What if your 2026 travel plan was not “which country next?” but “which digital nomad event next?”
Instead of chasing cheap flights and random cities, you could hop from conference to festival to cruise, meeting the same people in different places, learning and making friends while circling the globe.
For this guide, we’ve put together a travel route through digital nomad events in 2026 across Thailand, South Africa, Italy, Vietnam, Spain and Bulgaria. You do not have to attend them all. But you can definitely stitch two or three into one big “work, travel, and community” year. A bit like Eat, Pray, Love, but with laptops.
What You’ll Find Below:
- A month-by-month event route
- Dates, locations, links
- Rough budget notes (tickets, flights, accommodation)
- What each event is perfect for
Use it as a menu. Mix and match what fits your time, budget, and energy.
🌟 Why Plan Your Year Around Digital Nomad Events?
A few reasons this way of traveling works so well:
Built-in community – You land and instantly have hundreds of people to cowork, hike, dance, and talk business with. No more “lonely” nights.
Faster business and personal growth – These events concentrate founders, service providers, creators, and remote workers in one place. Keynotes and workshops can save you hours watching random YouTube or online courses.
Soft landings in new countries – Organizers do the research so you don’t have to! They find venues, coworking spaces, recommended areas and local experiences.
Rhythm for your year – Conferences and festivals become anchors. You can spend 2–6 weeks in each destination, then move on with a group of friends.
📅 Your 2026 Digital Nomad Event Calendar
Below you’ll find a complete month-by-month guide to the most exciting digital nomad events happening in the first half of 2026.
🏔️ January – Kick-off in Chiang Mai at Nomad Summit
Event: Nomad Summit
Dates: 16–18 January 2026 (plus Nomad Week 19–25 January)
Location: Chiang Mai, Thailand
Website: https://www.nomadsummit.com/
Chiang Mai is a classic nomad “winter escape” – warm weather, cafés everywhere, affordable accommodation, and a huge existing community. Nomad Summit returns there in January 2026 with two days of conference and a full Nomad Week of side events hosted by the community.
What to expect
- High-energy talks and practical workshops around entrepreneurship, remote work, AI, content and freedom-focused lifestyle design
- Nomad Week with pop-up meetups, masterminds, hikes, coworking days, dinners and parties around the city
- A crowd strongly focused on building – founders, solopreneurs, and remote employees ready to level up
💰 Budget notes
- 📅 Conference: January 16-18, 2026
- 🎉 Nomad Week: January 19-25, 2026
- 🎯 Focus: Entrepreneurship, AI, Remote Work
- 👥 Attendees: 500+ Digital Nomads
- ✈️ Flights inside Asia: from around €30–250 if you are already in Asia
- ✈️ Flights from Europe: from €700+, usually via Bangkok
- 🏠 Accommodation: ~€400+ for 2 weeks in a decent private place
Perfect if you… want to start your year with focus, business ideas, and a big group of people who care about freedom as much as you do. Nomad Summit is one of the strongest events for those with online businesses.
🌍 Late January – Cape Town’s Nomad Week
Event: Nomad Week Cape Town
Dates: 25–31 January 2026
Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Organised by: Work Wanderers & Pangea
Website: https://nomadweek.co/
If you would like your “January chapter” to include ocean views, mountains and African sunsets, join Nomad Week in Cape Town – a week for digital nomads, entrepreneurs, remote workers and travelers.
What to expect
- Daily keynote speakers, panels and workshops mixed with hikes, wine country, city exploration and ocean time
- A test-drive of Cape Town as a long-stay base – and many people do stay for 1–3 months afterwards
💰 Budget notes
- 📅 Dates: January 25-31, 2026
- 🎯 Focus: Keynotes, Panels, Workshops
- 🏔️ Activities: Hikes, Wine Country, Ocean
- ✈️ Flights: direct from EU countries start around €600+
- 🏠 Accommodation: 2–3 weeks around €800 (check co-livings with coworking)
Perfect if you… love an outdoorsy lifestyle – hiking, sunset cruises, and running clubs – and are drawn to Cape Town with that “maybe I’ll just stay for the whole season” energy.
🚢 February – Cross Asia on Nomad Cruise (Hong Kong → Japan → South Korea → Philippines)
Event: Nomad Cruise 16 – Across Asia Experience
Dates: 14–25 February 2026
Route: Hong Kong – Japan – South Korea – Philippines
Website: https://www.nomadcruise.com/nc16
Nomad Cruise is almost legendary at this point – one of the longest-running experiences for digital nomads, packing 300+ founders, remote workers and creatives on a ship for 12 days. No land conference can replicate the intensity of living, learning, eating and dancing with the same group at sea.
