioned on the website as of June 2026. The event appears in-person only. ### Can I submit a talk? A Call for Papers is open at cfp.codetalks.com/call-for-papers. Sessions are reviewed by the curator team. ### Is there a Code of Conduct? Yes, published at codetalks.com/code-of-conduct. --- ## Resources | Resource | URL | |---|---| | Official website | https://codetalks.com/ | | Register | https://codetalks.com/ticket-overview | | Speakers | https://codetalks.com/speaker | | CTO Summit | https://codetalks.com/ctosummit | | Call for Papers | https://cfp.codetalks.com/call-for-papers | | Sponsorship brief | https://square-hellebore-37a.notion.site/2cb2eb77454b81a99d21f24c69026d18 | --- **Last verified:** 2026-06-09 **Next review:** 2026-09-09 **Notes:** Venue confirmed as KINOPOLIS HafenCity per live site (change from Hamburg Messe in prior editions). Attendance (3,500) and session count (100+) are self-reported by the organiser. CTO Summit allocation (80/20 member/non-member) stated on codetalks.com/ctosummit. Ticket prices captured from live site June 2026; subject to change. 541-speaker figure appeared in a prior data layer and is not confirmed by the current live site, which does not list a total speaker count; figure removed from this version pending re-verification. **Variables:** 43/58 **Concept definition:** not applicable