Hacktoberfest 2026 Launches with Live Event and Exclusive Swag

Hacktoberfest 2026 officially begins on October 1st, and the DEV team is marking the occasion with a launch livestream hosted on the DEV homepage and the MLH Twitch channel. The event aims to guide participants through the month's festivities, including in-person and online activities. Attendees of the livestream will have the opportunity to claim an exclusive bonus sticker. To prepare, organizers recommend that users set up their 'My Hacktoberfest' accounts in advance. The month-long celebration also features the 'Hacktoberfest Weekend Challenge' starting October 2nd. Participants can earn physical swag packs by collecting virtual stickers through various milestones, such as joining events, submitting to challenges, or using tools like DevRelay. This annual initiative encourages developers to engage with the open-source community, complete coding tasks, and earn rewards for their contributions throughout October.