What this route looks like
- Depart from Hong Kong, then sail to Japan (including Fukuoka – a rising nomad and startup hub – and Nagasaki), on to Jeju Island in South Korea, and finishing in Manila, Philippines
- Sea days full of talks, workshops, masterminds and spontaneous sessions
- Port days for exploring, street food, on-land coworking and side trips
💰 Budget notes
- 📅 Dates: February 14-25, 2026
- ⚓ Duration: 12 Days at Sea
- 👥 Community: 300+ Digital Nomads
- 🌐 Connection: Starlink Wi-Fi onboard
- ✈️ Flight to Hong Kong: direct from Chiang Mai ~€80+
- 🛳️ Cabins: Window cabins €1,800+, Balcony cabins €2,000+ (food included)
- 💸 Discount: use code GOSSIP for €100 off
Our tip – do not rush to book your return flight. After Nomad Cruise, groups usually spread out across the area, and you might want to join a smaller after-trip instead of flying elsewhere.
Perfect if you… want a deeper, all-in experience where you will definitely leave with new friends, collaborators and probably some big life decisions.
🇮🇹 March – Palermo, pasta and big ideas at Italia Nomad Fest
Event: Italia Nomad Fest
Dates: 8–15 March 2026
Location: Palermo, Sicily, Italy
Website: https://www.italianomadfest.com/
If you prefer to stay in (or come back to) Europe, Italia Nomad Fest in Palermo is a brand-new project co-created by BeetCommunity, Nomad Retreats and the municipality of Palermo. Their mission is to position Palermo as a city to live, not just visit, and to see how nomads and locals can reimagine this Mediterranean city together.
What to expect
- One week in a beautiful, historic venue with talks, community sessions, and a lot of informal connection time
- Good food, spring weather, and a creative mix of locals, innovators and international nomads
- A first edition – which means you get to be part of the “beta” story
💰 Budget notes
- 📅 Dates: March 8-15, 2026
- 📍 Location: Palermo, Sicily
- 🏛️ Support: Municipality of Palermo
- 🎯 Focus: First Edition Festival
- 🎫 Early-bird tickets: from around €200 for basic passes
- ✈️ Flights: Well connected to EU cities via low-cost airlines
- 💸 Special Discount: use code GOSSIP15 for 15% off all tickets
Perfect if you… want to be there at the start of a future flagship Mediterranean nomad gathering, soaking up warm weather, a laid-back coastal vibe, excellent food, and a café culture that turns into aperitivo hour at sunset.
🇻🇳 March – Vietnam Nomad Fest in Da Nang
Event: Vietnam / Da Nang Nomad Fest
Dates: 20–29 March 2026
Location: Da Nang, Vietnam
Website: https://www.danangnomadfest.com/
If you stayed after Nomad Cruise or Nomad Summit, you can come straight from the Philippines/Thailand. Da Nang has quickly become one of the most promising digital nomad hubs in Southeast Asia, thanks to a mix of long beach, city life, and easy access to Hoi An and the mountains.
What to expect
- 9 days of talks, workshops and masterminds focused on business and personal growth – including dedicated days for AI, LinkedIn and short-form video, and other deep-dive topics
- Trips to Hoi An, cultural experiences, and curated coworking sessions
- A community strongly focused on freelancers, coaches, consultants and service providers who build online
💰 Budget notes
- 📅 Dates: March 20-29, 2026
- 📍 Location: Da Nang, Vietnam
- 🎯 Focus: AI, LinkedIn, Business Growth
- 🏖️ Bonus: Beach access, Hoi An trips
- ✈️ From Chiang Mai: ~€100+ via Bangkok
- ✈️ From Manila: Direct flights available
- 🏠 Accommodation: €250-300/month budget, €500-700/month comfortable
Perfect if you… want to combine learning with a longer, cost-effective stay in Vietnam using Da Nang as your base and fueling your days with exceptional Vietnamese food and one-of-a-kind coffee.
🇪🇸 April – Beach and city at Alicante Nomad Summit
Event: Alicante Nomad Summit
Dates: 20–26 April 2026
Location: Alicante, Spain
Website: https://www.alicantenomadsummit.com/
Alicante Nomad Summit started as a small gathering and is now growing into a full-week experience in a sunny Spanish coastal city. Expect a mix of structured content and relaxed social time.
