With JCON EUROPE 2026 coming up this spring, the discounted Early Bird phase is about to close. The Early Bird ticket offer ends on January 31, 2026 (23:59, Europe/Berlin) — giving attendees roughly one week to secure the reduced rate before regular pricing takes over.
JCON EUROPE 2026 will take place April 20–23, 2026 at Cinedom Cologne, featuring four in-person days of Java content on an unusual but fitting venue: a cinema. Sessions and demos are designed for the big screen, with the program running daily 9:00–18:00 onsite.
Community-First Java Conference Experience
Beyond its technical program, JCON is positioning itself as a strongly community-driven event with room for spontaneous conversations and learning beyond the stage. JCON highlights the conference’s “hallway track” culture as a core part of the experience — including informal meetups, 1:1 Speaker meetings, and mentorship opportunities.
Several community-focused formats are already announced:
- Mentorship Hub across all conference days (including sessions with Bruno Souza and others)
- Happy Hour on Tuesday and Wednesday from 18:00
- A VIP Party on Wednesday at 19:00 (VIP ticket holders only)
New Premium AI Track (Tuesday & Wednesday)
One of the key additions for 2026 is a dedicated Premium AI Track, focused on practical, production-oriented AI with Java — including patterns, pitfalls, and real-world approaches beyond hype.
The track runs throughout Tuesday and Wednesday in Cinema 7. Access is available through VIP tickets or via an upgrade option during ticket purchase.
Featured sessions include:
- Seven Habits of Highly Effective AI Java Coding — Jonathan Vila
- Green AI with JobRunr: Sustainable training and inference on the JVM — Ronald Dehuysser
- Building Intelligent Enterprises: AI-Powered Java with LangChain4j & CI — Emily Jiang
The full session lineup and timetable are already available online via the official schedule.
Workshop Day Starts Monday (April 20)
JCON EUROPE 2026 begins with a dedicated Workshop Day on Monday, April 20, starting at 13:00. A total of eight hands-on workshops are planned in two time slots:
- Slot 1: 13:00–15:00 (4 workshops)
- Break: 1 hour
- Slot 2: 16:00–18:00 (4 workshops)
Workshop seats are limited, and pricing is set at €19 incl. VAT per workshop.
Conference Perks: Q&A, Demos, Coffee
Alongside the talks and workshops, the event also includes several attendee perks aimed at making the experience more interactive:
- Slido Q&A for live questions during sessions
- Free black coffee and snacks
- Exhibition area and live demos
- Interviews and community stories throughout the event
Early Bird Reminder and Free Ticket Options
For those planning to attend, the key deadline is the end of Early Bird pricing on January 31, 2026. JCON also continues offering community-based ticket options, including free participation for selected groups such as Java User Group (JUG) members, JAVAPRO subscribers and authors, and former JCON participants (alumni) (availability and conditions apply).
Save 20% — get your ticket before the Early Bird ends: https://2026.europe.jcon.one/tickets
