Applications for those wishing to organize a Side Event as part of TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 close at midnight PT on September 4, 2026. Events that can be held during October 10–16 can be planned as a meetup, happy hour, panel, workshop or another experience for the community.
Disrupt’s main conference, which will bring together thousands of founders, investors, business partners and technology leaders in San Francisco, will take place October 13–15. The event, which is expected to bring together 10,000+ technology leaders in the Bay Area, will focus on the question of sustainable growth in the age of artificial intelligence.
Submitting an application does not mean the event will be accepted into the official Side Events program. All applications will be reviewed by the TechCrunch events team and approved before being included in the program. All logistics and expenses for the event will be the organizer’s responsibility. Those who do not want to organize a Side Event can purchase tickets with discounts of up to $200 before prices increase on September 25. The promotion also announces savings of up to 25% and $300 on tickets.
Why it matters
The Side Events program allows different communities to organize their own gatherings around the main conference, while showing that the events to be included in the program will go through TechCrunch’s approval process. This means that for founders, investors, business partners and technology communities considering applying, planning will depend not only on the event concept but also on the eligibility requirements. The fact that applicants will bear the logistical and financial burden of organizing the event makes budget and operational capacity decisive in participation decisions. However, because the criteria for selection and the number of events to be included in the official program have not been disclosed, the evaluation framework applicants will face remains unclear.