What is Wikimania?

Since 2005, Wikimania has brought together the thousands of volunteers (also known as Wikimedians) who keep Wikipedia and the other Wikimedia projects alive. This annual global conference is a chance for free-knowledge enthusiasts from all over the world to connect, learn, swap ideas, and build new networks.

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.