Software Freedom Day Wellington 2026

Software Freedom Day is a worldwide celebration of Free and Open Source Software.

This year we are bringing it back to Wellington!

Venue

Thanks to the Victoria Engineering Club, we have a room at Victoria University of Wellington Te Herenga Waka:

Building: Murphy (MY)
Room: MY501
Capacity: 50 people
Time: 10:00–16:00

The Murphy Building is on the Kelburn campus, easily accessible by cable car or bus.

Programme

Cathedral in the morning, Bazaar in the afternoon

The day will follow a "Cathedral and Bazaar" format: starting with talks from invited speakers, then opening up into a more collaborative, community-driven afternoon.

Morning Talks

The morning will focus on stories, ideas, and experiences from the Free and Open Source Software community.

Opening Karakia — we are looking for someone to open the event with a karakia. If you can help, get in touch.
Michael Tiemann — A career in Open Source technology, and why you should too. Michael has been a pioneer in the Open Source world and has a story worth hearing.
Chelsea Finnie — the value of a FOSS-adjacent career. Chelsea is the Chairperson of Python New Zealand and a Senior Network DevOps Engineer at REANNZ Ltd, bringing a perspective on building a career around open and open-adjacent technologies in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Afternoon Bazaar

In the afternoon, the event becomes a space for the community to organise itself. Bring a topic, a project, a question, a demonstration, or an idea to share.

We will have facilitators on hand who will lead some ice breaker activities and space for workshops, breakout discussions, group-hosted tables, and demonstrations. Participants will be able to form groups around topics that interest them, share knowledge, and explore ideas together. Groups may also have the opportunity to share a short summary of their discussions with everyone at the end of the day.

There will also be a GPG key signing session running in the afternoon.

The Bazaar is intentionally open-ended. The goal is to create a space where Free and Open Source Software enthusiasts, students, developers, users, and curious newcomers can connect, collaborate, and learn from each other.

It also happens to be Talk Like A Pirate Day! Pirate costumes and other fun pirate themed activities are strongly encouraged as long as it doesn't infringe on copyright.

Food and drinks

Coffee, tea and juice will be provided in the morning, with sandwiches for lunch, catered by Canapé. Each attendee will also receive some special cookie treats in the shape of Tux, thanks to Cookie And Me!

Vegan and vegetarian options will be available.

Support Our Friends In Nepal

While we gather the local community to celebrate, it's also a time to connect globally and after the committee reached out to a group in Nepal that held an event last year we received this message:

The reality on the ground here is truly heartbreaking. Last year, our team had the privilege of bringing Software Freedom Day all the way up to Gosaikunda Lake at 4,380 meters. A place that holds a sacred, unforgettable space in our hearts. We trekked up there because we wanted the world to look at our fragile Himalayas, to see their quiet beauty, and to care about what climate change is doing to these mountains.
Today, almost every single village along that entire route has been swept away by the catastrophic flooding. Entire communities, families, and livelihoods were destroyed in a matter of hours. We are talking about 1000+ dead, 10000+ displaced and 100000+ effected.
When you mention our role as technologists in a changing world, this is the stark truth we are facing: climate change and global warming are no longer abstract threats for us. They are actively erasing our towns, our heritage, and our people.
Please help us share our story with SFD teams across the globe. Remind everyone that climate change is an urgent crisis hitting vulnerable, mountain communities first and hardest. We hope teams everywhere can take a moment during their events to speak on tech's responsibility toward environmental awareness and sustainability.
Direct Relief Support: For anyone in the global community who feels moved to help us rebuild, please share the official government relief link with them. Every bit of support matters right now, no matter how small: Prime Minister's Disaster Relief Fund
We might not be able to host a traditional event this September, but knowing we aren't facing this in isolation gives us the strength to keep going. Thank you for holding space for us, for your flexibility, and above all, for your kindness.
With gratitude and solidarity,
Aadarsha and the entire FOSS communities in Nepal

You can donate to the Prime Ministers Disaster Relief Fund here:

- https://pmdrf.nchl.com.np/

Contact the host of Software Freedom Day Wellington 2026