Image credit: Vince Salvino
Perhaps I am the last person to finally write up my reflections on DjangoCon Europe 2025! Despite being a DjangoCon US veteran since 2012, this was my first time at a Django event outside the US. Spoiler - my biggest takeaway is that the overall vibes and community spirit were equally as welcoming and energizing as the US version - showing that "come for the technology, stay for the community" is a global phenomenon that transcends borders.
Meeting of DSF Members
I'm not sure if we can claim to have held the first ever meeting of DSF Members, but it was certainly a notable event. Admittedly, as a newly minted DSF Member myself, I did not actually know many other members personally. It was great to put faces to names (and even better: handshakes and hugs). Discussing Django business and topics in person was great, albeit secondary to the benefit of simply gathering dozens of members in the same room.
Oh yea, we also celebrated Django's 20th birthday complete with cake and candles!
DSF Member meetings should become a staple at every Django event.
Making New Friends...
Meeting Django users from all walks of life is always one of my favorite aspects of any in-person conference. I got a true taste of Europe having met new people from Italy, Spain, Portugal, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, the UK, and of course a few Irish natives. Conversations ranged from building websites, to web hosting, to cultural exchanges, and of course to the unavoidable US politics. I greatly enjoyed these conversations; aside from enriching me personally, I believe they lent a great perspective that will help shape the future of our CodeRed Cloud hosting business.
...and Seeing Old Friends
Catching up with the Wagtail crew is always one of my highlights. Whether it was being productive at the sprints, having fun in the Irish sea, or convincing our waiter to sing Happy Birthday to DSF President Thibaud Colas (it was actually Django's 20th birthday, but we deemed Thibaud a suitable proxy).
After 5 days of talks, high-energy conversations, nights out in Dublin, an uncountable amount of Guinness, and productive sprints, I think the sagging banner accurately captured just how tired we all were.
Ireland was a Wonderful Host
Dublin is a thriving, lively city; and the venue on the outskirts of town was affordable while still easy enough to access from the city center. My huge thanks to the organizers who managed to pull off a wonderful event!
Following the conference, I took a week of personal vacation to travel around Ireland and take in this wonderful country. A week was definitely not enough, and I hope to return again!
If you're hungry for more stories and photos, check out the Wagtail Blog's DjangoCon Europe 2025 vibes and photos.
