TestCon Europe 2026: Dates, Speakers, Tickets & Full Guide (Vilnius, Oct 20-23)
October 20-23, 2026
TL;DR: TestCon Europe 2026 runs October 20-23, 2026 in Vilnius, Lithuania, with a hybrid onsite-and-online format for its 11th edition. It packs 75+ talks across 5 testing tracks, 8+ full-day workshops, 60+...
TL;DR: TestCon Europe 2026 runs October 20-23, 2026 in Vilnius, Lithuania, with a hybrid onsite-and-online format for its 11th edition. It packs 75+ talks across 5 testing tracks, 8+ full-day workshops, 60+ speakers, and 800+ attendees from 35+ countries. Onsite passes currently start at €680 for the workshop day in the Late Bird stage (20% off until September 10).
Most “international conferences” are three days of vendor pitches wearing a keynote badge. You fly in, pay four figures, and leave with a tote bag and a vague feeling that you should have stayed home and shipped code. So when I went through TestCon Europe 2026, I asked the same thing I ask about every tool I review: is this a real working event for QA people, or marketing with a lanyard?
I track testing and AI events because what shows up on these stages, the AI-in-testing demos, the test automation frameworks, the security scanning tactics, tends to land in the AI tools and deals I cover a few months later. TestCon is one of the older, more serious software testing conferences in Europe, now in its 11th year, and it sits right on the line where traditional QA meets AI-driven testing. That overlap is exactly why it caught my attention.
In this guide I’ll give you the full picture: the exact dates and venues, the speaker situation, the five tracks and the topics under them, the ticket tiers and what they actually cost, the rising price stages, and my honest read on whether the trip to Vilnius pays off. Pricing and dates below are verified against the official TestCon Europe site and its current ticket listings.
One quick note up front, because the dates float around online: the live ticket page puts the workshop day on October 20 and the main conference on October 21-23, so the full event is October 20-23, 2026. If you only want the headline call: this is a strong fit for QA engineers, test automation engineers, and engineering leads who want hands-on, execution-first content, and a weaker fit for someone looking for a free beginner intro to testing. Now the details.
Key Takeaways
- Four days, hybrid format. TestCon Europe 2026 runs October 20-23, 2026, with a full workshop day on October 20 at Simbiocity Nova (onsite only) and the main conference on October 21-23 at Forum Cinemas Vingis, with an online track available.
- Real scale for a testing event. Expect 75+ expert presentations across 5 specialized tracks, 8+ full-day workshops, 60+ speakers, and 800+ participants from 35+ countries.
- The earlier you buy, the more you save. Pricing climbs through eight timed stages, from a 60% Year End Saver discount down to 0% in the final week. As of late June 2026 you’re in the Late Bird stage at 20% off, which holds until September 10.
- Transparent, tiered pricing. Current Late Bird onsite passes run €680 for the workshop day, €1,350 for the 3-day conference, and €1,730 for the 4-day full ticket, with hotel-bundle packages from €1,890. An online-only pass is €1,350.
- A genuinely different format. Sessions run in a cinema with giant screens, plus hands-on workshops, an expo and networking hub, an exclusive movie screening, Kahoot challenges, and an afterparty.
What Is TestCon Europe 2026?
TestCon Europe is an international software testing and quality assurance conference that brings together testers, QA engineers, test automation engineers, SDETs, and engineering leads to focus on the practical craft of building reliable software. The 2026 edition is the 11th, runs in Vilnius, Lithuania, in a hybrid format, and is organized by Data Miner, the same Lithuanian team behind Digital Marketing Europe and AI Summit Europe.
The thing that sets it apart is the angle. This is not an academic event and not a thinly veiled product expo. The whole program is built around one question: what are strong testing teams actually doing right now to ship quality faster, from test automation and performance engineering to security and AI-assisted testing? Sessions lean on frameworks and real-world challenges, with five parallel tracks so you can follow the lane that matches your job.
The 2026 program backs that up. You get coverage of Shift-Left Testing, TestOps, AI-driven testing, risk-based testing, release management, compliance testing, traceability, load and usability testing, mobile testing, test environment automation, security scanning, exploratory testing, and test data automation. That’s a wide spread, and it tells you the event treats quality as an engineering discipline, not a checkbox at the end of a sprint.
