Galaxy Community Conference

The annual gathering of the Galaxy open-source bioinformatics platform community at Universite Clermont Auvergne in France, running three conference days (June 22-24) with keynotes, community talks, and training, followed by a two-day CoFest collaborative contribution sprint (June 25-26).

DATES
22-26 June 2026
VENUE
Universite Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand
ORGANISER
Universite Clermont Auvergne, Institut Francais de Bioinformatique, Johns Hopkins University
ATTENDANCE
not publicly disclosed

Definition

The Galaxy Community Conference 2026 (GCC2026) is the annual convening of the Galaxy Project community: users, developers, educators, and contributors building or working with the Galaxy open-source scientific data analysis platform. The conference runs June 22 to 24 with invited keynotes, community-contributed talks, and training sessions. June 25 to 26 is the CoFest, a collaborative contribution sprint where participants work together on Galaxy code, documentation, and tools. Fellowships are available to support attendance. Hosted at Universite Clermont Auvergne in central France.

The 2026 edition at Clermont-Ferrand

The 2026 keynote by Rayan Chikhi covers petabyte-scale sequencing data, positioning the scientific computing and data infrastructure challenges of modern genomics as a central theme. The CoFest on June 25 to 26 follows the conference days and is an open collaborative working session for contributors. Fellowships are available to support attendance for community members who would not otherwise be able to attend.

Who attends Galaxy Community Conference

What the Galaxy Community Conference format includes

What the Galaxy Community Conference programme covers

FAQ · Identity and audience

What is Galaxy?

Galaxy is an open-source, web-based platform for data-intensive biomedical research, enabling users to run bioinformatics tools and workflows without command-line expertise. It is widely used in genomics, transcriptomics, and related life sciences fields. See galaxyproject.org for full documentation.

What is the CoFest?

The CoFest (Collaboration Fest) is a two-day open working session on June 25 to 26, following the main conference. Participants collaborate on Galaxy code, documentation, tutorials, and tools. It is open to all registered attendees.

Are fellowships available to support attendance?

Yes, according to the organiser. Fellowship application details are available at galaxyproject.org/events/gcc2026.

Who is Galaxy Community Conference NOT designed for?

Professionals with no involvement in the Galaxy platform or open-source bioinformatics, those seeking a commercial software or vendor-led event, AI practitioners outside the scientific computing and life sciences domain, or attendees looking for a large exhibition floor rather than a community working conference.

The venue: Universite Clermont Auvergne

Universite Clermont Auvergne is a French public research university in Clermont-Ferrand, in the Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes region. The campus provides lecture theatres, seminar rooms, and collaborative workspaces suited to a community academic conference. Clermont-Ferrand is accessible by TGV from Paris.

The organiser: Universite Clermont Auvergne, Institut Francais de Bioinformatique, Johns Hopkins University

GCC2026 is co-organized by Universite Clermont Auvergne, the Institut Francais de Bioinformatique (IFB), and Johns Hopkins University. This multinational organizing team reflects the Galaxy Project's international community structure. Programme and registration details are at galaxyproject.org/events/gcc2026.

Editorial take

GCC2026 is the Galaxy community's annual inflection point: three days of talks followed by two days of collaborative code contribution, in a format that puts practitioners and developers in the same room to simultaneously advance the platform and learn from each other.

How to register and what it costs

Registration is open. Pricing details are not publicly disclosed as of verification. Fellowship applications are available for community members requiring financial support. Full details at galaxyproject.org/events/gcc2026.

FAQ · Access and practicalities

Can I attend only the CoFest and not the main conference?

Not explicitly confirmed as of verification. Check galaxyproject.org/events/gcc2026 for registration options.

Is the conference in English?

Yes. The Galaxy Conference is an international event conducted in English.

How do I apply for a fellowship?

Fellowship application details are available at galaxyproject.org/events/gcc2026.

Resources

Official website https://galaxyproject.org/events/gcc2026/
Register https://galaxyproject.org/events/gcc2026/
Programme not publicly disclosed as of verification