KCD Sofia 2026

A one-day CNCF-certified Tier 2 Kubernetes and platform engineering conference on 29 September 2026 at Sofia Event Center, capped at 600 seats, organised by CNCF Ambassadors from Pwrteams, MariaDB, and SAP Labs Bulgaria.

DATES
29 September 2026
VENUE
Sofia Event Center, Paradise Center Mall (floor 3)
ORGANISER
KCD Sofia community (CNCF Tier 2)
ATTENDANCE
600 seats (capped); 446 in 2025 edition

Definition

Kubernetes Community Days Sofia 2026 is a CNCF-certified Tier 2 community conference held on a single day at Sofia Event Center, on the third floor of Paradise Center Mall. Organised by three CNCF Ambassadors from Pwrteams, MariaDB, and SAP Labs Bulgaria, the event runs one main track covering Kubernetes, platform engineering, observability, security, GitOps, FinOps, and ML workloads on Kubernetes. KCD Sofia is the primary CNCF-affiliated Kubernetes community event in Bulgaria and one of the most established in Southeast Europe, running annually since at least 2023.

The 2026 edition: September at Sofia Event Center

The 2026 edition runs on 29 September at Sofia Event Center, in the Hladilnika neighbourhood of Sofia. Confirmed keynotes include Chris Aniszczyk (CNCF CTO) and Natali Vlatko (Cisco, Director of Open Source Software Engineering). The CFP closes on 18 July 2026 via Sessionize; speaker notifications are expected in early August. Capacity is capped at 600 seats. The 2025 edition drew 446 attendees.

Where KCD Sofia sits in the EMEA platform engineering calendar

KCD Sofia is the autumn anchor for the cloud-native circuit in Southeast Europe. It falls at the end of the September cluster: the same week as PlatformCon Live Day Paris (24 Sept), Civo Navigate London (22 Sept), and Swiss Cloud Native Day (17 Sept), and exactly one week before Vienna Kubernetes Days (5 Oct). For platform engineers based in Eastern Europe, it is the highest-density single-day Kubernetes event of the calendar year.

Who attends KCD Sofia 2026

What the KCD Sofia 2026 format includes

What the KCD Sofia 2026 programme covers

FAQ · Identity and audience

What is a Kubernetes Community Days event?

Kubernetes Community Days (KCD) is a CNCF-certified conference series focused on Kubernetes and cloud-native technologies. Events are organised by local volunteer teams who meet CNCF standards for content quality and community accessibility. Tier 2 events support up to 600 registrations. KCD Sofia is the only CNCF-certified Kubernetes community event in Bulgaria.

Is this a single-track event?

Yes. KCD Sofia runs a single main track. All attendees follow the same programme, which mixes technical deep dives with introductory and case study sessions.

What language is the event in?

English is the primary session language, as confirmed by the international speaker lineup including Chris Aniszczyk and Natali Vlatko.

Who is KCD Sofia NOT designed for?
  • Engineers with no involvement in Kubernetes, containers, or cloud-native infrastructure
  • Business professionals seeking market overview or commercial content
  • Attendees expecting a multi-track programme with parallel session choices
  • Those looking for a large trade show rather than a community practitioner day

The venue: Sofia Event Center, Paradise Center Mall

Sofia Event Center occupies the third floor of Paradise Center, one of Sofia's largest shopping malls, located at Henrik Ibsen Str in the Hladilnika neighbourhood of Sofia. The venue provides accessible conference space with mall garage parking and wheelchair access. Paradise Center is served by Metro line M1 (Vitosha and Mladost stations) and by bus and tram lines. The location is approximately 20 minutes from Sofia Airport by Metro.

The organiser: KCD Sofia community

KCD Sofia is organised by three CNCF Ambassadors: Yoana Bahchevanova (Pwrteams), Spas Atanasov (MariaDB), and Orlin Vasilev (SAP Labs Bulgaria). Sponsors for the 2026 edition include EPAM, EGT Digital, Schwarz Digits, and Hyiv. Contact the organising team at partners@kcd.bg for corporate ticketing or sponsorship enquiries.

Editorial take

With CNCF CTO Chris Aniszczyk keynoting and 600 seats in a market that filled 446 in 2025, KCD Sofia has completed its transition from a local meet-up to one of the Balkans' more credible Kubernetes events: the kind where engineers from the wider region plan a trip, not just engineers who happen to live in Sofia.

How to register and what it costs

Corporate tickets: EUR 150 per seat including VAT, via bank transfer, contact partners@kcd.bg. Individual and student tickets are available via the CNCF community platform at community.cncf.io. An early bird tier (first 50 seats, discounted) was available; status as of verification is not confirmed. Student/academic reduced rate is available with proof of status at badge pickup.

FAQ · Access and practicalities

How do I get to Paradise Center, Sofia?

Paradise Center is in the Hladilnika neighbourhood at Henrik Ibsen Str, 1407 Sofia. From Sofia Airport (SOF): Metro line M2 to Business Park Bulgaria then transfer to line M1 towards Vitosha, approximately 30 minutes total. The mall provides multi-level parking if arriving by car.

Can I attend this event as an international visitor?

Yes. Bulgaria is an EU member state; EU/EEA nationals require no visa. Non-EU nationals should check visa requirements with the Bulgarian consulate. Sofia Airport (SOF) has direct connections across Europe.

Is there accommodation near the venue?

Paradise Center has no on-site hotel. Hotels in the Lozenets and Vitosha neighbourhoods are closest; central Sofia hotels (Serdika area) are approximately 25-30 minutes by public transport.

Resources

Official website https://kcd.bg/
Register https://community.cncf.io/events/details/cncf-kcd-sofia-presents-kubernetes-community-days-sofia-2026/
CFP (closes 18 July) https://sessionize.com/kcd-sofia-2026/
CNCF KCD directory https://cncf.io/kcds/