For context on why this matters now, the AI tooling space has exploded past 10,000 tools by most directory counts, and a fast-growing slice of that is aimed at testing: AI test generation, self-healing automation, and AI-assisted bug triage. Conferences like this are where the signal separates from the noise, which is the same job I try to do with every AI tool review on ZPlatform.
When and Where Is TestCon Europe 2026?
TestCon Europe 2026 takes place across four days, October 20-23, 2026, split between two Vilnius venues. The full-day workshops run on October 20 at Simbiocity Nova (onsite only), and the main conference runs October 21-23 at Forum Cinemas Vingis in Vilnius, with an online track for remote attendees. So unlike a fully in-person event, you can join the conference days from anywhere.
The cinema venue is not a gimmick. Holding sessions in a cinema means crystal-clear sound and giant screens, so a talk on test architecture actually reads well from the back row instead of squinting at a hotel projector. The program even includes an exclusive movie screening, which fits the setting.
Vilnius is a smart, underrated choice. It’s a compact, affordable European capital with a walkable old town, direct flights from most major European hubs, and a strong engineering talent pool. Compared to running an event in London or Amsterdam, your travel and hotel costs here will be noticeably lower, which matters when you’re weighing the total cost of attending.
If you want a sense of how this compares to its sister events from the same organizer, it’s worth browsing my other AI and tech event guides alongside this one. They serve different jobs: those lean business-AI and marketing, this one is a hands-on software testing conference.
Who Should Attend TestCon Europe 2026?
TestCon Europe 2026 is built for people who own software quality inside a real engineering org: QA engineers and software testers, test automation engineers and SDETs, engineering managers and team leads, and the developers, architects, DevOps, and security professionals whose work touches the test pipeline. If your day involves deciding whether a release is safe to ship, this room is yours.
Here’s my honest breakdown of who gets the most out of it:
- QA engineers and software testers. The five-track program covers manual, automated, exploratory, and performance testing in depth, so you leave with concrete approaches rather than slideware.
- Test automation engineers and SDETs. This is the sweet spot. The agenda is heavy on frameworks, CI/CD integration, test data automation, and the role of AI in intelligent automation.
- Engineering managers and team leads. The TestOps, release management, and quality-culture sessions are aimed squarely at building scalable testing strategies and a quality-first mindset across a team.
- Developers, architects, DevOps, and security pros. Shift-Left Testing, security scanning, and test environment automation tie testing into modern development and secure delivery pipelines.
Who should probably skip it? Total beginners hoping for a free introduction to software testing. This is a paid, professional event, and if you’re just starting out, your money goes further on focused courses and the budget AI tools I recommend before you commit to a multi-day conference trip.
TestCon Europe 2026 Speaker Lineup
TestCon Europe 2026 lists 60+ speakers drawn from QA teams, consultancies, and engineering orgs across 35+ countries, with the program leaning toward working practitioners rather than celebrity keynotes. That matches the event’s execution-first focus: most of the people on stage are still in the trenches doing the work they’re talking about.
Because speaker lineups shift constantly before an event, I’m not going to copy a list of names that may change by October. Names get added, session times move, and occasionally a headliner drops out. The reliable move is to check the official speakers list and the live agenda before you buy a ticket specifically to see one person.
If you want a feel for the caliber of the event before committing, the organizer publishes attendee feedback on its testimonials page. Read those alongside the agenda. Eleven editions in, the event has a track record you can actually check, which is more than most younger conferences can offer.
What Sessions and Topics Can You Expect?
The program is organized into 5 parallel content tracks across the conference days, with 8+ full-day workshops on October 20. The workshops are the highest-value part for most people because they’re hands-on, deep-dive sessions where you build something instead of just taking notes.
Across the 75+ presentations, the agenda spans a wide spread of testing topics:
- Shift-Left Testing and TestOps
- AI-driven testing and intelligent test automation
- Risk-based testing and exploratory testing
- Performance, load, and usability testing
- Security scanning and compliance testing
- Mobile testing and test environment automation
- Test data automation and traceability
- Release management and building a quality-driven culture
With five tracks running in parallel, you will miss things. My advice, from covering events like this, is to plan your must-attend workshops in advance and treat the expo area and hallway conversations as your flexible time. The AI-driven testing track is the one I’d watch most closely, because that’s where the gap between testing talk and working tools is closing fastest, and where a lot of the AI automation tools I track are heading.
