2026 Galaxy Community Conference (GCC2026)

The Galaxy Community Conference (GCC) has been the central gathering of the Galaxy community since 2010. GCC brings together everyone who uses, builds, or teaches Galaxy — from students running their first analyses to developers building the platform and researchers publishing high-impact results with it.

The conference spans invited keynotes, community-submitted talks, hands-on training, and the informal conversations that often turn out to be just as valuable as anything on the schedule. It’s where new collaborations begin, ideas get pressure-tested, and the community collectively decides what Galaxy becomes next.

GCC2026 features a program of invited keynotes, community talks, and open discussions covering the latest in Galaxy development, real-world research applications, and the future of open data analysis. This year’s highlights include:

• Galaxy Live! — A live, on-stage reveal of new Galaxy features
• Rayan Chikhi — Keynote on assembling and exploring petabyte-scale sequencing data
• Galaxy Community Update — The state of the ecosystem, from the people building it
• Panel Discussion — An open conversation on what matters most to the community
• Galaxy in Research — Cutting-edge science powered by Galaxy

See the highlighted talks page for details.

Financial support should not be a barrier to participating in the Galaxy community. Several fellowship opportunities are available to assist attendees who need support to attend GCC2026.

Awards from the JXTX Foundation, the JJ Fund, and the Galaxy Community Fund cover registration, travel, and accommodation for graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and early-career scientists — with particular consideration for applicants from underrepresented backgrounds and lower-resourced institutions.

Eligible researchers are encouraged to apply. See the fellowships page for full details on eligibility and application deadlines.

GCC2026 is hosted by the Université Clermont Auvergne (UCA). UCA is a modern, dynamic research university born from the merger of two prominent institutions in 2017, now unifying diverse strengths across science, engineering, health, and humanities. With over 35,000 students and more than 40 research units, UCA is deeply integrated into local and international research networks, committed to fostering interdisciplinary exchange and scientific excellence.

Among other initiatives, UCA also supports the AuBi bioinformatics platform, which administers a local Galaxy instance.

The Galaxy project is thrilled to be hosted by UCA!

CoFest is two days of hands-on, community-driven work immediately following the main conference. Participants self-organize into groups and spend the time contributing to whatever they care about most — new tools and workflows, platform improvements, documentation, training materials, or helping new contributors find their footing.

Anyone is welcome, regardless of technical background. Some groups write code; others work on tutorials, use cases, or community infrastructure. CoFest is one of the most direct ways to shape what Galaxy looks like next year.

Join us at CoFest

Nestled in the heart of central France, Clermont-Ferrand is a city framed by dramatic volcanic landscapes and rich history. Dominated by the striking black lava-stone cathedral and surrounded by the Chaîne des Puys — a UNESCO World Heritage site of ancient volcanoes — the city offers an inspiring mix of natural beauty and architectural wonder.

Conference participants can look forward to vibrant cultural experiences, from strolling through charming medieval streets to enjoying lively cafés and local gastronomy. With its dynamic university atmosphere and welcoming spirit, Clermont-Ferrand provides the perfect setting for stimulating academic exchange and memorable discoveries.

The travel page has more details.