HackBarna Turns a Weekend into an AI Lab

HackBarna AI Summit 26 is the third edition of a hackathon that, according to the organizers, will bring together 150 hackers for a weekend of creation, workshops, and demos.

And, before anyone imagines a room full of cybercriminals, let’s set the record straight. In this context, “hacking” means creating and prototyping technological solutions within a very limited time frame. Participants form teams, receive the challenge, develop a proposal, and have to get it working before the dreaded deadline arrives.

An event where the audience creates the content

One of the most interesting things about HackBarna is that virtually all of its operations are centered around one activity: building.

Saturday’s schedule kicks off at 9:00 a.m. with registration and breakfast, followed by an opening keynote. At 11:30 a.m., one of the highlights of the day takes place: the launch of the hackathon and team formation. From that moment on, the race against the clock begins.

In the afternoon, there will be food and networking, workshops, and technical sessions, but the hacking continues until 11:00 p.m. On Sunday, the event starts again at 9:00 a.m., and the code is locked in at 11:00 a.m. Then it’s time to turn all that hard work into a show: the projects move on to the demo and presentation phase, are evaluated by the jury, and at 5:30 p.m., the awards ceremony takes place before the final networking session.

In other words, the program has a pretty clear narrative: learn, create, struggle a little with the deadline, present, and celebrate.

And that is precisely one of the key features of the format. Instead of organizing the event around a series of speakers, HackBarna puts the participants in the spotlight. The final content of the event doesn’t exist when the doors open—it’s created during the event itself.

When Networking Has a Purpose

It also changes the way people interact.

Here, the typical “What do you do?” can quickly turn into “Want to put together a team?” Networking is no longer just an afterthought on the agenda; it’s integrated into the very fabric of the event: we need diverse skill sets, complementary expertise, and people capable of bringing an idea to fruition in a very short time.

This approach also explains why the format is of interest to tech companies. HackBarna presents its events as a meeting place for builders, engineers, and innovators.

And, as an added bonus, it provides an opportunity to connect with potential talent. The organization itself cites job opportunities and the chance to network with AI experts as some of the benefits of participating in its hackathons.

From a Hackathon to a Community

HackBarna isn’t appearing out of nowhere this September. Its first edition took place in June 2024 at Le Wagon Barcelona, where more than 50 participants experimented with technologies such as GPT, Llama, and RAG. This was followed by a second major edition in October 2025 at Glovo Yellow Park.

Between major events, the community has continued to stay active through smaller-scale events. In 2026 alone, it has organized various Hack Nights in Barcelona focused on specific tools and technologies: a prototyping session with Brandfetch and Lovable in February, another focused on skills for AI agents in March, a workshop using the Linkup API in April, and another dedicated to building applications with Netlify in June.

The format changes in scale, but it retains the same philosophy: bringing people together and giving them a reason to do things together.

The third edition is also linked to AI Summit Barcelona 2026, which will hold its main conference on September 22 and 23 at the World Trade Center Barcelona. The weekend hackathon will thus serve as one of the first major events of the city’s AI Week.

And perhaps that’s the most interesting lesson for those of us who design events: sometimes, to generate engagement, you don’t need to add another activity to the schedule. You can turn your own participation into an experience.