TestCon Europe 2026 Ticket Prices
TestCon Europe 2026 ticket prices currently range from €680 for the single workshop day up to €1,730 for the 4-day full conference, with VAT included. These are the Late Bird-stage prices (20% off), which are live now and hold until September 10, 2026.
Here’s the full current pricing pulled from the official tickets page:
| Pass | Price (incl. VAT) | What It Covers |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Day Workshop (Oct 20) | €680 (€550 ex. VAT) | Full workshop day plus conference access, networking, recordings, certificate |
| 3-Day Conference Onsite (Oct 21-23) | €1,350 (€1,100 ex. VAT) | Conference access, networking, all session recordings, afterparty, certificate |
| 3-Day Conference Online | €1,350 (€1,100 ex. VAT) | Online conference access, networking, recordings, certificate |
| 4-Day Full Onsite (Oct 20-23) | €1,730 (€1,410 ex. VAT) | Workshop day plus the full conference, all benefits above |
If you want to skip booking a room separately, the organizers sell ticket-plus-hotel bundles with breakfast included: the 3-day onsite-plus-hotel package is €1,890 (€1,640 ex. VAT) with 3 nights, and the 4-day full-plus-hotel package is €2,450 (€2,130 ex. VAT) with 4 nights. Every pass also includes access to all session recordings and a 15% discount on next year’s conference.
A few honest notes on value. The 4-day full ticket is the one I’d point most practitioners to, because the workshop day is the highest-value, most hands-on part of the program. The 3-day conference pass is right for people who care more about talks and networking than building. The online pass is a fair, lower-commitment option if travel isn’t realistic, though you lose the hallway conversations that are half the point.
The cheapest ticket is still expensive if the event doesn’t move your work forward. Buy the outcome, not the access. Alston Antony
You can review the live tiers on the official tickets page, and before you commit, it’s worth browsing the AI deals and discounts I track so your tooling budget for the year stays sane.
How the Rising Price Stages Work (And When to Buy)
The single most important thing to understand about this event’s pricing is that it climbs through eight timed stages, and the only way to get the best price is to buy early. Each stage starts and ends at 4 PM GMT+3, and the discount shrinks as the event gets closer.
Here’s the full schedule:
| Stage | Dates | Savings |
|---|---|---|
| Year End Saver | Until December 19 | 60% off |
| Blind Bird | December 19 - February 12 | 50% off |
| Super Early Bird | February 12 - March 12 | 40% off |
| Early Bird | March 12 - April 16 | 30% off |
| Regular | April 16 - June 4 | 25% off |
| Late Bird | June 4 - September 10 | 20% off |
| Last Minute | September 10 - October 8 | 10% off |
| Final | October 8 - October 19 | No savings |
As I’m writing this in late June 2026, the Late Bird stage (20% off) is live and runs until September 10. If you already know you’re going, there is no upside to waiting. The price only goes up. Buying before September 10 locks the current 20% rate, and once it flips to Last Minute the discount drops to 10%. This is the same logic I apply to lifetime software deals: the discount is only real if you act while it’s open.
Hotels, Networking, and the Afterparty
TestCon Europe offers conference-plus-hotel packages that bundle your ticket with accommodation near the venue, with breakfast included. As noted above, the onsite-plus-hotel bundle starts at €1,890 for 3 nights. Booking the package saves you the hassle of sorting a room separately during a busy event week.
The networking is built into the format, not bolted on. The event runs an expo and dedicated networking hub in the cinema-style setting, so you can meet peers, explore tools, and connect with potential employers or partners between sessions. There’s also an exclusive movie screening that uses the venue for what it’s good at, plus interactive games and Kahoot challenges to keep the energy up.
The headline social event is the afterparty, where you can unwind and meet fellow attendees in a relaxed setting. In my experience, this kind of informal evening is where the real connections happen, more than any structured networking session. If you can travel, the in-person extras are a big part of what the onsite ticket buys you over the online pass.
