BackstageCon began in 2022 as the first dedicated conference for the Backstage ecosystem, bringing together adopters and contributors around the open source developer portal platform originally created at Spotify. As cloud native adoption continues to scale, platform engineering and internal developer portals have become critical to managing the growing complexity of Kubernetes, microservices, and distributed systems.
Right now, cloud native adoption is colliding with AI-accelerated software delivery. Teams can generate and ship code faster than they can maintain ownership, documentation, security, and operational clarity. BackstageCon matters because the community needs shared patterns for making the portal and catalog the trusted context layer that AI copilots and agents can safely use — with golden paths, standardized metadata, and governance at the core.
Who will get the most out of attending this event?
BackstageCon is especially valuable for platform engineering and internal developer platform teams building or operating Backstage in production. These teams will gain practical patterns for scaling Backstage across large organizations, from catalog structure and governance to plugin ecosystems, observability, and AI integration.
Practitioners already running Backstage will benefit from real-world case studies and operational lessons. AI-forward organizations will see how to manage models, agents, and AI workflows as first-class entities within the developer portal. Maintainers and plugin developers can better understand ecosystem direction and integration best practices. Newcomers will walk away with a clear picture of what mature, production-grade Backstage implementations look like and where the project is heading.
What is new and different this year?
This year brings a stronger focus on AI and how it intersects with platform engineering. Sessions such as Agentic Backstage: How to Manage an AI Software Catalog and Modern AI IDP: The Backstage + Kubeflow Way reflect a shift toward integrating AI workflows, models, and agents directly into the internal developer platform.
There is also expanded emphasis on developer experience and ecosystem maturity. Topics such as runtime plugins, platform CLIs, and building a healthy Backstage plugin ecosystem highlight a move beyond initial adoption toward long-term sustainability and extensibility. Observability remains a key theme, with sessions exploring how to instrument Backstage with OpenTelemetry and apply production-grade practices to the portal itself.
What will the day look like?
The day begins with welcome remarks followed by keynotes and practitioner talks exploring unified developer experience, Backstage philosophy, and the challenges of scaling platforms in an AI-enabled world.
Mid-morning sessions include lightning talks, sponsored keynotes, and deeper technical discussions on scaling Backstage and managing AI-oriented software catalogs. After lunch, the focus shifts to more advanced technical sessions covering observability, runtime plugins, case studies, and platform tooling.
Throughout the day, attendees can expect panel discussions, lightning talks, and networking breaks that encourage community interaction and knowledge sharing. The event concludes with closing remarks that tie together the day’s insights and themes.
Should I do any homework first?
While no prior experience is required, some background knowledge will help you get more value from the day. A basic understanding of Backstage — including the software catalog, plugins, and templates — is helpful. Familiarity with platform engineering concepts and internal developer platforms will also provide useful context.
Working knowledge of cloud native technologies such as Kubernetes, CI/CD, and microservices will make the technical sessions easier to follow. For AI-focused sessions, it is helpful to understand how organizations are operationalizing AI and machine learning workloads, including models, agents, and pipelines.
It can also be useful to reflect on your own organization’s developer experience challenges before attending. Many talks focus on governance, scaling, and real-world production lessons, so having your own context in mind will make it easier to apply what you learn.
Find your community!
BackstageCon strengthens the community by bringing together adopters, maintainers, and contributors in a space dedicated entirely to Backstage and platform engineering. It creates opportunities to share production stories, surface common challenges, and align on best practices.
By spotlighting plugin development, governance, and maintainer perspectives, the event supports a healthy and sustainable ecosystem. As cloud native and AI complexity grow, BackstageCon provides a forum for collaboration and shared learning, helping teams move forward together with clearer patterns and a stronger sense of direction.
Don’t forget to register for KubeCon + CloudNativeCon Europe 2026.