Rec'n'Play 2026 Festival in Recife Announces Free Registration and New Features
The 8th edition of REC'n'Play, a festival focused on technology and innovation, is scheduled to take place from November 11 to 14 in the Bairro do Recife. The event will feature hands-on workshops, laboratories, and practical activities. Registration for the festival is free and has already opened online. This year's edition introduces several new elements, including an expanded circuit of activities incorporating Rua da Moeda and the addition of a street cinema, though the specific location for the cinema has not yet been disclosed. The Business Arena will also feature a "new configuration" within the recently inaugurated Núcleo de Empreendedorismo e Residência Digital (NERD), a space by Porto Digital designed to foster connections between startups, investors, and institutions. The theme for REC'n'Play 2026 is "The future is born here," aiming to highlight Recife and Pernambuco as hubs for originating global ideas. The festival's program will be structured around four main pillars: Technology, Business, Creative Economy, and Cities. For the first time, REC'n'Play has launched a public call for proposals, inviting individuals, companies, and collectives to submit activities such as workshops, debates, and experiences through the event's website. The festival, created to connect the Greater Recife population with technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, and creative economy, attracted over 80,000 registered participants in 2025, offering more than a thousand activities facilitated by approximately 2,000 content facilitators. REC'n'Play is organized by Porto Digital and Sebrae Pernambuco in collaboration with the Ampla Comunicação agency.
The REC'n'Play festival's expansion and open call for proposals signal a strategic effort to broaden its impact and foster a more inclusive innovation ecosystem. By incorporating new venues and diverse programming, the organizers aim to solidify Recife's position as a regional technology and creative hub. The emphasis on connecting startups with investors and institutions, coupled with the theme "The future is born here," suggests a focus on nurturing local talent and promoting economic growth through innovation. Future iterations could explore deeper integration with educational institutions and the development of long-term mentorship programs to sustain the momentum generated by the festival, ensuring that emerging ideas translate into tangible economic and social benefits for the region.
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