Is TestCon Europe 2026 Worth It? My Honest Take
TestCon Europe 2026 is worth it if you’re a QA engineer, test automation engineer, or engineering lead who wants practical, hands-on content and a strong testing network, and it’s less compelling if you want a free beginner intro or purely academic research. The price is real, but so is the lower cost of doing Vilnius versus a bigger Western European capital, and the early-stage discounts make a genuine difference.
Let me put it in the terms I use for any purchase. The cost isn’t just the ticket. Add flights, three nights in a Vilnius hotel, and meals, and a single onsite attendee on the 4-day pass is realistically looking at €2,000 to €3,000 all in, which is on the lower end for an event of this caliber thanks to the location. The question is whether four days returns more than that in pipelines hardened, bugs caught earlier, or frameworks copied from teams ahead of yours.
For the right person, it clearly can. One test automation pattern that cuts your flaky-test rate, one security scanning approach you adopt, or one TestOps fix you copy from a working team pays for the trip. The execution focus means you leave with things you can actually ship, not just inspiration.
For the wrong person, it’s an expensive way to feel busy. If you can’t name a specific outcome you want, a skill, a framework, a hire, a partner, you’ll come home with a lanyard and vague FOMO. My rule holds the same as it does for tools: don’t buy the access, buy the outcome. If you can name the outcome, the 4-day ticket bought during the current Late Bird stage is the version that earns its price. And if travel doesn’t make sense this year, the €1,350 online pass plus the recordings is a reasonable middle path.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where is TestCon Europe 2026?
TestCon Europe 2026 runs October 20-23, 2026 in Vilnius, Lithuania. The full-day workshops are on October 20 at Simbiocity Nova (onsite only), and the main conference is on October 21-23 at Forum Cinemas Vingis. It’s a hybrid event, so the conference days are also available online.
How much do TestCon Europe 2026 tickets cost?
In the current Late Bird stage (20% off), the workshop-only pass is €680, the 3-day conference pass is €1,350 (onsite or online), and the 4-day full ticket is €1,730, all including VAT. Hotel-bundle packages start at €1,890. Prices rise as the event nears, so earlier stages are cheaper.
Who are the speakers at TestCon Europe 2026?
TestCon Europe 2026 lists 60+ speakers from 35+ countries, mostly working QA practitioners, test automation engineers, and engineering leads rather than celebrity keynotes. Because lineups shift before the event, check the official speakers list and agenda for the current confirmed names.
What topics does TestCon Europe 2026 cover?
The program runs across 5 tracks and 75+ talks covering Shift-Left Testing, TestOps, AI-driven testing, risk-based and exploratory testing, performance and load testing, security scanning, compliance testing, mobile testing, test environment and test data automation, release management, and building a quality-driven culture.
Is TestCon Europe good for beginners?
Not really. It’s a paid professional event aimed at QA engineers, test automation engineers, SDETs, engineering leads, and developers. Total beginners looking for a free, step-by-step intro to testing will get better value from focused courses before committing to a multi-day conference ticket.
How do the price stages work?
Pricing moves through eight stages that get more expensive over time: Year End Saver (60% off), Blind Bird (50%), Super Early Bird (40%), Early Bird (30%), Regular (25%), Late Bird (20%, live now until September 10), Last Minute (10%), and Final (0%). Each stage ends at 4 PM GMT+3, so buying before a stage flips locks the bigger discount.
The Bottom Line
TestCon Europe 2026 is one of the more established software testing events on the European calendar, and eleven editions in, it has the track record to prove it. The execution-first framing, the five-track program, the cinema venue, the hybrid option, and the early-stage discounts make October 20-23 in Vilnius a serious option for QA engineers and testing teams who want results over theory, at a lower total cost than the big Western European conferences.
The honest caveat is the one I apply to every premium purchase: the ticket only pays off if you can name the outcome you want before you go. Walk in with target workshops, conversations, and a follow-up plan, and the event earns its price. Walk in hoping to “see what’s new in testing,” and you’ll spend a lot to feel busy.
If you’ve decided it’s a fit, the current 20% Late Bird pricing holds until September 10, so lock it in on the official registration page before the price climbs. And while you’re planning your tooling spend for the year, browse the lifetime AI deals and discounts I’ve tested so the tools you buy after the conference don’t blow your budget.