A Power Ranking of Python's Best Events and Conferences
Python events and conferences are a great way to learn about a niche problem someone solved, new libraries in the ecosystem or general programming topics. Here are some of the best events I've found or experienced related to Python.
The events on this list can be either a live, in-person conference, smaller meetup or an online conference or seminar. Most events will post their talks on YouTube so it's easy to look up interesting talks and watch them for free.
This power ranking is meant to be in good fun and not taken too seriously. I ranked them according to the popularity, cost effectiveness (less $ to learn is better) and usefulness of the event for the average Pythonista. For example, DjangoCon is a very popular conference, however it is focused on a particular web framework so not as widely applicable as other events.
Python Events Power Ranking
PyCon (insert local country or city here) aka Python conferences: PyCon US is probably the best known of this type of Python event. Many countries, cities or regions have a local version of their Python conference. There's EuroPython for all of Europe, individual countries like PyCon Portugal, PyCon Amsterdam, PyCascades (US Pacific Northwest region), PyCon Latam, Kiwi PyCon (New Zealand), PyCon Singapore, PyCon Hong Kong, PyCon Atlanta, PyTexas, PyBeach (Los Angeles) and so on. There are so many PyCon-like options and this is barely scratching the surface. Sometimes these events include longer training sessions in addition to shorter talks. I frequently watch the talks posted to the PyCon US YouTube channel every year. It's a good option if you don't mind waiting weeks or months for them to drop the videos.
Python "User Group" Meetups: often you can find free events that host a speaker or two locally. These are less intensive than a full conference and maybe last a few hours. User groups are a more chill way to learn and connect with your fellow Python developers. Shout-out to ChiPy, the Chicago Python user group I attended that hosts regular meetups monthly.
There about 1,637 Python user groups worldwide in almost 191 cities, 37 countries and over 860,333 members. - https://wiki.python.org/moin/LocalUserGroups
PyData: these scientific computing conferences showcase fascinating work from data professionals. I've watched a ton of PyData talks. They run these conferences in various cities and regions. Check out the PyData YouTube channel for technical talks. PyData is recommended by the SciPy project as well according to their website.
Pyjamas: "the coziest Python conference of them all", this online conference had a very casual format to watch Python talks. The diversity of hosts and speakers from across the globe brought a wide range of perspectives that I enjoyed. The event had lots of engaging talks. It was one of my favorite Python events I've seen. Check out Pyjamas for a cozy online conference experience, I hope they continue to put it on! You can watch past talks on their YouTube channel also.
Python Web Conf: this 5 year old online conference boasts "top names in the Python community" and lasts for 5 days. In addition to typical Python talks, it includes "lightning talks" and "end of day socials". You can watch 80 videos from Python Web Conf 2023 on YouTube. This event is run by Six Feet Up, a woman-owned company.
PyLadies Con + PyLadies Meetups: PyLadies is "a group of women developers worldwide who love the Python programming language.", per their website. In addition to their annual online conference, they host local meetups all over the world. Shout-out to all the women Python developers out there!
DjangoCon: Django is a popular Python web framework for building websites. This conference is tailored for Django developers and those who want to explore one of Python's most robust web frameworks. While searching for DjangoCon events, I found conferences like DjangoCon US, DjangoCon Europe and DjangoCon Africa. If you want to see what it's like, you can watch the past DjangoCon talks on their YouTube channel.
SciPy: another annual Python conference to stoke your scientific computing prowess. The SciPy conference is held annually, with a few variations like EuroSciPy, SciPy Japan and SciPy India. It's also associated with the SciPy library, an open-source software for mathematics, science, and engineering. However the SciPy library project's website states, "The SciPy project doesn’t organize its own conferences." Check the SciPy Calendar for local meetups also.
The Python community hosts a cornucopia of events and conferences. Go to them and learn in person or stay home and watch online. That's all for now, I hope you found Python events you didn't know about. Now go learn something new!
Python Events Resources
Interactive Visualization of Python Events