And Now for Something Completely Different: The RoboCon 2026 Watch Parties

– How to Get the Free (or €10) Experience

RoboCon 2026 Preview Series

In the lead-up to RoboCon 2026, we’re publishing a series of guest posts from contributors across the conference program. Each post previews a session and highlights ideas, approaches, or experiences related to Robot Framework.

This post was written by Krzysztof Żminkowski, member of the RoboCon 2026 organizing team and one of the workshop organizers, as part of the RoboCon 2026 Preview Series.

It is a universally acknowledged truth that the modern test automation engineer appreciates a well-structured, highly efficient digital environment.

With RoboCon 2026 rapidly approaching — featuring an exceptionally robust global online program from the 3rd to the 6th of March — many of us are quite looking forward to consuming a wealth of technical knowledge from the profound, unbothered comfort of our home offices. The digital conference platform, complete with its interactive Gather.Town ecosystem, offers a brilliantly optimized way to attend. You can absorb insights on advanced topics like cloud-native testing while wearing your most structurally forgiving trousers, and frankly, it is a magnificent way to experience a conference.

Both the strictly online path and the physical one are undeniably excellent choices. However, occasionally, one might feel a mild, entirely manageable urge to step away from the monitors and verify that the outside world still exists. If you happen to find yourself experiencing this phenomenon, and you reside in the vicinity of specific European coordinates, there is a rather intriguing alternative to sitting at home alone.

We present for your consideration: the localized RoboCon 2026 Watch Parties.

The conference theme 2026 is the Aurora Borealis.

What On Earth is a Watch Party?

Despite what the somewhat dramatic nomenclature might imply, a Watch Party does not involve monitoring timepieces or standing guard over a fortress. It is, quite sensibly, an independently organized gathering of Robot Framework enthusiasts in a physical location. You arrive, you consume coffee that you did not have to personally brew, and you watch the live stream of the RoboCon online conference on a reasonably large screen alongside your professional peers.

In an era where artificial intelligence threatens to automate everything up to and including our existential dread, we maintain the controversial opinion that human connection remains marginally useful. A localized Watch Party provides an excellent venue to debate the finer points of keyword-driven testing, complain politely about flaky tests, and remember what it is like to laugh collectively at a well-timed slide transition.

Where Are These Gatherings Occurring?

Through a combination of community goodwill and impressive logistical fortitude, physical Watch Parties have spontaneously materialized across the European continent.

For the relevant software professionals, your geographical options are as follows:

1. The Germanic Deployment (Hosted by imbus AG)

In a stunning display of efficiency that surprises absolutely no one, imbus AG has not merely organized a Watch Party; they have organized five of them. Simultaneously. On March 4th, doors will open precisely at 09:00 local time in Köln, Hofheim am Taunus, Möhrendorf, München, and Braunschweig.

You will arrive, you will be handed a welcome beverage, and you will consume high-quality technical talks. At 15:30, local panel discussions will commence, followed by a thoroughly civilized Meetup featuring dinner and drinks stretching until the entirely reasonable hour of 20:00. It is a masterpiece of corporate scheduling.

2. The Silesian Two-Part Saga (Hosted by NiceLabs)

In Wrocław, Poland, NiceLabs has opted for a slightly more theatrical approach, splitting the event across two days at the Politechnika Wrocławska. Attendance on the evening of March 3rd is strictly mandatory. You must appear at 15:45, mingle with fellow humans, review the highlights from the live Helsinki event, and redeem your digital access voucher. Only then are you permitted to return on the 4th of March to watch the online conference. It is a brilliant administrative maneuver to ensure no one attempts to sneak in solely for the free Wi-Fi. Please remember to bring your own device.

3. The Helsinki Academic Sanctuary (Hosted by Haaga-Helia)

Finally, for those residing near the epicenter of the Robot Framework universe, Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences is hosting a Watch Party on March 4th at their Pasila Campus. However, there is a catch. You must be a student. If you possess a valid Finnish student card, you are granted free entry, a complimentary online ticket, and an exclusive local program featuring a formal greeting from the Foundation itself. If you are a fully employed professional, you will be politely turned away at the door and instructed to return to your office.

Navigating the Bureaucracy (How to Sign Up)

Participating in this sudden outbreak of human socialization requires navigating a very minor amount of administrative friction.

• For the German events: Anyone may attend the local gathering for €10 — this alone grants access to the local on-site stream. If you also want a full RoboCon online ticket, you can either buy one in advance (the safe route) or try your luck: Imbus will be sponsoring and giving away a number of full online tickets at the venue. Registration, naturally, remains mandatory.
• For the Polish event: A financial transaction of €10. Brilliantly, this minor fee includes your global online access pass.
• For the Finnish event: It is miraculously free of charge, provided you register through Haaga-Helia and can successfully prove your academic status upon entry.

The Directive

The time for solitary, isolated technical enrichment has passed. It is time to emerge from the digital wilderness. We humbly suggest that you cease staring at this blog post, navigate to the Watch Party registration page, and secure your place in a physical room filled with your peers.

Go forth, complete the required forms, and prepare to interact with carbon-based lifeforms. Your test suites will remain exactly where you left them when you return.

Part of the RoboCon 2026 Preview Series

This post is part of a series highlighting sessions and ideas from across the RoboCon 2026 program. More previews will follow, covering a wide range of Robot Framework–related topics, use cases, and industries.

👉 The full RoboCon 2026 program is available at robocon.io