Web Summit 2026 in Lisbon puts humanoid robots on the programme as speakers for the first time

Web Summit 2026 in Lisbon ran for three days instead of four, and for the first time humanoid robots were listed as official speakers, according to techtimes.com techtimes.comtechtimes.comtechtimes.comOpen source ↗. Portuguese authorities advised organisers that Wednesday, November 11, could not safely proceed because of Storm Charles. The storm brought a risk of tidal flooding, severe public transport disruption and dangerous winds, and the government closed all non-essential public gatherings.

Founder and CEO Paddy Cosgrave confirmed by email on Tuesday evening that the event would resume on Thursday. Web Summit described the final day as the busiest closing day in its history. Rescheduled panels, meetups and the PITCH startup competition final were held at the MEO Arena and the adjacent FIL exhibition halls in Parque das Nações.

Robots as listed participants

The machines on stage included Agibot's A3, Galbot's G1 and PrimeBOT's Q1, along with units from UBtech Robotics, Xynova and Bojiang Robotics. Web Summit called it the largest robot lineup the conference has staged. The robots were listed on the programme page alongside company founders and officials, not only shown at exhibition stands.

According to the report, Galbot's G1 is built for commercial deployment in retail, pharmacies and manufacturing facilities. On opening night, Agibot's robots performed on Centre Stage before an audience of up to 12,000 people techtimes.comtechtimes.comtechtimes.comOpen source ↗.

Chinese presence and what comes next

More than 30 Chinese speakers were confirmed in the first wave of announcements alone, from companies including Tencent, Xiaomi, XPENG and ModelBest. Cosgrave told the audience that "the superstars of the future are not coming from California; they're coming from China". Techtimes.com describes the 2026 delegation as the largest China has sent to a Western technology conference.

The programme across all four days focused on autonomous systems that act in the real world, with topics including logistics, healthcare and manufacturing. Panels also covered European industrial policy, labour markets and digital regulation.

Cosgrave first announced his intention to bring Web Summit to China at the 2025 Lisbon edition. Earlier this year at Web Summit Vancouver he confirmed ongoing work toward a 2027 China edition, though no host city has been named. The current circuit runs through Lisbon, Rio de Janeiro, Doha and Vancouver techtimes.comtechtimes.comtechtimes.comOpen source ↗.