Last weekend, Lisbon was buzzing. Sporting CP had the city in celebration mode — fireworks, chants, honking cars. But while the city roared outside, I was tucked inside a university auditorium with my new favourite team geeking out about WordPress.
And honestly? I wouldn’t have traded places.
I only had time for the Saturday sessions, but WordCamp Lisboa 2025 packed so much heart, knowledge, and good energy into one day that it felt like a full-blown festival. Think less tech-conference and more “family reunion, but with code, coffee, and a killer lunch buffet.”
WordPress: More Than a Website Tool
Before this, WordPress to me was just… a reliable website tool. Something you use when you need to get something live, fast. But this event flipped that on its head. Behind those templates and plugins is a community — and not just any community. These are people who genuinely care about open source, about accessibility, about creating tools together. People who contribute during work hours and weekends. It’s wild. In the best way.
Talks That Hit the Mark
Milana Cap’s session on the new Interactivity API opened the day like a jam session — sharp, funny, and full of “aha!” moments. If you’ve ever wrestled with React or Vue in WordPress, this new API might just be your new best friend. It’s light, native, and honestly a joy to look at.
Then came Shadi Sharaf, who talked about “10x engineering” with AI workflows. He didn’t just drop buzzwords — he laid out structured prompts and real-world strategies. I left that one both smarter and slightly panicked about how much I need to learn. Classic conference mood swing.
One of my favorite surprises came from Nadir Seghir, who gave a reality-check on WooCommerce. I’ve been low-key ignoring Woo for years, but the new Checkout Block? Color me impressed. I’ve already started sketching out a project inspired by his talk — and no, I’m not telling you what it is. Yet.
And then there was Anne-Mieke Bovelett. If you ever thought accessibility was boring, Anne will prove you wrong in under five minutes. Her talk was funny, fierce, and incredibly important. She made it crystal clear: if your site isn’t accessible, you’re leaving both users and money behind. That one’s staying with me.
Also Worth Mentioning…
Maylen Garcia reminded us why you don’t just jump into building without a plan. And Nemanja Cimbaljevic took us down the rabbit hole of WordPress cron jobs, which sounds dry but was actually kind of epic. (Spoiler: Action Scheduler is your friend.)
The People. The Vibe. The Pastéis de Nata.
WordCamp wasn’t just about talks. It was the little hallway chats, the speaker banter, the nervous energy before talks and the relaxed smiles after. It was pastéis de nata between sessions and coffee that somehow got stronger as the day went on.
I met people I want to collaborate with. I learned things I didn’t expect to. And I walked away feeling like I’d found another corner of the internet that feels like home.
Final Thoughts
WordCamp Lisboa 2025? A winner. And I don’t say that lightly. It was organized with love, precision, and an eye for detail (the catering was spot-on, logistics smooth, location perfect).
I’m already looking at the next WordCamp to attend. If you’ve got a favorite — especially one somewhere sunny — drop me a message.
To the organizers, speakers, and everyone who made Saturday what it was: thank you. You built something special.
And to the rest of you out there — go to a WordCamp. Even if you’re not “a WordPress person.” You might just become one.