CCC invites everyone to 40C3 — “Model Citizens” in Hamburg

The Chaos Computer Club (CCC) has announced the 40th Chaos Communication Congress, 40C3, which will take place from 27 to 30 December 2026. This time the event moves to Hamburg's exhibition halls — the club has changed venue, and organisers say the extra space opens up new possibilities. The motto for this year is “Model Citizens”.

What 40C3 is

The CCC describes the congress as Europe's biggest hacker party and a shared platform for technology, society and civil liberties. It counts as the largest non-commercial hacker conference in the world: it is organised by volunteers, supported by thousands of unpaid helpers, and more than 16,000 visitors take part — not as passive consumers, but as active shapers of the event.

The “Model Citizens” motto

The idea behind the motto is to search together for new models of society, after the “model citizens” of the past left the planet in a precarious state. The CCC notes that in democratic societies the idea of a shared, better future built on solidarity is increasingly giving way to the model of an authoritarian state, in which the stronger impose their views on the weaker. Liberal forces, it adds, are fighting rearguard actions and no longer try to create something new, but merely to prevent things from getting worse.

The club contrasts that with its own experience: at the congress, differences are seen as an asset, the unfamiliar as a source of inspiration, and mutual needs as an opportunity to build a community in which everyone feels comfortable and welcome.

How to take part

The Call for Participation covers four tracks. Speakers can respond to the Call for Content, the congress's traditional lecture programme; DJs and musicians are invited to bring their talents to the lounge and party stages; artists and designers can submit exhibits, sculptures and performances that do not require a stage through the Call for Art, while the Punk-Späti is looking for fellow troublemakers for anarchic and anti-fascist performances. Organisers describe the congress as a huge shared stage and invite everyone to help shape it — including, as they put it, all galactic beings.