WordCamp Asia 2026 has kicked off with an exciting Contributor Day, bringing together around 1500+ participants to connect, learn, and contribute to WordPress.
Guided by 38 table leads, contributors of all experience levels came together to exchange ideas, work on key initiatives, and support the growth of the WordPress project.
In addition to the Contributor sessions, the event featured four workshops, YouthCamp, an Open Source Library, and a panel discussion, “The Making of a WordPress Release: Conversations with Past Release Squad Members,” focusing on the WordPress release process.
Highly Engaging Contributor Sessions
We had a highly engaging Contributor Day with enthusiastic participants. Collaboration and learning were the highlights, with both experienced and new contributors working together to build WordPress.
There were 20+ contribution tables, each led by experienced table leads. New contributors also participated in testing the WordPress release candidate. Below are some key highlights:
CLI
Led by Lovekesh Kumar, the CLI table welcomed curious contributors, including some new contributors. The team raised 3 PRs and helped newcomers get started with WP-CLI, including local setup.
Some contributors also began work they plan to continue after the event, making it a productive day for both learning and contribution.
Community
Led by Devin Maeztri and Rocio Valdivia, the Community table welcomed around 40 contributors. The team supported 4 meetup groups through application review and orientation—Hyderabad, Vadodara, Bilaspur, and Seone—and completed orientation for 2 WordCamps: Mumbai and Kathmandu.
There was strong interest from individuals and businesses in contributing to the Community Team, with some expressing interest in becoming Global Sponsors.
Core AI
Led by Aslam Doctor, Deepak Gupta, and Gajendra Singh, the Core AI table brought together 50+ new contributors. The team opened some new issues, closed a few, and opened some PRs for AI.
A key highlight was the strong energy from new contributors, who quickly got involved and moved work forward.
Core Editor
Led by Isabel Brison and Mayank Tripathi, the Core Editor table welcomed around 20 contributors. The team contributed some PRs and completed a few reviews.
It was a focused day, with contributors improving the editor while helping newer participants get involved.
Core Performance
Led by Weston Ruter and Aditya Dhade, the Core Performance table had 10+ contributors. They reviewed some PRs, created some issues, and completed 2 site audits.
A meaningful highlight was connecting in person and building relationships beyond online collaboration.
Documentation
Led by Cheyne Klein, the Documentation table welcomed around 25 contributors, including 10 new contributors. The team worked on course thumbnails, updated the Training Team Handbook, and promoted the Training Team.
A standout moment was a new contributor identifying, submitting, and fixing an issue. Overall, it was a day of strong collaboration and learning.
Patterns
Led by Chetan Prajapati, the Pattern table brought together around 40 contributors, including about 25 new contributors. They submitted some patterns, with a few already approved.
The table saw strong enthusiasm, especially from design-focused contributors interested in continuing their contributions.
Photos
Led by Mujeebu Rahman and Nilesh Shiragave, the Photos table welcomed 40+ contributors, including 31 new contributors. The team uploaded 76 photos, reflecting strong participation.
It was a lively table and a great entry point for first-time contributors.
Polyglots
Led by Suresha N, Kinjal Dalwadi, and Swapnil, the Polyglots table engaged 70+ contributors, including 50 new contributors. On-site, they suggested 7,000+ strings and reviewed over 3,200 strings.
Remote contributors also suggested 14,000 strings in Russian, showcasing strong global collaboration.
Support
Led by Kartik Shukla and Prathamesh, the Support table welcomed around 45 contributors. The team answered about 15+ new topics and worked through around 25+ unresolved ones.
It was a welcoming space with strong interest from first-time contributors.
Test
Led by Ankit, Nikunj, and Pavan, the Test table brought together around 25 contributors, including 15 new contributors. The team worked on 20+ tickets and added test reports.
New contributors also tested the WordPress release candidate, gaining hands-on experience.
Training
Led by Rithika Marar, Sumit Singh, Sonali Prajapati, and Rade Jekic, the Training Table welcomed around 55 contributors, including 35 new contributors.
While detailed stats were not available, the turnout reflected strong engagement and interest.
