Venue & How to Get There
FOSS Backstage takes place at the former transformer station bUm (Paul-Lincke-Ufer 21, 10999 Berlin). It’s conveniently located in the popular district of Kreuzberg and offers a great starting point for some post-conference explorations of Berlin. We recommend arriving by public transport or bike.
Doors open at 9 am, program starts at 10 am.
Our venue, bUm, is fully wheelchair accessible. There will be wheelchair-accessible toilets. We will have an Accessibility Assistant on-site to help attendees who need assistance navigating the venue. If you know in advance that you will need help, please email info@foss-backstage.de so that we can plan ahead.
Program
Be sure to check out our schedule so you don’t miss any of the sessions you want to attend. There are 49 sessions, including 5 workshops, to choose from.
Also, make sure to join our Lightning Talk session on Monday after the official program! Lightning Talks at FOSS Backstage are five-minute presentations on a topic of your choice.
And finally, join us for a drink and a chat at our Get Together directly after the first day of the conference, March 16 at 6.10 pm!
Join FOSS Backstage online
Attend flexibly from anywhere in the world with your FOSS Backstage Online Ticket!
Venueless is the central hub of the FOSS Backstage online experience. It runs seamlessly in your browser without the need to install any additional software. Venueless is where you will find the live streams of our 3 stages during the conference. As an online participant, you will be able to ask the onsite speakers questions using our Q&A tool.
Please note that workshops will not be streamed or recorded.
Good to know: On-site ticket holders will also have access to our online event platform and are welcome to join the live streams if they are unable to attend on-site.
Food & Drinks
A sneak peek at our menu to look forward to:
- Baked sweet potatoes with confit tomatoes, chickpeas, sesame cream, leafy greens, and goat cheese
- Smoked eggplant ragout with pearl couscous, herb yogurt, and fresh spinach (+ chickpeas / crispy pita strips)
- BBQ pulled pork (vegan) wrap with creamy apple coleslaw and pickles
- Pulled beef (vegan) taco with pickled red onions and corn salsa
Coffee, tea, water and soft drinks will be provided throughout the day.
There will be vegan and glutenfree options. If you have any questions about the food (intolerances, allergies, etc.), please send us an e-mail at info@foss-backstage.de.
Fringe Events
There are plenty of other great events around Free and Open Source Software topics going on in the week of FOSS Backstage.
FOSS Backstage Design
At FOSS Backstage Design we will dedicate a whole day to UX and Design in Free and Open Source Software. Join us on March 18 for the third edition of #FOSSDesign.
📅 When: March 18, 2026
📍 Where: bUm, Berlin
FOSS eGov Breakfast
Our FOSS eGov Breakfast is the place to connect with professionals from public and private institutions who are working on digitizing public administration. Grow your network and meet like-minded people enthusiastic about the opportunities of free and open-source software for public administrations.
📅 When: March 17, 2026 – 9 am
📍 Where: Lobby @ FOSS Backstage, Berlin
Open Home Foundation Meetup
co-hosted by FOSS Backstage and Women in Open Source
The Open Home Foundation is excited to co-host a meetup event with the FOSS Backstage crew and Women in Open Source!
Join Eriol Fox from the Open Home Foundation, the FOSS Backstage crew, and Women in OSS for a casual evening of drinks and chats about all things open source.
📅 When: March 17, 2026 – 6 to 9 pm
📍 Where: bUm, Berlin
Ticket Shop
By now, only Last Minute Tickets at 500€ are available. Alternatively, there are Online Tickets available at 45€ or Reduced Tickets for pupils, students, trainees, people on social welfare, retirees and people with disabilities.
For the second time, we also offer a free Child Ticket for Children under the age of 16.
