Zurich AI Festival Expects 7,000 Participants

(CONNECT) According to the organisers, the Zurich AI Festival 2026 is intended to respond to the changing landscape of competition among host cities. According to a press release, the Greater Zurich Area is no longer competing solely with its European neighbours, but rather “with regions that invest more quickly, recruit talent more aggressively, and already view AI as an economic policy tool.”

That is why this festival week aims to bring the topic, in all its facets, to the entire region and to explore it from every angle through dozens of events. In terms of content, it will cover an even broader range of topics than its first edition last year. The discussion will now also cover climate, global regulation, robotics, health, and finance. In addition, interested parties can visit development departments at Google, the Balgrist Campus, or the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich (ETH).

The festival is supported by the City and Canton of Zurich, Zurich Tourism, and its two organisers, the ETH AI Center and the economic development agency Greater Zurich Area AG. The organisers are collaborating with the Choose Europe initiative, in which Europe's most competitive economic regions join forces to compete for investment on the global stage.

They are expecting around 7,000 participants this year. The full program will be released in the coming weeks. ce/mm