PyJam guide for PyLadiesCon 2026

Thank you for your interest in PyJam, our new track showcasing the musicians, performers and artists in the Python community! This guide covers what to expect and how to prepare, from applying through to broadcast.

For the full story on what PyJam is and why we’re doing it, see our announcement blog post. For details on signing in and using the portal itself, see our post on the PyLadiesCon speaker portal. How to record a good video and how to send it to us is in the Video guide, which applies to every pre-recorded session; this page covers what is specific to PyJam.

If you have any questions, contact us at [email protected].

Who can participate?

PyJam isn’t limited to PyLadies, that’s why it’s called PyJam! It’s open to people across the Python community, regardless of gender, race, age or background. You can perform by yourself or as part of a group.

All performances and participation must follow the PyLadiesCon Code of Conduct. Please read it before applying.

How PyJam works, step by step

1. Apply through the portal at portal.pyladies.com/speakers/propose. Create an account, or sign in with your existing one if you’ve volunteered with PyLadiesCon before, and tell us about the performance you’d like to submit.
2. We plan the schedule. Knowing what performances are coming in helps us build the PyJam programme, so apply as early as you can even if your performance isn’t recorded yet.
3. Upload your video on the portal. Once your performance is on the programme, your session page in the portal has an Upload video button. See Submitting your video in the Video guide. Submission deadline: 21 November 2026.
4. We review and edit your video. Our post-production team handles the finishing touches, and your checklist in the portal shows each step as it happens.
5. You review the edited cut. The final cut comes back to you on the same session page, and a to-do, Approve the final cut, opens for you to tick, or to tell us what needs fixing.
6. Broadcast. Your performance airs during the conference as part of the PyJam schedule.

Important dates to remember

• Apply with your performance details as soon as you can, there’s no fixed deadline for this step, but earlier applications help us plan the programme.
• Video submission deadline: 21 November 2026. Upload it on the portal, from your session page.
• PyJam broadcasts between 5 December 2026, 16:30 UTC and 6 December 2026, 23:45 UTC.

What we’re looking for

The call is open to:

• Music and singing
• Dance
• Theatre
• Spoken word and poetry
• Comedy
• Magic
• Juggling and circus arts
• DJ sets
• Storytelling
• Generative and visual art
• Other creative performances we haven’t thought of

Your performance can be up to 10 minutes long. You don’t need to be a professional performer, if this is something you love doing, we’d love to see it.

Recording requirements

You upload your video through the portal, from your session page. The format, tips for a good recording, recording tools, equipment and the upload steps are in the Video guide. What is specific to PyJam:

• Your performance can be no longer than 10 minutes. The portal checks the length when you upload, and the page tells you if it is over.
• Landscape, ideally 1920 × 1080, MP4 preferred (MKV accepted).
• If your performance uses copyrighted music, backing tracks, recordings, images or other material created by someone else, please make sure you have permission to use them in a video that will be publicly broadcast and published online.

Before your performance starts, you can choose to briefly introduce yourself if you’d like. You might want to say:

• Your name
• Where you’re from or how you’re connected to the Python community
• What you’re going to perform
• A little background about the piece or performance

This is completely optional. We’ll have a moderator introducing your performance before it begins and wrapping up afterwards, so if you’d rather start straight with the performance, that’s absolutely fine too.

If you’re singing or playing an instrument, do a short test recording first and listen back with headphones; if you’re dancing, juggling or moving around, leave enough space in the frame for your whole performance. The rest of the recording advice is in the Video guide.

After you upload, our post-production team takes over, and the edited cut comes back to you on the same session page for your approval; see After you submit.

When will PyJam be broadcast?

PyLadiesCon 2026 runs from 5-7 December, and PyJam performances will be scheduled between 5 December 2026 at 16:30 UTC and 6 December 2026 at 23:45 UTC, throughout the conference before Sprints. The final schedule will be published before the event.

If there’s a particular time during the conference when you’d prefer your performance to be broadcast, let us know when you apply. We can’t guarantee a particular slot, but we’ll do our best to accommodate you.

Videos will be made publicly available afterwards on the PyLadies YouTube channel.

Join us when your performance is broadcast

Although your performance is pre-recorded, we’d love you to be around when it goes live. Our main conference community space is on Discord. If you can, hop into the main Discord chat when your performance is being broadcast, you can see people’s reactions, join the conversation, and answer questions from attendees. It’s probably the closest an online conference can get to cheering from the front row. If your schedule doesn’t allow you to join us live, that’s completely fine too.

Thank you

Thank you for being part of our first PyJam! If you have any questions along the way, reach out to us at [email protected].