Devoxx Belgium 2026 runs 5–9 October 2026 at Kinepolis Antwerpen, Groenendaallaan 394, 2030 Antwerp, Belgium. The conference brings together developers, architects and technical leaders for five days and 213 sessions in Deep Dive, Conference and Combi formats. Tickets are sold only through the official site devoxx.be. A direct flight from Dubai to Brussels takes about 7 hours.
Key facts
| Question | Answer |
| What is the event? | Devoxx Belgium 2026 — a conference for developers, architects and technical leaders |
| When? | 5–9 October 2026. Deep Dive: 5–6 October. Conference: 7–9 October |
| Where? | Kinepolis Antwerpen, Groenendaallaan 394, 2030 Antwerp, Belgium |
| How much does a ticket cost? | Deep Dive: €445 excl. VAT. Conference: €695 excl. VAT. Combi: €995 excl. VAT. Belgian VAT — 21% |
| How to get there from Dubai? | Direct flight DXB–BRU, about 7 hours. Then train to Antwerpen-Centraal, 35–45 minutes |
| Is a visa required? | UAE citizens — visa-free for up to 90 days. Holders of other passports — Schengen visa category C |
Devoxx Belgium 2026 at a glance
Devoxx Belgium 2026 will take place from 5 to 9 October 2026 at the largest cinema complex in Antwerp. The conference is held under the theme «FROM DEVELOPER TO BUILDER» and covers Java, Kotlin, JVM, AI agents, autonomous workflows, Spec-Driven Development and developer tools. Over five days, 213 sessions are planned: this makes Devoxx Belgium one of the most intensive developer conferences in Europe.
For specialists from the UAE, this is one of the few European conferences where the programme is equally strong in both the Java ecosystem and AI tools. The organisers claim more than 20,000 participants worldwide across all Devoxx events, and the Belgian conference traditionally gathers an international audience of developers, architects and technical leaders.
The five days are divided into two formats: the first two days (5–6 October) — Deep Dive with three-hour sessions and Tools in Action, the last three (7–9 October) — Conference with keynotes and 50-minute talks. The Combi ticket covers all five days and gives access to evening BOF sessions.
Dates and schedule: Deep Dive and Conference days
Devoxx Belgium 2026 spans exactly five days — from Monday, 5 October, to Friday, 9 October 2026.
5–6 October 2026 (Monday–Tuesday): Deep Dive. Three-hour in-depth sessions, 30-minute Tools in Action in the afternoon, Hands-on Labs and evening BOF sessions. Sessions start at 09:30 CEST. Croissants and coffee from 08:00. Lunch from 12:30 to 13:30. Evening BOFs on Tuesday run until 21:30.
7–9 October 2026 (Wednesday–Friday): Conference. The keynote on Wednesday starts at 09:30 CEST and will be held in the format of 50-minute talks across tracks. On Wednesday evening — an afterparty with fries and beer. The last sessions on Friday end at 12:30 CEST.
| Date | Format | What happens |
| 5 October 2026 | Deep Dive | 3-hour sessions, Tools in Action, BOF in the evening |
| 6 October 2026 | Deep Dive | 3-hour sessions, exhibition opening, BOF until 21:30 |
| 7 October 2026 | Conference | Keynote at 09:30 CEST, 50-minute talks, evening reception |
| 8 October 2026 | Conference | 50-minute talks, evening BOFs |
| 9 October 2026 | Conference | Conclusion at 12:30 CEST |
Session formats and how to choose tracks
The Devoxx Belgium 2026 programme is built around three formats that differ in depth and duration.
Deep Dive (3 hours). In-depth presentations: 75 minutes + 30-minute break + 75 minutes. They take place on Monday and Tuesday. This is the most intensive format — suitable if you need the full picture on a topic rather than an overview.
Conference talk (50 minutes). The main format from Wednesday to Friday. Short talks with practical examples. Tracks cover Java, Cloud, Big Data, Security, Architecture, AI, Machine Learning, Robotics and Developer Culture.
Tools in Action (30 minutes). Tool demonstrations, held in the afternoon on Monday and Tuesday. A good way to quickly get acquainted with new libraries and frameworks.
