Slush 2026
Helsinki, 18 to 19 November. Founders and investors, with a Day 0 on the 17th
A reference page. Slush runs this event, not Aspire. We publish it because our community attends, and we keep it updated. Official site
- Dates
- 18 to 19 November 2026
- Venue
- Messukeskus Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre
- City
- Helsinki, Finland
- Run by
- Slush
- Tickets from
- about EUR 395, startup pass
Slush by the numbers
Every figure links to where it came from. Attendance for an event that has not happened is a projection, and each row says so rather than presenting it as a count.
- Main days18 to 19 Nov
Official dates. Wednesday to Thursday. 17 November is Day 0 for specific ticket types. Messukeskus, Helsinki. Slush FAQ
- Crowd, 2026 stated12,000
Official FAQ figure for 2026, not 13,000. Broken down as 5,800 startups, 3,300 investors, 2,100 partners, 300 media. Slush FAQ
- Startups, stated5,800
Organiser's 2026 breakdown on the FAQ. Treat as a target until after the event. Slush FAQ
- Investors, stated3,300
Same official 2026 breakdown. Slush FAQ
What is Slush?
Slush is Helsinki's founder and investor gathering. The 2026 main event is 18 to 19 November. The official FAQ puts the room at 12,000 people this year, with a Day 0 on 17 November for investor and founder ticket holders. It is a curated startup event, not a public consumer fair. EIT and the Slush site both publish those November dates.
Who goes to Slush?
Early-stage founders and the funds that meet them. Media have their own allocation. If you need a consumer-tech launch, IFA or CES is the better week. If you need Nordic and European seed and A-round density in two days, this is the room. Investor Office Hours sit on the main days.
Slush side events
Slush publishes an official side-event page. Search Slush side event and start there, not on a random aggregator. Y Science is named as a signature life-science side event in the 2025 recap, with 1,500 attendees claimed for that format. The 2026 list was still being built from last year's page when last checked. Unofficial nights fill Helsinki around 16 to 19 November and show up on Luma. Day 0 on 17 November is ticket-gated, not a public pre-party. Aspire does not run those nights.
Slush tickets and costs
Tickets are on slush.org. The Startup Pass runs about 395 euros including VAT and needs an application, the Thursday Pass about 595, and the Investor Pass about 1,195. Ecosystem tiers have been reported limited or sold out, and students often get in by volunteering. Pre-registration is how the cheaper tiers are sold. November in Helsinki is dark and cold. Stay walking distance from the venue or on a direct tram. The FAQ is the honest numbers page. Use it rather than last year's Wikipedia attendance, which records a much larger 2019 peak.
- Startup Passabout EUR 395
Includes VAT. Requires an application with a company profile rather than being open to buy, so it is gated by who you are and not only by price. Slush
- Thursday Passabout EUR 595
Includes VAT. The single-day option, which covers the second of the two main days. Slush
- Investor Passabout EUR 1,195
Includes VAT. Carries the matchmaking access that is the reason most investors attend. Ecosystem tiers have been reported limited or sold out. Slush
Getting to Messukeskus Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre
Messukeskus sits beside Pasila station, which is two stops and about five minutes from Helsinki Central on almost any commuter train. The airport train also stops at Pasila, so you can arrive from Vantaa without going into the city first. In November this matters: the walk from anywhere further is dark, cold and longer than it looks.
Where to stay for Slush
Pasila puts you next to the venue. The city centre around Kamppi and Kluuvi is five minutes by train and is where the evening programme happens. Helsinki is small relative to the number of people Slush brings in, so rooms go early and the ones left in November are expensive rather than merely pricey.
What to know before booking Slush
The useful meetings are booked before you land. The two main days are short. Treat 17 November as part of the trip if you hold the right ticket. The afterparty was marked sold out on the official site when last checked. Do not plan the social half around a public ticket that may not exist.
What runs alongside Slush
Named events on their own dates, and in several cases their own tickets. Booking the main days only is how people miss them.
- Slush Day 017 November 2026
The day before the main event, open to specific ticket types rather than to everyone. Ticket-gated, not a public pre-party, and worth planning the trip around if you hold the right pass.
Slush: common questions
How many people attend Slush?
The official FAQ puts the 2026 room at 12,000, broken down as 5,800 startups, 3,300 investors, 2,100 partners and 300 media. That is the organiser's own figure for this year, and it is lower than the 13,000 that circulates on third-party listings.
What is Slush Day 0?
17 November 2026, the day before the two main days, open to specific ticket types rather than to every attendee. It is ticket-gated rather than a public warm-up, so whether it is part of your trip depends entirely on which pass you hold.
How does Slush matchmaking work?
Slush runs founder-to-investor matchmaking as a core part of the event rather than a bolted-on app, and it opens well before the doors do. People who fill their schedule in advance get a materially different two days from people who arrive and improvise. Prepare early or do not bother.
Which Slush ticket do I qualify for?
The Startup Pass is about EUR 395 including VAT and needs an application with a company profile, the Thursday Pass is about EUR 595, and the Investor Pass is about EUR 1,195. Tiers are gated by role rather than simply priced differently, so check you qualify before budgeting against a price you cannot buy.
Is Slush worth it for founders?
More than most events of its kind, because the room is deliberately capped and 3,300 of the 12,000 are investors. That ratio is the product. It rewards preparation harder than any other event here, and punishes turning up without a booked schedule just as hard.
How do I get to the venue?
Messukeskus is beside Pasila station, two stops and about five minutes from Helsinki Central, and the airport train stops there too. In November the difference between a five-minute train and a twenty-minute walk in the dark is worth planning for.
Are Slush side events official?
Some are. Slush publishes its own side-event page, which is where to start rather than on an aggregator. Y Science was named as a signature life-science side event in the 2025 recap. Everything else fills Helsinki on Luma around 16 to 19 November and is run by other people.
Conferences worth reading next
Last checked against its sources on . Dates, venues and ticket tiers are set by Slush and can change. Confirm on the official site before booking travel.
These lists change, and we post when they do
Follow along on Instagram for the short version, or come into the Discord if you would rather ask a question and get an actual answer.