London · Bush House
Hosted by KCL Tech
HackKings brings 300+ university builders to Bush House in central London for a free 24-hour hackathon on 21–22 November 2026. Over one intensive weekend, participants will design, engineer and present working software, taking an idea from initial concept to a live demo by Sunday afternoon. Organised by KCL Tech, King’s College London’s flagship hackathon is built around making and shipping. You can define your own project or respond to optional tracks and sponsor challenges announced during the opening ceremony. Projects will be assessed by a panel of academics and industry judges on technical merit, originality, execution and presentation clarity, with full weightings shared at the event. What happens over the weekend Saturday begins with registration at 10:00, followed by the opening ceremony and keynote at 11:00. Hacking starts at midday, with a team-formation session shortly afterwards. The programme continues through the night before submissions close at 13:00 on Sunday. The final afternoon includes: - A project expo and demos from 14:00 - Judging and deliberation from 16:00 - Closing remarks and awards at 17:30 Food, refreshments, workspace and overnight facilities are provided throughout, including Saturday dinner plus breakfast, coffee and lunch on Sunday. Participants should bring a valid student ID, laptop, chargers and any specialist hardware their project needs. A sleeping bag is recommended for anyone planning to stay overnight. Who can take part? HackKings is open to any currently enrolled university student, regardless of institution or year of study, you do not need to attend King’s College London. Entry is free, and teams may include up to four people. Solo participants and incomplete teams are welcome, with a dedicated formation session helping builders find collaborators. No previous hackathon experience is required. Around a third of entrants are expected to be first-timers, and mentors will be available on site alongside introductory workshops across both days. That makes the weekend suitable for experienced student developers as well as newcomers who want practical experience building under time pressure.… Register for this event
