Leeds Digital Festival 2026: Our Guide to the Festival

The UK’s largest open tech event returns for an 11th year with 213 events, as new data shows the Leeds tech sector growing faster than the national average.

Leeds Digital Festival 2026 returns for an 11th year with its biggest programme yet. The main festival runs 21 September to 2 October with 213 events across the city, bringing together entrepreneurs, tech leaders, and investors. The Mini-Fest ran in April and set the agenda — the autumn programme is where the full scale of the city’s digital economy goes on show. New research from The Data City confirms why the timing matters: the Leeds tech sector is growing at an estimated 8.3% a year, ahead of the 8.1% UK average and the fastest of any local authority outside London.

Now in its eleventh year, the festival has grown from 56 events at its launch in 2016 to more than 200 every year, earning its standing as the UK’s largest open tech event. The format is intentionally open-platform — businesses, universities, community groups, and individuals can all host events — making it a genuine cross-section of Leeds’ digital ecosystem rather than a curated conference.

Why Leeds Digital Festival 2026 matters

The festival is one of the clearest public expressions of growing confidence in the city.

For SMEs and startups, the open-platform model makes it accessible in a way traditional conferences are not. Submitting and hosting an event is free for non-sponsors (up to three events per organisation), which means the programme reflects a genuine breadth of local expertise from established tech firms to first-time founders.

For investors and corporate professionals, it functions as an early indicator for emerging Leeds talent. The LDF Awards, now in their eighth year, spotlight the most significant achievements across the local digital sector.

The 2026 programme: what’s on this September

This year’s programme leans heavily into artificial intelligence, but with a deliberate shift towards real-world use rather than hype. Sessions range from applied AI and SME integration to legal strategy and executive planning. Major brands feature prominently — agency Jaywing dissects campaigns for PizzaExpress and Yorkshire Tea, the Financial Conduct Authority runs a session on user-first design, and entrepreneur Adam Hildreth launches Hard Graft Ventures. The festival also marks a leadership change, with Deb Hetherington taking over as director from founder Stuart Clarke, who moves to chair. For the full event-by-event breakdown and booking links, visit the Leeds Digital Festival programme. Most sessions are free but places are limited.

“Over the last decade, Leeds has built a reputation as a powerhouse for technological innovation and this 11th year will reflect just how far our community has come.”

— Deb Hetherington, Festival Director, Leeds Digital Festival

Leeds Today at Leeds Digital Festival

Leeds Today is hosting its own event as part of the programme. Leeds 2031: Insight into a Northern Powerhouse brings together four senior voices for a data-led discussion on where Leeds is heading over the next five years. The panel takes place on Tuesday 29 September at CGI’s offices on Whitehall Quay from 4pm, chaired by Zandra Moore MBE of Zygens, with Alex Craven of The Data City, Rich McIntyre of CGI UK, and Lizzie Young of PXN Ventures. The session covers where Leeds is performing, case studies from companies built here, and the investment landscape ahead.

What the data says about Leeds tech

The Data City’s research shows almost one in eight Leeds tech companies are classified as high-growth, posting annual growth above 20%. The sector contributes an estimated £1.67bn in gross value added to the economy. Leeds has been named a world leader in data and AI by the UK government, and over a fifth of UK digital health technology jobs are now based in the city. Leeds firm Optalysys raised £23m to scale photonic computing globally, and healthtech startup Asclepius MedTech took home £100k from the Mayor’s Big Ideas Challenge. The festival is where companies like these started making connections. Read our full coverage: Leeds Digital Festival Returns as Tech Sector Outpaces UK.

Why this matters for Leeds

Leeds Digital Festival is the city’s largest annual showcase of tech talent, ideas, and business. With 213 events over two weeks, it gives Leeds businesses the opportunity to connect, learn, and understand what the local digital sector is building. Whether you attend, host, or simply follow the programme, the festival is one of the most useful windows into the Leeds tech economy. See also our UKREiiF 2026 guide and our business networking events guide for more ways to connect with the Leeds business community.