Powered by NatWest, WeAreTech Festival is back for 2026, and honestly, this year’s agenda feels bigger, bolder and far more reflective of what women in tech are navigating right now.

Taking place in London on 17 June, this isn’t just a day of talks, it’s a full, immersive experience designed around progression, visibility and what it really takes to move your career forward.

This year, the agenda goes deeper. It’s been carefully built to reflect the different stages and realities of a career in tech, from finding your feet, to building confidence and credibility, through to stepping into leadership and influencing at a more senior level.

Across the day, you’ll hear a mix of keynotes and panels featuring incredible women from across the tech industry, sharing honest, experience-led insights rather than theory. These are women who have navigated change, built influence, stepped into leadership and shaped their own paths, and they bring that reality into the room.

Speakers include Lesley Sackey (CEO, Pillow, formerly Team GB Boxer), Birgit Neu (Senior AI Advisor), Debbie Forster MBE (ex CEO of Tech Talent Charter), Claudia Harris OBE (CEO, Makers Academy), Susie Ramroop (Author of Be The Change You Want to See), Claire Roberts (CEO, Full Fathom Five AI), Amanda Newman (Director of Strategy, Capgemini), Gayle Thompson-Igwebike (Next Tech Girls) and Obiageli Okafor, with more to be announced soon.

The agenda itself flows across the day to support real career progression. You’ll move through sessions that focus on building confidence and clarity, understanding your value, and learning how to position yourself more effectively. From there, the conversation shifts into influence, how you navigate organisations, how you build the right networks, and how you make sure your work is seen and recognised. There is a strong focus on leadership, not just in title, but in behaviour. What it really means to lead, how to build resilience, how to make decisions in uncertainty, and how to step forward even when you don’t feel fully ready. These sessions create space for honest conversations around the challenges that often go unspoken.

Woven into the day is a reflection on the Lovelace Report, highlighting the £2–3.5 billion gap to the UK tech sector created by not fully developing and progressing women in technology. It’s a powerful reminder of why this conversation matters, not just at an individual level, but at an industry level too.

AI and the future of work are threaded throughout the agenda, not as standalone topics, but as part of the bigger conversation around skills, relevance and career longevity. You’ll leave with a clearer understanding of how roles are evolving, what organisations are starting to expect, and how you can build confidence in this space without feeling overwhelmed.

There are also real career stories running through the day. Not polished journeys, but honest reflections from women who have pivoted, taken risks, faced setbacks and kept going. The kind of stories that make things feel possible, and give you practical insight you can actually use. And then there’s the part that often matters just as much as the content, the networking. From structured speed networking sessions designed to help you quickly build meaningful connections, through to the more organic conversations in between sessions, over coffee, or in shared moments across the day. These are the interactions that often stay with you, and open doors long after the event has finished.

Alongside this, we’ll have on-site coaches available throughout the day, giving you the opportunity to step out of the noise, reflect on where you are, and have meaningful one-to-one conversations about your career, your challenges and your next move.

The 2026 festival is a hybrid event, with in-person access in London and virtual access available for those joining remotely. Supported by PwC, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America, it brings together over 20 sessions across the day, each one designed to give you something practical, something to think about, and something to take back into your career.

If you’re asking yourself what’s next, how you move forward, how you get seen, or how you step up, this is a day that will help you start answering those questions.

In-person tickets for WeAreTech Festival have now sold out. Virtual tickets are still available, giving you the opportunity to watch from home and be part of the day online.