SHAKA Festival Arrives in Biarritz: AI, Web3, and Surfing on the Agenda

From September 24 to 26, 2026, the Cité de l'Océan in Biarritz will host the new edition of the SHAKA Festival, three days blending tech conferences, Web3 workshops, and surfing sessions facing the Atlantic. Founders, developers, and investors have been gathering there since 2022, when the event was still called NFT Biarritz.

In Brief

• Dates: September 24-26, 2026, at the Cité de l'Océan, Biarritz.
• More than 2,500 participants expected, 80+ speakers, 100+ companies, and 30+ media on-site, according to the organizers.
• Confirmed crypto partners: Binance, Crypto.com, Polkadot, Solana, and the CES Web3 Tokenization Village.
• Regular ticket priced at €190.

From NFT Biarritz to SHAKA: A Story That Dates Back to 2022 {#h-from-nft-biarritz-to-shaka-a-story-that-dates-back-to-2022}

The event is no trial run. Launched in 2022 under the name NFT Biarritz, it already received coverage from Cointribune during its second edition, with support at the time from Solana, Polygon, and Ledger. Renamed SHAKA in 2024 to broaden its scope to artificial intelligence and tech in general, the festival is now in its fifth edition according to the organizers. A sign of its traction, mainstream media has followed suit: Le Figaro, Capital, 20 Minutes, and Sud Ouest have each dedicated an article to the event in recent years.

The format remains true to the Basque DNA of the event: networking mornings while running or surfing, workshops and round tables in the afternoon, and closing parties in the evening. The SHAKA Awards ceremony kicks off the first evening, a surf & yoga session sets the rhythm for the second day, and the festival concludes with a walk to the Biarritz lighthouse followed by an ocean-view brunch.

Who Will Be on Stage: A Lineup Focused on AI and Web3 {#h-who-will-be-on-stage-a-lineup-focused-on-ai-and-web3}

The SHAKA Festival boasts over 80 speakers, with a strong focus on tech, finance, and the French ecosystem. Among the names already announced are: Paul Midy, MP and figure in French tech politics, Rachel Delacour, CEO of Sweep, Francis Lelong, CEO of Alegria Groupe, and Sylvain Theveniaud, founder of Allianz Accelerator. More speakers are expected to be announced in the weeks leading up to the event.

On the crypto ecosystem side, the list of partners for 2026 confirms the festival's Web3 anchoring: Binance, Crypto.com, Polkadot, and Solana are listed alongside institutional players like BPI France, Airbus, and the Pays Basque Agglomeration Community, a rare mix that has built the event's reputation. Project holders are not forgotten: the SHAKA Startup Challenge allows selected startups to pitch on stage in front of investors.

An Audience of Decision-Makers, Not Just a Beach Festival {#h-an-audience-of-decision-makers-not-just-a-beach-festival}

Behind the relaxed atmosphere of surfing, yoga, and skateboarding, the organizers emphasize a precise targeting: 72% of participants are said to be founders, executives, or decision-makers, according to figures provided by SHAKA. This positioning is confirmed by feedback from former participants, such as Albin Serviant, ambassador at La French Touch, who describes the event as "100% recommended, 0% sanitized". On Trustpilot, the festival has a rating of 4.7/5.

The talks are primarily held in French, with interventions in English depending on the speakers; the audience is presented as bilingual and international by the organizers. No skill level is required for the sports activities: instructors cater to all profiles, from complete beginners to experienced surfers.