WPCS
Led by Rodrigo Primo, the WPCS table welcomed around 15 contributors, all new. The focus was on onboarding, with participants learning how to use WPCS in their projects.
It became a space for discussion, curiosity, and learning.
WPTV
Led by Rahul D Sarker and Dilip, the WPTV table brought together around 30 contributors, including 20 new contributors. The team focused on onboarding, explaining the handbook and moderation process, and answering questions.
It was a helpful space for understanding how to contribute to WordPress.tv.
Education
Led by Abhay Kulkarni and Maciej Pilarski, the Education Table brought a lot of interest among the attendees. They informed attendees about Campus Connect, the Credits Program, and other educational initiatives aimed at students.
Additionally, there were tables for hosting, themes, playground, and more Make WordPress teams.
Contributor Day Workshops
The Contributor Day Workshops created a welcoming, hands-on space for attendees who wanted a guided way to get started with WordPress contributions. With over 320 participants across four sessions, the workshops gave beginners and curious learners the chance to build confidence, ask questions, and explore practical WordPress skills in a supportive environment.
WordPress Core Development Setup, led by Prem Tiwari with Nimesh Agrawal and Indira Biswas, helped 60+ participants take their first steps into Core contribution. Highlights included 57 successful local setups, 4 development tools introduced, and 47 participants fully prepared for future Core contribution work.
Beginner’s Guide to WordPress, led by Jamie Marsland with Rajan Lama and Sajid Ansari, welcomed 80+ participants who were new to the platform. The session highlighted 12 foundational concepts covered and 85+ participants who gained confidence using WordPress basics.
Building a Block Theme from Scratch, led by Birgit Pauli-Haack with Muhammad Ridwan and Bijay Yadav, engaged 85+ participants in learning modern WordPress theme building. Highlights also included new attendees introduced to modern theme workflows.
Beginner’s Guide to SEO, led by Pimchanok Ariyawanwit with Minal Purwar, brought together 100+ participants for a practical introduction to SEO. The good news is that most participants left with clear next steps for improving site visibility.
YouthCamp
Running alongside Contributor Day, YouthCamp offered a dedicated morning for young participants to build, explore, and create with WordPress in a hands-on and supportive environment. Designed as a guided build session rather than a lecture, it gave 20+ participants the chance to work in small groups, follow a simple step-by-step flow, and leave with something they had built themselves.
Throughout the morning, participants moved through orientation, guided build time, and a short showcase where they shared their work with others. The session closed with celebration, recognition, and a family photo, giving participants a chance to proudly showcase what they had created.
More than just a workshop, YouthCamp created memorable moments, built confidence, and introduced young creators and their families to open source in a way that felt both meaningful and inspiring.
Open-Source Library
The Open-Source Library offered a different kind of experience within Contributor Day, one built around conversation, reflection, and human connection.
Running alongside the main Contributor Day activities, it created a safe and welcoming space where participants could slow down, listen, share, and learn from the lived experiences of others through one-on-one or small-group conversations.
Throughout the day, the Open-Source Library welcomed 60+ curious minds borrowers and hosted 18 books across a range of thoughtful and personal topics. Some participants arrived with specific questions, while others came to listen and better understand how people find their place in open source. No matter how they joined, the space gave them room to engage at their own pace and leave with new perspectives.
With the help of scheduled time slots, on-site facilitators, and librarian-guided participant flow, the program remained approachable and easy to navigate. Highlights included 30+ one-on-one sessions and 4 small-group conversations.
The Open-Source Library reminded participants that open source is not only about tools, tasks, or documentation, but also about people, personal journeys, and the stories that help others feel seen, encouraged, and connected.
Food, Networking, and Fun
WordCamps are more than typical conferences with serious sessions. They offer the best food, networking, and fun opportunities with like-minded people who love WordPress.
The food menu included the best of Indian meals designed for people with different food preferences. The food menu included the sweetest desserts.
On top of food, the event offered plenty of spaces for networking and fun activities like photography.
To conclude, it was a great Contributor Day at WordCamp Asia 2026. We’re looking forward to the conference days ahead.
Thank you to everyone who joined the Contributor Day!
Warm Regards
WordCamp Asia 2026 Organizing Team
