Wikimania

The annual global conference of the Wikimedia movement

Since 2005, Wikimania has been bringing together the thousands of volunteers (also called Wikimedians) who make Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects possible. The annual global conference is an opportunity for free knowledge enthusiasts from all over the world to connect, learn, exchange ideas, and build new networks.

What is Wikimania?

For Wikimedians around the globe, Wikimania is where the magic happens. During the multi-day event, the volunteers who create and manage the content on Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects discuss ways to make improvements and better deliver free knowledge to the world. The conference is organized by Wikimedians, for Wikimedians, with support from the Wikimedia Foundation. Volunteers hold many important roles at Wikimania – they organize, they manage, they speak, they attend, they entertain. In other words, they make it happen. 

Like the free knowledge projects, Wikimania is global by essence. The event has taken place in more than 15 different countries, in 6 different continents to date, attracting as many as 2,800 people from over 142 countries at once.

Connecting, creating, and celebrating

Wikimania is also where knowledge meets fun. Between panels and presentations, Wikimedians always find the time to play. After all, Wikimania is also an opportunity to celebrate and connect with the inspiring people who make free knowledge possible, while also experiencing the uniquenesses of the host community, its customs, and traditions.

Be on the lookout for sweet surprises: Stroopwaffles have become the unofficial snack of choice of Wikimedians attending the conference, and have even found their way into our designs.

What is the Wikimedia movement?

You may know Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia anyone can edit. But you may not know that the volunteers who make it happen are part of a larger free knowledge movement called Wikimedia. Watch to learn more.

Wikimania 2024 in Katowice, Poland

The 19th edition of Wikimania, which took place from 7 to 10 August, focused on “Collaboration of the Open” and is open to everyone to attend either in person or virtually.

Contact us

Are you a member of the press wanting to cover Wikimania? Reach out to our press team at press@wikimedia.org.

Are you an organization wanting to partner around Wikimania or attend an event? Reach out to us with partnerships inquiries via email and check out our event partners.

Related content

Wikimania 2024 in Poland celebrates global volunteers who make Wikipedia and sister projects possible

The nineteenth edition of the global event will take place in Katowice, Poland (the 2024 European City of Science), from 7 – 10 August.

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Wikimania 2023 in Singapore centers on diversity, collaboration, and the future of free knowledge

In its eighteenth edition, Wikimania, the flagship annual conference that celebrates Wikimedia projects like Wikipedia and the volunteers who make them possible, is set to take place in Singapore.

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