Web Summit will return on Thursday for its final day, after Storm Charles forced the cancellation of the entire Wednesday programme at Europe’s biggest tech conference in Lisbon.
Organisers confirmed the restart in an email to attendees on Wednesday, promising “our busiest Thursday ever” with more speakers and meetups than any previous closing day. Many of the sessions lost to the storm have been moved to Thursday, and an updated schedule is expected later today.
Read the email below:
Web Summit is back tomorrow
Web Summit is officially back on tomorrow – Thursday, November 12 – for our final day.
It will be our busiest Thursday ever with more speakers and more meetups than ever before – with many rescheduled from Wednesday.
Keep an eye on the schedule later today for updates.
– the Web Summit team
The decision to scrap day two came after Portugal’s government advised organisers that the programme should not go ahead.
Officials pointed to the risk of tidal flooding, severe public transport disruption, and high winds battering outdoor structures at the Parque das Nações venue.
That advice followed consultations with ANEPC, the country’s civil protection authority, and the Public Security Police. Organisers told attendees on Tuesday evening that their safety was the top priority and that affected ticket holders would be contacted directly.
Lisbon mayor Carlos Moedas had signalled the move hours earlier, saying “everything indicates” the event could not run on Wednesday. More than 60,000 people were at the venue this week, he said in comments reported by The Irish Times.
The storm’s reach extended well beyond the conference halls. Portugal declared a state of alert across the mainland for Wednesday, closing schools and non-essential public services, while Lisbon shut tunnels, parks, gardens, and cultural venues from midnight, The Portugal News reported.
IPMA, the national weather service, forecast gusts of up to 120km/h.
Attendees returning on Thursday will have plenty to catch up on, including the findings of the event’s tech industry survey, in which 60% of respondents said AI had increased their workload.
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