Wikimania Committee/History

Wikimania overview

Organization

Future events

2026 (Paris, France)
2027 To be announced

Past years

Details of past Wikimanias
2025 (Nairobi, Kenya)
2024 (Katowice, Poland)
2023 (Singapore)
2022 (Virtual event)
2021 (Virtual event)
2020 (Cancelled)
2019 (Stockholm, Sweden)
2018 (Cape Town, South Africa)
2017 (Montréal, Canada)
2016 (Esino Lario, Italy)
2015 (Mexico City, Mexico)
2014 (London, United Kingdom)
2013 (Hong Kong SAR, China)
2012 (Washington, D.C., USA)
2011 (Haifa, Israel)
2010 (Gdansk, Poland)
2009 (Buenos Aires, Argentina)
2008 (Alexandria, Egypt)
2007 (Taipei, Taiwan)
2006 (Boston, USA)
2005 (Frankfurt, Germany)

History of the Wikimania Committee including some planning. Also see Wikimania community for the proposal of the group that eventually became the current Wikimania steering committee.

2026

Wikimania Paris promoted by Wikimedia France.

2025

Wikimania East Africa.

2024

Establishment of the Advisory Board.
Review of the Wikimania Committee/Charter, including procedure related to COI Conflict of interests.
Selection of city and venue for Wikimania 2025 East Africa.
Wikimania Katowice (Poland) led by Maciej Nadzikiewicz.

Team

Giselle Bordoy - Giyu starts collaborating with the Wikimania Committee as WMF supporting staff
Butch Bustria joins the Wikimania Committee as representative of Wikimania 2023.
Maciej Nadzikiewicz joins the Wikimania Committee as representative of Wikimania 2024.

2023

Wikimania in Singapore promoted by ESEAP and a COT Core Organising Team led by Butch Bustria
Selection of the ___location of Wikimania 2024 in Poland, Wikimania 2025 in East Africa, Wikimania 2026 in Paris

Team

Nomination of three new members of the Wikimania Committee: Angie Cervellera, Lodewijk Gelauff and Yamen Bousrih.

Gnangarra joins the Wikimania Committee as representative of Wikimania 2021.

2022

Wikimania online promoted by a COT Core Organising Team made of Aced, Jadnapac, Csisc, Kayusyussuf, NANöR, Omar_sansi, Pharos, Scann, Sandra_Aceng, Venuslui.

Selection method

Communities are invited to present an "expression of interest"

2021

Wikimania online promoted by a COT Core Organising Team made of Anna Torres (Anna Torres (WMAR), Bodhisattwa, Gnangarra, Lea Lacroix (WMDE), Lodewijk (Effeietsanders), Susanna Mkrtchyan (WikiTatik), Winnie Kabintie, Yamen Bousrih (Yamen).

2020

Wikimania is cancelled due to the pandemic

Team

Eric Luth joins the Wikimania Committee as representative of Wikimania 2019

2019

Wikimania in Stockholm, Sweden led by Wikimedia Sverige
Bangkok is selected for Wikimania 2020; before the announcement the WMF legal team makes a risk assessment. A comparative risk assessment is requested for the future.

Team

Joel Letang starts collaborating with the WMF as event manager

2018

Wikimania in Cape Town, South Africa organised in collaboration with Wikimedia South Africa

2017

Wikimania in Montréal, Canada organised in collaboration with Wikimedia Canada

Team

Iolanda Pensa joins the Wikimania Committee as representative of Wikimania 2016 and it is nominated chair of the Wikimania Committee.
Phoebe Ayers is nominated vice-chair of the Wikimania Committee.

2016

Wikimania in Esino Lario, Italy

Selection method

Change in the bidding process: communities can communicate their availability to host Wikimania and/or are invited to host Wikimania

Team

Iván Martínez joins the Wikimania Committee as representative of Wikimania 2015.

2015

Wikimania in Mexico City
Bidding process. Finalists 2016: Manila in the Philippines and Esino Lario in Italy. Selected Esino Lario (chosen by the jury and later given final approval by the WMF). Wikimania 2016 bids

Team

Edward Saperia joins the Wikimania Committee as representative of Wikimania 2014.

2014

Wikimania in London led by Edward Saperia.
Bidding process. Finalists 2015: Cape Town in South Africa, Monastir in Tunisia, Mexico City in Mexico (Esino Lario applied for 2016 to anticipate the selection process). Selected Mexico City. Wikimania 2015 bids

Team

Jeromy-Yu Chan joins the Wikimania Committee as representative of Wikimania 2013.

2013

The Wikimania Committee/Charter is drafted by SJ and Jdforrester
Wikimania in Hong Kong
Bidding process. Finalists 2014: London and Arusha in Tanzania. Selected London. Wikimania 2014 bids

Team

James Hare joins the Wikimania Committee as representative of Wikimania 2012.
Ellie Young starts collaborating with the WMF as event manager

2012

Wikimania in Washington D.C. led by James Hare.
Bidding process. Finalists 2013: Hong Kong, Surakarta in Indonesia, London in UK, Bristol in UK, Naples in Italy. Selected Hong Kong. Wikimania 2013 bids

Team

Deror Avi joins the Wikimania Committee as representative of Wikimania 2011.

2011

Wikimania in Haifa, Israel led by Deror Avi.
Bidding process. Finalists 2012: Stellenbosch, South Africa and Washington, D.C., USA. Selected Washington DC. Wikimania 2012/Bids
Orsolya Virág Gyenes joins the Wikimania Committee as representative of Wikimania 2010.

2010

Wikimania in Gdansk, Poland
Bidding process. Finalists 2011: Montréal, New York City, Toronto, Haifa. Selected Haifa. Wikimania 2011/Bids
The Wikimania Handbook is started by Phoebe

Establishment of a Wikimania Committee

The proposal of organising a standing Wikimania Committee is drafted on Wikimania community. The page dedicated to the Wikimania Committee is created by Seddon

2009

Wikimania in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Bidding process. Finalists 2010: Amsterdam, Gdańsk, Oxford. Selected Gdansk. Wikimania 2010/Bids

2008

Wikimania in Alexandria, Egypt
Bidding process. Finalists 2009: Brisbane, Buenos Aires, Karlsruhe, Toronto. Selected Buenos Aires. Wikimania 2009/Bids

2007

Wikimania in Taipei, Taiwan
Bidding process. Finalists 2008: Alexandria, Cape Town, Atlanta. Selected Alexandria. Wikimania 2008/Bids
Phoebe starts writing some recommendations to organize Wikimania on User:Phoebe/Wikimania

2006

Wikimania in Boston, USA
Bidding process. Finalists 2007: Alexandria, London, Taipei, Torino. Selected Taipei. Wikimania 2007/Bids

2005

First Wikimania event in Frankfurt involving as organisers Phoebe Ayers, Delphine Menard, James Forrester and Samuel Klein

Selection method

After 2005 and until 2016, the venue for Wikimania is selected through a bidding process and the Wikimania Committee defines the selection criteria and acts as the jury.
Bidding process. Finalists 2006: Boston, London, Milano, Toronto. Selected Boston. Wikimania 2006/Bids