Microsoft Ignite 2026 Guide: Dates, Pass Prices & Attendees

Microsoft Ignite 2026 runs from 17 to 20 November at Moscone Center in San Francisco, with badge pickup and pre-day labs from 16 November. For Ignite 2025, Microsoft reported more than 200,000 registrants and over 20,000 in-person attendees.

Ignite is where Microsoft announces products across Azure, Microsoft 365, Copilot, security and Dynamics. This guide covers passes, the audience and how Microsoft partners and ISVs can use the week.

Microsoft Ignite 2026 at a glance


Next edition	17-20 November 2026 (labs from 16 November)
Venue	Moscone Center
City	San Francisco, California (2026)
Typical month	November
Frequency	Annual
Attendance	20,000+ in person; 200,000+ registrants incl. online (2025)
Exhibitors	~200 partners
Industry	Enterprise IT, cloud, AI & security
Organizer	Microsoft
Official website	ignite.microsoft.com

Ignite in a nutshell

Ignite is where Microsoft announces products across Azure, Microsoft 365, Copilot, security and Dynamics. IT professionals, developers, architects, business leaders and partners attend sessions, labs and the partner hub.

Partners (MSPs, ISVs, SIs, hardware makers) use it heavily for customer and co-sell meetings.

Where does Ignite take place?

Moscone Center, San Francisco (2026). Previous editions were in Chicago and other cities.

Does it change location? Yes, it has moved between cities (Chicago, San Francisco, others).

Aerial view of the San Francisco skyline. Photo by Chris Leipelt on Unsplash.

Who you’ll meet at Ignite

IT professionals and architects
Security admins
Developers
Business decision-makers
Microsoft partners (MSPs, ISVs, SIs)

You will find real buyers with real budgets, mixed with technical staff and partners. Segmenting the attendee list by role and company size before the show saves a lot of wasted booth conversations.

Your booth is booked. Is your target list? I build enriched Ignite attendee and exhibitor lists so your team can book meetings weeks ahead. Ask about Ignite

What Ignite covers

Azure cloud and AI
Copilot and Microsoft 365
Security (Defender, Sentinel, Entra)
Data and Fabric
Dynamics 365
Developer tools

Why Ignite matters for sales teams

Ignite attracts IT professionals, architects, security teams, developers and business leaders who run Microsoft environments. Many are planning Copilot and Azure AI projects and want partners to help.

For MSPs, ISVs and system integrators, the most valuable attendees are IT decision-makers at enterprise customers. Knowing which companies are sending which roles helps partners focus their meetings and co-sell activities.

Should you go to Ignite?

Best for: vendors with a defined segment in enterprise IT who are ready to filter the attendee base by role and company size.

Less ideal for: teams expecting qualified leads to come to them. At Ignite, the useful meetings are almost always arranged before the show opens.

Passes and pricing

Option	Price / details
Also good to know	Conference pass from $2,325
Hub-only pass	$1,625
Digital pass	free
Typical cost	~$1,600-2,300.

Prices change between editions and by registration date, so treat these as a guide and check ignite.microsoft.com before you buy.

Event app and digital platform

Yes. The Microsoft Ignite app lets you star sessions, check capacity, see room changes and find your way around Moscone in real time.

The official app is good for finding a booth or a session. It is much less useful for prospecting: data is thin, you can’t export it, and messaging limits stop you from reaching more than a handful of people a day.

Ignite: strengths and weaknesses

Pros	Cons
Huge Microsoft ecosystem	Microsoft-centric
Partner co-selling opportunities	SF hotel costs
Free digital pass widens reach	Technical audience

A pre-show prospecting plan for Ignite

When	What to do
Early planning	Pull the attendee, exhibitor and speaker lists and score them against your ideal customer profile.
Pre-show outreach	Contact your top tier personally and your second tier with a short sequence. Aim to book meetings, not booth visits.
On site	Work from a printed or mobile list of priority accounts and use breaks and evening events for warm introductions.
Post-show	Follow up fast, share what you promised, and keep the list for next year’s edition.

Hub-only passes cost $1,625, less than the full conference. If your team only needs to meet customers, the Hub pass may be all you need.

Want this done for you? Send me the event and your ideal buyer profile. I’ll return an enriched Ignite list, ready for your outreach sequence. Contact me on Prospector

Frequently asked questions

When is Microsoft Ignite 2026?

17-20 November 2026 (labs from 16 November). Dates can shift, so confirm on the official website (ignite.microsoft.com) before booking travel.

Where is Ignite held?

Moscone Center, San Francisco (2026). Previous editions were in Chicago and other cities.

Does it move? Yes, it has moved between cities (Chicago, San Francisco, others).

How much does a Ignite ticket cost?

~$1,600-2,300. See the pricing table above for pass types.

Who attends Ignite?

Mainly IT professionals and architects; security admins; developers; business decision-makers.

Can I get the Ignite attendee list?

Event organisers rarely sell attendee lists. Prospector builds one for you from the event app and website: attendees, exhibitors and speakers, enriched with job title, company, company size, industry, LinkedIn profile and work email where available, delivered as a CRM-ready file before the event. Ask about Ignite here.

Get the Ignite attendee list

Planning for Ignite? Send me a message on Prospector. Tell me who you sell to, and I’ll come back with what the attendee and exhibitor data looks like for this event.

Photo credits

Cover image: Photo by Product School on Unsplash
In-article image: Photo by Chris Leipelt on Unsplash

Sources

Event details were last checked in October 2026. Dates, venues and prices can change, so confirm them on the official event website.