VivaTech 2026 has opened in Paris for its 10th edition, bringing together global technology leaders, startups, investors and policymakers for a four-day showcase focused heavily on artificial intelligence, European tech sovereignty, cybersecurity, health, mobility and greentech.
TL;DR
- VivaTech 2026 runs from June 17 to 20 in Paris.
- The event marks its 10th anniversary and has rebranded from Viva Technology to VivaTech.
- Jeff Bezos, Yann LeCun, Arthur Mensch, Emmanuel Macron and Narendra Modi are among the notable names linked to the event.
- AI, sovereignty, ethics and cybersecurity are the biggest themes this year.
Paris has officially opened its doors to VivaTech 2026, with the annual technology conference kicking off on Wednesday, June 17, at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles.
This year’s edition carries extra weight, as the event is celebrating its 10th anniversary. To mark the milestone, organizers changed the event’s name from Viva Technology to VivaTech, reflecting how the gathering has evolved beyond a standard technology conference into a broader innovation community.
According to Euronews, VivaTech’s organizers said the shift reflects the rise of a “VivaTech Generation,” which brings together entrepreneurs, startups, investors, thought leaders, countries and students looking to innovate, collaborate and build the future.
The anniversary celebrations also included a free public event that turned the Champs-Élysées into a showcase of robots, future mobility and other innovations, while Saturday, June 20, is dedicated to the general public.
As per VivaTech’s own attendee information, the event expects 180,000 attendees, 4,000 exhibitors, 450 speakers and 14,000 startups. Another official VivaTech release said its expanded 2026 edition includes 30% more exhibition space, 15,000 startups and over 1,500 demos.
What Makes VivaTech 2026 Different?
The biggest theme at VivaTech 2026 is artificial intelligence, but not just in the usual product-demo sense.
This year, AI is closely tied to discussions around technological sovereignty, regulation, infrastructure and Europe’s dependence on U.S. technology providers. Reuters reported that tech sovereignty is expected to dominate both VivaTech and G7 conversations in France, as European policymakers and executives worry about reliance on American cloud infrastructure, chips and foundational AI models.
“Tech sovereignty will be top of mind this week at VivaTech,” said Ana Paula Assis, senior vice president at IBM. “For European organisations to get this right, it is vital to understand sovereignty is about having control where it matters, not where the technology is from.”
VivaTech’s speaker lineup reinforces the global scale of the event. Euronews reported that Jeff Bezos, co-CEO of Prometheus and founder of Amazon and Blue Origin, will be among the biggest business names attending. Other notable names include Meta AI scientist Yann LeCun, Mistral AI CEO Arthur Mensch, OpenClaw founder Peter Steinberger and LVMH chief Bernard Arnault.
Political figures are also central to the event this year, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German digital minister Karsten Wildberger, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Commission tech executive Henna Virkkunen.
India has been selected as VivaTech 2026’s AI Partner Country. The Economic Times reported that India’s pavilion will spotlight sovereign AI capabilities, digital public infrastructure, deep tech, cybersecurity, space, enterprise solutions, health, green transition and creative industries.
Germany is the highlighted country for this edition, while VivaTech and the World Economic Forum have also introduced a European Centre for AI Excellence day, aimed at deepening discussions around AI in Europe.
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For VivaTech Managing Director François Bitouzet, the sovereignty conversation is not simply about replacing one provider with another. “It is about building more resilient technology strategies, where companies can draw on European innovation for the most critical parts of their stack while still working with global partners where it makes sense,” he told Reuters.
The message from Paris is clear: VivaTech 2026 is not just celebrating 10 years of startup showcases. It is positioning itself as a stage where AI, geopolitics, infrastructure and enterprise innovation collide.