BOF (60 minutes). Informal evening sessions from Monday to Thursday. An open discussion format — you can ask questions to speakers and other participants in an informal setting.
Lunch-talks (40 minutes). Lunch talks are short 40-minute talks that take place during the lunch breaks from Monday to Thursday. This is a great opportunity to learn something new without missing the main conference program.
Hands-on Labs (3 hours). Practical classes with your own laptop, held Monday through Thursday.
No session registration is required — the principle is first-come, first-served. If the room is full, you can watch the recording later.
Tickets: types, prices and what each one includes
Devoxx Belgium 2026 offers three ticket categories. All prices are listed excluding VAT; Belgian VAT of 21% is added at payment.
| Category | Days | What is included | Price excl. VAT | Price incl. VAT |
| Deep Dive | 2 days (5–6 Oct.) | All Deep Dive sessions, Tools in Action, Hands-on Labs, evening BOFs | €445* | €538.45* |
| Conference | 3 days (7–9 Oct.) | Keynotes, 50-minute talks, exhibition | €695 | €840.95 |
| Combi | 5 days (5–9 Oct.) | Everything above + BOF Monday–Thursday | €995 | €1,203.95 |
*Exchange rate as of 11 September 2026: €1 ≈ 4.27 AED. For the Combi ticket including VAT, this is approximately 5,141 AED, for Conference — 3,591 AED, for Deep Dive — 2,299 AED.
The official sales channel is only devoxx.be. Sales opened in two batches: Batch 1 — 17 August 2026 at 09:00 CEST, Batch 2 — 31 August 2026 at 14:00 CEST. Check availability on devoxx.be.
What each ticket includes
Deep Dive gives access to the first two days with three-hour sessions, 30-minute Tools in Action and evening BOFs.
Conference covers Wednesday–Friday: keynotes, 50-minute talks, exhibition. On Wednesday evening — a reception for participants.
Combi — full access to all five days, including Hands-on Labs and BOFs Monday–Thursday. For those travelling from the UAE, Combi is usually more advantageous overall: the difference from Conference is €300 excluding VAT, but it includes two additional days.
Getting to Antwerp from Dubai
A direct flight from Dubai (DXB) to Brussels (BRU) takes about 7 hours. The schedule for travel dates should be checked with the airline.
From Brussels Airport
The direct train Brussels Airport-Zaventem — Antwerpen-Centraal takes 35–45 minutes. Trains depart several times an hour. Tickets can be purchased at the station or on nmbs.be.
When to arrive
If you are participating in Deep Dive from 5 October, it is optimal to arrive on 4 October. Registration and badge pickup on Sunday, 4 October — from 17:00 to 18:00 CEST, or on Monday, 5 October, from 08:00. By arriving on 4 October, you will receive your participant badge in advance and can avoid the queue on the morning of the first day.
Time difference: the UAE is 2 hours ahead of Belgium. Antwerp observes CEST (UTC+2) until 25 October 2026.
Where to stay and how to reach Kinepolis Antwerpen
Antwerp is compact, and from most central hotels you can walk to Antwerpen-Centraal station. Three districts are convenient for a trip to Devoxx Belgium.
Central (area around Antwerpen-Centraal station). The optimal choice: a direct tram goes from the station to Kinepolis, and it is easy to return in the evening. Hotels in this area range from business class to budget.
Het Zuid. A southern district with restaurants and museums. The journey to the station takes 10–15 minutes by tram, then a transfer to tram 6.
Eilandje. The old port district with a view of the MAS Museum. Quiet, but getting to the station takes longer — 20–25 minutes by tram.
Getting to the venue on a conference day
Kinepolis Antwerpen is located at Groenendaallaan 394, 2030 Antwerp. Participant entrance — through the Business Center (not through the cinema entrance).
From Antwerpen-Centraal to Kinepolis — tram 6 to the Kinepolis stop, 20–25 minutes. There are 500+ free parking spaces on site. If you are leaving from the centre, allow time so that you are there by 08:00–08:15: registration opens at 08:00, croissants and coffee from 08:00, Deep Dive sessions start at 09:30, Wednesday keynote at 09:30.
