A tech conference where as many deals are signed on the surfboard as in the networking space. This is the bet of the SHAKA Festival, returning to the Cité de l’Océan in Biarritz from Septembe
A tech conference where as many deals are signed on the surfboard as in the networking space. This is the bet of the SHAKA Festival, returning to the Cité de l’Océan in Biarritz from September 24 to 26, 2026. Founders, CTOs, and investors come for a format that embraces its “anti-conference” side and for a lineup mixing crypto, AI, and French institutions. Cointribune is a partner of the edition, with a code included.
With code WELOVECOINT, enjoy −20% on your 3-day ticket — book your spot here.
The positioning is summed up in a phrase the festival itself claims: “no actors, no consultants.” On site, you meet founders, technical directors, investors, and makers, not panel professionals. The program is designed for meetings: SHAKA Awards ceremony and opening night on the first evening, surf & yoga session the second day, then a walk to the Biarritz lighthouse and oceanfront brunch to close. The “dealflow as much as surfboard” format is not an empty slogan: it is the matchmaking mechanism.
It is not a first try either. Born in 2022 under the name NFT Biarritz, the event was renamed SHAKA in 2024 to broaden its scope to AI and tech in a broader sense, and today it claims its fifth edition. Cointribune covers the 2026 edition: we detailed the program and early speakers a few weeks ago. Behind the organization are the Dupont brothers, Damien, head of OpenGem, and Franck, CTO of nüme.
This may be SHAKA’s true signature: the coexistence of worlds that rarely cross. On the crypto ecosystem side, stands include Binance, Crypto.com, Polkadot, Solana, and the CES Web3 Tokenization Village. On the institutional and industrial side, there is BPI France, Airbus, or the Basque Country agglomeration. A mix that explains the event’s reputation with an audience both Web3 and “traditional tech”.
The speaker lineup follows the same logic. Among the already confirmed names: Paul Midy, MP engaged on tech topics, Rachel Delacour (CEO of Sweep), Francis Lelong (CEO of Alegria Groupe), Sylvain Theveniaud (Allianz Accelerator), or Hervé Bloch (Le Fund), alongside Maider Arosteguy, mayor of Biarritz. Other announcements are expected in the weeks leading up to the event, so the list is not fixed.
A useful clarification for French readers: the presence of a platform as a partner or exhibitor is event sponsorship, not a recommendation. Some services presented on-site are subject to access restrictions depending on jurisdictions; each must verify their eligibility.
Ticketing works in tiers, and the first has already dropped: the Early Bird at €120 is sold out. The Regular price at €190 is currently valid, before a last level Last Wave at €240. Each ticket covers the three days, meals and drinks included, as well as sports activities and evenings. Waiting therefore costs mechanically more.
With the code WELOVECOINT, the −20% discount applies to the current price, i.e. €152 instead of €190 today. The code is capped at a partner quota of 100 tickets and stops working as soon as this threshold is reached or the event closes, whichever comes first. Travel and accommodation in Biarritz remain your responsibility.
One last question posed implicitly by the format: can a festival that bets as much on surfing as on roundtables remain a place for serious business as it grows? Organizers aim for 2,500 people this year. See you September 24-26, between two waves, to see if the balance holds.
Book your SHAKA Festival Biarritz 2026 ticket and enter the code WELOVECOINT at checkout for −20%. Offer subject to partner quota availability (100 tickets).
