Storm Charles Scraps Web Summit Day 2 in Lisbon

Web Summit canceled Day 2 of its 2026 conference in Lisbon after the Government of Portugal formally advised that Storm Charles posed risks of tidal flooding, severe public transport disruption and damage from high winds to external structures.

The decision, communicated through an emailed event update on Wednesday, November 11, wiped out a full day of one of the world's largest technology gatherings. Web Summit draws more than 70,000 attendees from over 150 countries each year. The 2026 edition runs November 9–12 at Lisbon's MEO Arena.

What exactly did the government say?

The cancellation wasn't Web Summit's call alone. The event's email stated that the Portuguese Government, the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC) and the Public Security Police (PSP) were all involved in the discussions that led to the directive.

The email, quoted in full by the organizers, reads:

"The Government of Portugal has formally advised Web Summit that, due to the risks posed by Storm Charles, including tidal flooding, severe disruption to public transport and the impact of high winds on external structures, Day 2 of Web Summit should not take place. This follows discussions with the Portuguese Government, the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC), and the Public Security Police (PSP)."

The specific hazards named are concrete: tidal flooding, transport breakdown and winds strong enough to threaten temporary external structures around the venue.

How did Web Summit respond?

The organizers complied immediately. "Web Summit will of course respect the Government's direction, and accordingly, Day 2 (Wednesday, November 11th) will not take place," the email stated.

The team framed the decision around safety rather than logistics: "The safety and security of our attendees, staff and contractors is always our absolute priority."

That phrasing covers three groups — attendees, staff and contractors — signaling the scale of personnel on site for an event of this size.

Will Day 3 go ahead?

Organizers say yes, conditionally. The email stated: "Web Summit aims to proceed with Day 3 (Thursday, November 12) as planned, following the passing of Storm Charles."

That hinges on the storm clearing Lisbon on schedule. The organizers committed to continued coordination: "We will continue to work closely with the relevant authorities and emergency services, monitor conditions and provide further updates as soon as confirmed information becomes available."

The word "aims" does some work in that sentence — it stops short of a guarantee.

What happens to people already in Lisbon?

Attendees, speakers and partners holding Day 2 access received no immediate substitute program in the announcement. The email said only: "Web Summit will communicate directly with those impacted."

That leaves thousands of international visitors — drawn from more than 150 countries — without scheduled programming for Wednesday, in a city also bracing for the storm's transport disruption.

The cancellation email was signed simply "the Web Summit team."

The bottom line

Storm Charles just deleted one of the four days — November 11 — of a conference that anchors Lisbon's tech calendar every November, and whether Thursday's Day 3 proceeds now depends entirely on the weather.