What Is Hacktoberfest 2026?
Hacktoberfest brings developers and technology communities together to learn, build, experiment and connect around open source.
In previous years, Hacktoberfest was strongly associated with contributing to GitHub repositories and completing pull requests.
However, Hacktoberfest 2026 works differently.
Pull requests and merge requests no longer count toward Hacktoberfest rewards. The organizers have changed the format to reduce low-effort or spam contributions and instead encourage participants to learn and build with open-source AI and open-weight models.
So if you're completely new to open source, you don't need to be an expert GitHub contributor to participate this year.
🎯 What Can You Do in Hacktoberfest 2026?
There are several ways to participate.
💻 1. Online Activities
You can participate from anywhere through online Hacktoberfest activities.
These include:
Livestreams DEV Challenges Global Hack Week Open-source AI activities Community sessions Various challenges and learning activities
The official Hacktoberfest activities page currently lists multiple ways to earn virtual stickers throughout October.
🤖 2. Build With Open-Source AI
One of the biggest themes of Hacktoberfest 2026 is open-source AI and open-weight models.
This makes the event particularly interesting if you're currently learning:
Artificial Intelligence Machine Learning Generative AI LLMs AI Agents Python Open-source software Developer tools
You don't necessarily need to build a complicated AI system.
The goal is to learn, experiment and share what you build.
🏆 3. Participate in DEV Challenges
Hacktoberfest 2026 includes a Launch Weekend challenge followed by four weekly DEV Challenges.
The official schedule includes:
Launch Weekend: October 2–4 Week 1: October 5–11 Week 2: October 12–18 Week 3: October 19–25 Week 4: October 26–31
These challenges are centered around open-source AI, and participation requires a DEV account.
Some challenges may also have cash prizes, so make sure you read the individual challenge rules before submitting anything.
🎁 How Can You Get FREE Swag?
This is probably the part many people are waiting for. 😄
Hacktoberfest 2026 has changed the reward system, but participants can still earn physical rewards.
For online participation, you can collect virtual stickers by completing eligible activities.
Once you collect the required stickers, Hacktoberfest will send a physical sticker pack to eligible participants.
And there is an additional milestone:
⭐ Earn 10 Virtual Stickers
According to the official Hacktoberfest website, collecting 10 virtual stickers unlocks a bonus holographic sticker in your mailed sticker pack.
🏅 Become a Completionist
If you collect 17 stickers, you become a Hacktoberfest Completionist and are automatically entered into a raffle for a Hacktoberfest 2026 T-shirt or Arduino Uno Q board.
So there are multiple milestones to work toward instead of simply counting pull requests.
🧑💻 What About In-Person Hacktoberfest Events?
Hacktoberfest isn't only online.
There are 300+ Fests happening around the world, including Hack Days and community Meetups.
🔥 Hack Day
A Hack Day is basically a mini hackathon.
You can:
Build a project Work individually or in a team Experiment with open-source AI Demo your project Compete for prizes 🤝 Meetup
Meetups are more community-focused and can include:
Technical talks Workshops Panels Discussions Networking
You don't necessarily need to build a project for a Meetup.
🎒 Can You Get T-Shirts and Other Swag?
Yes, but there is an important point.
In-person Fests have T-shirts, stickers and other swag while supplies last. However, swag is not guaranteed, and distribution is determined by the individual event host.
Online participants can earn the official sticker pack through the online activity system, but T-shirts are not promised for online participation.
So don't assume that completing an online challenge automatically means you'll receive every piece of physical merchandise shown in promotional content.
📝 Hacktoberfest 2026: Step-by-Step
If you're starting from zero, here's a simple approach.
Step 1️⃣
Go to the official Hacktoberfest website and create/sign into your MyMLH account.
Step 2️⃣
Complete your participant profile and add your postal address if you want to receive the sticker pack.
Step 3️⃣
Connect your DEV account if you want to participate in the DEV Challenges.
Step 4️⃣
Check the available activities on your participant dashboard.
Step 5️⃣
Start completing activities such as livestreams, challenges, Global Hack Week activities and other eligible tasks.
Step 6️⃣
Track your virtual stickers and milestones.
Step 7️⃣
If you want the in-person experience, find a Hacktoberfest Fest near your city and register separately through its event page.
The official FAQ states that each in-person Fest has its own registration.