Travelling on an employer budget: invoice, VAT and proof of registration
For corporate participants, Devoxx provides a separate registration process. When selecting Business Registration, you must provide the company’s full postal address and VAT number. One registration can include up to 10 participants; for more, an additional registration will be required.
After registration is completed, an invoice in PDF is automatically generated. Belgian VAT of 21% is added to the ticket price; it will be listed as a separate line on the invoice.
For reporting to your employer, request the following from the organiser:
- an invoice with the company’s VAT number;
- registration confirmation (a confirmation email arrives after payment);
- a programme indicating the sessions you attended.
Registration confirmation can be attached to a visa application if the employer is paying for the trip as a business trip.
What else to do in Antwerp
Antwerp is a port city with dense historic architecture. The Devoxx programme ends at 12:30 on Friday, and evenings after BOF leave an opportunity to see the sights. Where we recommend going:
Grote Markt and the Cathedral of Our Lady, located on the main square with the 16th-century town hall. It is crowded during the day, calmer in the evening.
MAS Museum. A museum on the embankment, open hours 10:00-17:00 From Tuesday to Sunday it is open from 10:00 to 17:00; the roof and the port panorama are open until 00:00 until October 31.
Het Steen. The oldest castle in Antwerp on the Scheldt embankment. There is a walking area nearby.
Eilandje. The old port district with seafood restaurants. It can be reached on foot from the centre or by tram.
What to know before you go
- In Antwerp, the daytime temperature is about 15 °C, nighttime about 9 °C, and rain is frequent. Take a windproof jacket and shoes if you don’t mind getting wet.
- Cards are accepted almost everywhere, but for small amounts (coffee, tram), contactless payments are convenient. The euro is the only currency.
- Belgium uses type C and E plugs (European standard, 230 V). For the UAE, an adapter will be required.
- The UAE is 2 hours ahead of Belgium.
- Language. Dutch is spoken in Antwerp, but English is freely used in the service sector and at the conference.
Why apply for a Schengen visa through The Visa Services?
Applying for a Schengen visa is a standard procedure, but nevertheless it requires very careful preparation. We know the UAE very well. We understand the specifics of submitting documents through local visa centres and what visa officers usually pay attention to when reviewing documents. Our visa experts know how to prepare a convincing application, even if family members have passports from different countries, you need a visa urgently, or you have recently received a refusal.
We wrote about Schengen visa processing in great detail in this article.
Need fast, professional visa assistance?
Contact our team
If you are a specialist from the UAE who develops Java ecosystems and creates AI tools, you will find it interesting to attend this event and become part of the professional European community.
Devoxx Belgium 2026 will take place from 5 to 9 October 2026. Deep Dive days — 5–6 October, Conference days — 7–9 October.
Devoxx Belgium 2026 is held at Kinepolis Antwerpen, Groenendaallaan 394, 2030 Antwerp, Belgium. Participant entrance — through the Business Center.
Deep Dive (2 days) — €445 excl. VAT, Conference (3 days) — €695 excl. VAT, Combi (5 days) — €995 excl. VAT. Belgian VAT of 21% is added at payment. Check the current exchange rate on the travel date.
Deep Dive is two days (5–6 October) with three-hour in-depth sessions and Tools in Action. The conference is three days (7–9 October) with keynotes and 50-minute talks.
A direct flight Dubai (DXB) — Brussels (BRU) takes about 7 hours. From Brussels Airport to Antwerpen-Centraal there is a direct train, 35–45 minutes. From the station to Kinepolis Antwerpen — tram 6 to the Luchtbal stop, 20–25 minutes.
The most convenient place is in the Antwerpen-Centraal area: a direct tram goes from there to Kinepolis, and it is easy to return in the evening. Alternatives are Het Zuid and Eilandje, but the journey to the venue takes more time.
UAE residents with passports from countries whose citizens require a Schengen visa before travel must obtain a category C visa (if they do not have a valid one). The standard processing time is up to 15 calendar days; it is recommended to submit documents no later than 15 days before the trip.
The material is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or immigration advice. Dates, schedules, prices and refund rules are set by the organiser and are subject to change — verify them on devoxx.be before booking and purchasing a ticket. The visa decision is made by the consulate of the relevant country; we do not guarantee approval. Images taken from https://www.flickr.com.
