World Economic Forum at Davos 2026: Dates, location and what to expect

EXPLAINERWorld Economic Forum at Davos 2026: Dates, location and what to expectEvery year, the World Economic Forum meeting takes place at the Swiss Alpine resort of Davos.Published On 20 Jan 2026The World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting kicked off in the Swiss resort city of Davos on Monday, with global figures from politics, business, academia and civil society attending the five-day event.The annual forum that attempts to shape global agendas comes at a time of massive global upheaval.United States President Donald Trump will attend the annual event along with other global leaders. His attendance comes amid strained US ties with its European allies over his threat to take over Greenland, a semi-autonomous territory of Denmark.Here is more about the WEF and what to expect at the meeting.The WEF is a think tank and event organiser based in the Swiss city of Geneva. The first summit held in Davos in 1971 was a gathering of business executives. However, over the years, it has expanded in scope, discussing issues as diverse as economic disparity, climate change, technology and global cooperation.Where is the WEF summit in 2026?The summit is at the conference centre in Davos, an Alpine town in Switzerland, famous for its ski resort and home to about 10,000 people.Davos, at a height of about 1,500 metres (nearly 5,000 feet), is located in the Graubunden canton in the eastern Alps of Switzerland.It has been the venue of the WEF summit every year in January since 1971.When is the summit at Davos?The main sessions began on Monday, January 19, and the annual meeting will wrap up on January 23.Sessions begin at 9am (08:00 GMT) every day.Who is expected to attend, and who isn’t?Nearly 3,000 high-level participants from business, government and beyond, plus untold numbers of activists, journalists and outside observers are expected to attend.