WordCamp Asia 2026 just ended in Mumbai and it was one of the biggest WordPress events ever. WordPress users, developers and creators gathered at the Jio World Convention Center to build and learn together for three days.
Before we get into the highlights, I would like to say a huge thank you to the organizers, volunteers and speakers who made this possible. The participants came from here in Mumbai, from all over India and all over the world.
It all started with Contributor Day
If you’ve never heard of Contributor Day, it’s exactly what it sounds like: people getting together and contributing to the open source WordPress project. Code, documentation, translations, community planning and more.
The magic isn’t just in the work that gets done. It’s the connections. New contributors sat next to people who have been working on WordPress core for over a decade. Ideas were shared. Friendships began and renewed. This is where the energy of the “extended family” of WordPress comes from. The full official summary post can be found here.
Sessions worth your time
After Contributor Day, we had two full days of conversations covering everything from business scaling to cross-border payments. You can Watch each session on YouTube. Here are a few we participated in and would like to highlight.
Educational initiatives in the WordPress ecosystem
A special panel covers WordPress training – the growing efforts to bring WordPress directly to students through campus events, student clubs, and a credits program that works with universities to integrate WordPress into their curriculum. Hands-on, hands-on open source experience for the next generation of web developers.
The Speed Build Challenge
Hosted by our own Jamie Marsland, This filled the room. Ajay Maurya and Craig Gomes went head-to-head – one with AI, one old-school style – and had 30 minutes to recreate an entire website using only the Full Site Editor. No page builders, no custom code. There was no clear winner, which made it even more fun.
Danny Sullivan at the Google booth
Danny Sullivan is Google Search Director and one of the most well-known voices in the SEO space. He was right there at the Google stand and personally advised the WordPress people 1:1. Although this wasn’t an official session on the schedule, it’s something that only happens at a WordCamp.
We heard him say that in today’s AI world, the same long-held principles of quality content for good SEO still apply. But it is now even more important to have a strong point of view, a clear voice or a unique position. Without this, you are simply creating boilerplate content that is less likely to be cited or used by LLMs. Content remains king.
Mary Hubbard’s magic wand
Mary HubbardCEO of WordPress, was asked what surprising thing she would change about WordPress if she had a magic wand. Their response was to improve WordPress.org’s plugin directory by treating it as a product and less as infrastructure. Many heads nodded at this and we look forward to helping make this vision a reality.
AI was everywhere
No surprise, but AI came up frequently during the conference. Including a lecture by Nirav Mehtaa Mumbai-based entrepreneur. Be Lost and found in the AI wonderland The session was a walkthrough of what actually worked (and what didn’t) as his team tried to apply AI in development, marketing and operations.
Nirav reminded us that like a hammer, AI is just a tool. When you hold a hammer, everything starts to look like a nail. AI may not always be the right tool for the job. In a time full of AI excitement, this kind of honesty was refreshing.
What brought WordPress.com to Mumbai
The WordPress.com team came out strong and had a few things to share, and the conversation at our booth didn’t stop all week.
Plugins and themes for every paid plan. We made sure everyone knows: you can now install plugins and themes on all WordPress.com paid plans. Developers and agencies who build on WordPress every day have enjoyed the flexibility this brings to pricing and features on our hosting platform.
A new WordPress agent on Telegram. We’ve introduced a brand new Open-Claw inspired WordPress agent that lets you chat directly on Telegram – WhatsApp and other platforms coming soon. The idea of managing every aspect of your WordPress site through a conversation on your phone sparked a lot of “wait, what if…” moments at the booth. More on that soon!
Your feedback is heard. Beyond the demos, we spent a lot of time talking to users, agencies, and developers who gave us direct and honest feedback about what’s working and what’s not on WordPress.com. We are already incorporating all of these insights into our roadmap and future plans. A big thank you to everyone we spoke to.
The WordPress community is as strong as ever
After a week in Mumbai, it is clear that this community is growing and the momentum is real.
The hallway conversations, the cast members’ sprints, the after-parties, the people who traveled halfway around the world to be in the same room – that energy never lets up.
If you’ve never attended a WordCamp, make this your year. And if a full conference feels like a big step, start with a local meeting. Find one near you at events.wordpress.org.
Now with four flagship WordCamps per year:
- WordCamp Europe – Krakow, Poland, 4th–6th. June 2026.
- WordCamp US – Phoenix, Arizona, March 16-19 August 2026.
- WordCamp Asia 2027 – Penang, Malaysia, 9-11. April 2027.
- WordCamp India (TBD) – A brand new flagship event launching in 2027.
We can’t wait to see you there.
And with that, namaste, Mumbai!
