How to volunteer at Web Summit: perks, shifts and how to apply

How the Web Summit volunteer programme works: who can apply, the Bloomerang sign-up steps, minimum shifts, what the free ticket covers and the certificate.

To volunteer at Web Summit, you register your interest with your email, name and country on the official Web Summit volunteer page, then wait for an invitation to confirm your application and pick shifts on the Bloomerang Volunteer platform. Volunteers must be at least 18, should plan for at least two full-day shifts of 6 to 12 hours, and get access to the event in return. As of mid-October 2026, the form is still open for Web Summit Lisbon, which runs from 9 to 12 November 2026, but selected applicants are normally contacted four to five weeks before the event, so a late application for this year may not lead to a place.

The official page itself is short. Most of the practical detail sits in Web Summit's volunteer FAQ (last updated February 2024, for the 2024 Lisbon edition), its terms and conditions and its volunteer waiver (last updated July 2019). This guide pulls those rules together. Where a detail comes from an older document, we say so, because Web Summit can change the programme from one edition to the next.

What volunteers get

The volunteer page headline promises a free ticket to Web Summit. The FAQ and waiver describe the perk in more detail:

A day at the event. According to the FAQ, you get a free day to attend the conference after you complete at least one of your shifts. The waiver says the perk can include access to the event for one full day, to Night Summit and to talks.
Night Summit. The FAQ says volunteers may attend Night Summit, the evening programme, subject to venue capacity, with a limited number of volunteer wristbands each night.
A meal and snacks. Each volunteer gets a free meal during a shift, with light snacks in the volunteer hub.
A volunteer t-shirt. It is provided; for some roles you may also be asked to wear dark clothes.
A certificate. Once you complete your shifts, a volunteer certificate is emailed to you in the weeks after the event.

The waiver also notes that people who volunteered at earlier events may get extra perks. It does not list them.

What is not covered

Web Summit does not pay for travel or accommodation, and it will not help with visas or send invitation letters. If you need a visa to enter Portugal, that is between you and the Portuguese authorities. Volunteering is unpaid, and the terms state plainly that volunteers receive no compensation for travel or accommodation.

One more detail matters if you are undecided: under the terms and conditions, if you already bought a ticket and are later selected as a volunteer, you cannot get a refund for that ticket.

Who can apply

Age: you must be at least 18. Under-18s are not admitted to the programme or the event.
ID: you need a passport or photo ID to collect your volunteer accreditation on site.
Location: the interest form asks for your country of residence, but the published rules do not limit the programme to residents of Portugal. You do need to get yourself to Lisbon and pay your own way.

Selection is not guaranteed. The terms say Web Summit chooses volunteers at its sole discretion, and that everything you state in your application must be true.

How to apply, step by step

Register your interest. Fill in the short form on the volunteer page: email address, first name, last name and country of residence. As of October 2026 the Lisbon page shows an "Apply now" button for the 2026 edition.
Watch your inbox. After you submit, the confirmation message says there are further steps and that successful applicants will hear from volunteers.manager@websummit.com about four to five weeks before the event. Add that address to your contacts so the email does not land in spam.
Confirm on Bloomerang Volunteer. In the weeks before the event, you are asked whether you are still interested and to complete a form on the Bloomerang Volunteer platform. This is the "volunteer portal" people search for: it is where roles, shifts and updates live.
Wait for selection. The volunteer management team reviews applications. If you are selected, you get another email inviting you to choose shifts.
Book and confirm your shifts. Your place is only secured once you confirm your shift availability. You then receive final details about your role and logistics.
Get your accreditation. A few days before your shifts start, you receive a ticket reference by email. You log in to the Web Summit app with it, open your QR code and use it to collect your accreditation at check-in.

Before your shifts, the waiver also requires you to complete online briefing modules and any extra training Web Summit assigns to you.

Shifts and roles

The FAQ asks volunteers to choose and complete at least two full-day shifts, each lasting from 6 to 12 hours. There is no maximum, so you can take on more if you want to be involved for longer. Some shifts take place in the days before the conference opens, during set-up.

Web Summit does not publish a fixed list of roles on its public pages. The FAQ says roles cover many areas of the event and are listed on Bloomerang Volunteer once you are in the process. Expect to be placed where the team needs people, as the FAQ asks volunteers to stay flexible.

The FAQ sets out some rules for shifts:

After checking in, wait at the volunteer hub until a staff member or volunteer lead takes you to your post.
Stay in your assigned role and ask your team manager before taking a break.
Do not ask speakers for selfies while on shift.
Use your phone only on breaks and follow the volunteer social media guidelines.
Be ready for changes to your role, since live events move fast.

The terms add that volunteers who fail to show up for an assigned shift, behave disruptively or drink alcohol before or during duty can lose their credentials and be removed. The waiver goes further: Web Summit reserves the right to charge the price of a day ticket to volunteers who use their perk but do not complete their assigned shifts.

Practical tips

Plan your free day. Since the free day comes after at least one shift, check the conference schedule early and try to book shifts so your day off falls on the talks you care about most.
Book accommodation early. You pay for it yourself, and Web Summit draws a large international crowd to Lisbon the same week.
Install two apps. The FAQ asks volunteers to have both the Web Summit app (for accreditation, schedules and maps) and the Bloomerang Volunteer app (for shifts and team messages).
Pack for long days. The FAQ suggests comfortable shoes, casual clothes, a water bottle, a rain jacket and a warm layer, since many roles involve standing and walking for most of the day.
Treat unofficial advice with care. Forums and Reddit threads can give a sense of what a shift feels like, but rules on perks and shift length come from Web Summit's own documents and the emails you receive.

Volunteering at other Web Summit events

The same volunteer model runs at the company's other conferences, each with its own sign-up page. As of October 2026, the pages for Web Summit Qatar (Doha, 31 January to 3 February 2027), Web Summit Vancouver (25 to 28 May 2027) and Web Summit Rio (14 to 17 June 2027) each promise a free ticket in exchange for volunteering. The Qatar and Vancouver pages currently invite you to register interest for 2027. Age limits, shift lengths and perks may differ by country, so check the details sent for the specific event.

If you are weighing Web Summit against other events this season, our calendar of Europe's main startup and tech conferences lists dates for 2026–27. For more coverage, see the Conferences section and our wider Events pages.

Frequently asked questions

Is volunteering at Web Summit free?

Yes. Web Summit's volunteer pages mention no fee, and volunteers get access to the event in exchange for their shifts. You do pay for your own travel, accommodation and any visa.

How many hours do Web Summit volunteers work?

Web Summit's FAQ asks for at least two full-day shifts, each lasting 6 to 12 hours. There is no upper limit, and some shifts fall in the days before the conference starts.

What is the Web Summit volunteer portal?

Web Summit uses the Bloomerang Volunteer platform to confirm applications, show roles and let selected volunteers book shifts. You receive an invitation to it by email after registering interest on the volunteer page.

Do Web Summit volunteers get a certificate?

Yes. According to the FAQ, volunteers who complete their shifts receive a volunteer certificate by email in the weeks after the event.

Can I volunteer at Web Summit if I am under 18?

No. Volunteers must be at least 18 and show ID to collect their accreditation, and under-18s are not admitted to the programme.