ACCU on Sea : A joint production of ACCU and C++ on Sea
Two great UK software developer conferences come together in one great venue for a week just above sea level.
The ACCU conference has been a staple of the UK software developer community for decades, and for the last of those decades has been hosted in Bristol, in the spring. In the past we have also had additional events, such as the series of ACCU Security events around the early 2010s and most recently, the ACCU Autumn event in Belfast in 2019.
But times change. Following the pandemic, (for a number of reasons) attendance remains significantly down at most of the major conferences in our community. Meantime expenses relentlessly spiral up! We have reached the point where the event is no longer sustainable in its current form.
But the ACCU Conference is run and managed by people who are passionate about the ACCU community and this great event! We want to preserve everything that has made it great over the years.
With this in mind, we’re excited to announce that in 2026 ACCU will be joining forces with C++ on Sea to present a single combined event!
The ACCU conference has always had a core of pure C++ content - from its roots in the 90s and early 2000s as a C and C++ focused event - through the 2010s where there were always at least 3 tracks of mostly C++ content. So simply ring-fencing those tracks as having a pure C++ focus and branding them “C++ on Sea” gives us a near perfect intersection of what has made these two events so great and much loved!
But part of C++ on Sea’s identity is its location - it’s right there in the name! Well, as part of this arrangement, we’ll also be relocating to C++ on Sea’s venue in Folkestone, Kent. If you have not been there, it’s a great venue, with a lot of character, and stunning views across the English Channel. There’s a reason C++ on Sea has built its brand around it - and now that comes to ACCU, too. We’ll miss Bristol, which has served us well, but there is much to look forward to, too.
The other big change will be the dates. Traditionally, the main ACCU event has run in the spring. But to take full advantage of the new location, we’ll be running later in the year - in June.
The format will remain largely unchanged (and returning to our Wednesday - Saturday schedule for the main conference - with pre-conference workshops on Monday and Tuesday). The three C++ tracks will be more explicitly called out as being C++ tracks - as part of the C++ on Sea sub-event - but that is little more than a naming exercise.
Of course, all this is possible because both events are now managed by Shaved Yaks Ltd. But the conference with still be chaired by Guy Davidson, who will also continue to be the primary MC. The ACCU Conference Programme Committee will remain engaged in assembling the programme. Other traditions, such as the conference dinner, are also preserved - but now with views over the sea!
So, exciting times. We’re really looking forward to seeing how this all works out. See you at next year’s event.
ACCU on Sea : Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone, Kent
15th-20th June 2026.