What to expect
- Two main conference days plus a full week of meetups, coworking, and side events
- Focus on tools, systems, lifestyle design and practical sessions for remote workers and founders
- Easy everyday life – walkable city, beach, cafés, tapas, and warm spring weather
💰 Budget notes
- 📅 Dates: April 20-26, 2026
- 📍 Location: Alicante, Spain
- 🎯 Focus: Tools, Systems, Lifestyle Design
- 🏖️ Vibe: Beach, cafés, tapas, spring weather
- 🎫 Tickets: Early bird ~€99 for the week pass
Perfect if you… want an easy, budget-friendly European event with enough structure to learn and enough space to actually work, whilst sipping sangria in the sun.
🏄 May – Work-friendly rhythm at Nomadbase Live Tarifa
Event: Nomadbase Live Tarifa
Dates: 11–18 May 2026
Location: Tarifa, Spain
Website: https://nomadbase.com/tarifa/
Nomadbase Live is the on-land format created by the Nomad Cruise team – it has the same community energy, but is designed as a workation rather than a full-scale conference. Here you won’t need to sacrifice your work to experience things fully: you can work your normal hours and combine it with social time that fits around it. Tarifa is small, walkable, famous for kitesurfing and sunsets, and has a strong “village of nomads” feeling.
What to expect
- Workshops, talks and community sessions scheduled so you can keep your normal work hours
- Yoga, sunset gatherings, beach walks and spontaneous dinners
- Optional activities like kitesurfing and day trips to nearby spots
💰 Budget notes
- 📅 Dates: May 11-18, 2026
- 📍 Location: Tarifa, Spain
- 🎯 Focus: Workation + Community (work-friendly schedule)
- 🏄 Activities: Kitesurfing, yoga, sunset gatherings
- 🎫 Tickets: From around €290+ for main program
- 🏠 Accommodation: ~€1,000 for 2 weeks (cheaper shared options available)
- ✈️ Transport: Fly to Málaga → 2-3h bus/car to Tarifa
Perfect if you… want community and inspiration, but not another week of back-to-back sessions. Here you can genuinely work, make friends, and still feel the “event magic”.
🏔️ June – Reunion in the mountains at Bansko Nomad Fest
Event: Bansko Nomad Fest
Dates: 20–30 June 2026
Location: Bansko, Bulgaria
Website: https://banskonomadfest.com/
As Orest Zub once joked – if you see yourself as a “respectful digital nomad”, you end up in Bansko at least once. Bansko Nomad Fest has grown into one of the largest nomad festivals in the world, bringing hundreds of people to a small Bulgarian mountain town every summer.
What to expect
- 10 days of talks, unconferences, skill-sharing, parties, hikes, hot springs and everything in between
- Conference sessions during the day and multiple social events in the evenings – pool parties, karaoke, bonfires and more
- A mix of long-term Bansko residents and newcomers exploring Eastern Europe for the first time
Perfect if you… want a real “end of season” reunion where many event organizers, community leaders and nomads from all over the world show up.
🗺️ How to Choose Your Own Digital Nomad Event Route
Looking at all these digital nomad events in the first half of 2026 can feel overwhelming. A few ways to choose:
1. By region
- Love Asia? Combine Chiang Mai → Nomad Cruise → Da Nang.
- Prefer Europe? Think Palermo → Alicante → Tarifa → Bansko.
- Curious about Africa? Start your year with Nomad Week Cape Town, and perhaps hop north to meet nomads in Tarifa a few months later when winter hits the south.
2. By budget
- Events like Da Nang and Chiang Mai can be balanced with lower monthly living costs.
- Nomad Cruise is a bigger financial investment, but it compresses 6–12 months of networking into 12 days.
- European events offer cheaper flights for those already based in the EU.
3. By energy level
- Bansko, Nomad Cruise, and some first-edition festivals are intense and very social.
- Nomadbase Live Tarifa and Alicante Nomad Summit are more work-friendly and slower paced.
4. By business stage
- Early in your journey – Nomad Summit, Vietnam Nomad Fest and Bansko workshops can give you a crash course in systems, marketing, and mindset.
- Established – Nomad Summit, Nomad Cruise, Bansko and Italia Nomad Fest are great to deepen partnerships, find clients and explore collaborations.
💡 Final Tips – and Where Nomad Magazine Fits In
A few practical notes before you book anything:
- Always double-check dates, ticket prices and visa rules on official websites as things change fast.
- Book accommodation early around big events, especially in small places like Bansko and Tarifa.
- Consider leaving buffer time before and after each event to actually enjoy the destination, recover and rest, and not just experience conference rooms and events.
At Nomad Magazine, we travel through many of these stops with you by documenting how digital nomad events are shaping local communities, small businesses and the future of work.
If you join any of them and spot us with a camera or a stack of magazines, come say hi, tell us your story, and maybe you will end up in the next edition.
Until then, start sketching your 2026 map.
We’ll be back soon to outline the events for the second half of 2026.
