Qiskit Fall FestESPOL · 2026Qiskit Fall Fest 2026 · ESPOL

ESPOL · Guayaquil, Ecuador

Qiskit Fall Fest 2026

A decade of quantum on the cloud

A week of quantum computing at ESPOL: hands-on Qiskit workshops, a hackathon, talks and community. Part of the global Qiskit Fall Fest, supported by IBM Quantum.

Dates
Venue
Gustavo Galindo Campus, ESPOL

What it is

A week to actually get into quantum computing

Qiskit Fall Fest is a global season of student-run events supported by IBM Quantum. The 2026 thread is a decade of quantum on the cloud: ten years since IBM opened the first quantum computer anyone with an internet connection could use.

This is the ESPOL edition. A week of hands-on workshops, a hackathon, talks, and room to meet people working in the field. Free and open to the whole university.

  • Hands-on workshops

    Circuits from scratch to running on a real IBM QPU. Bring your laptop, leave with code that runs.

  • Hackathon

    Two days to solve a challenge as a team, with mentors available throughout.

  • Talks and panels

    What is being researched, where it is being used, and how people break into the field.

  • Community

    The part that is not on the schedule: meeting the people already deep in this.

The global network

ESPOL is one host in something much larger

participants in 2025
32,000+participants in 2025
organizers in 2025
150organizers in 2025
host venues all-time
445host venues all-time
years of quantum on the cloud
10years of quantum on the cloud

Figures from the global Qiskit Fall Fest. 2025 closed with more than 32,000 participants; the all-time total covers every edition since 2021.

Program

Five days, from your first circuit to the hackathon

The first days start from zero. The hackathon closes the week. The schedule may still shift.

  • 09:0009:30
    Logistics

    Check-in and welcome

    Main hall
  • 09:3010:15
    Talk

    Ten years of quantum on the cloud

    What changed since IBM opened the first publicly accessible quantum computer, and where the research stands today.

    Led byPor confirmar

    Aula Magna
  • 10:3012:30
    WorkshopBeginnerLimited seats

    Your first circuit with Qiskit

    Superposition, entanglement and measurement, building circuits from scratch. No quantum physics background needed.

    Led byPor confirmar

    Lab 1
  • 14:0016:00
    WorkshopBeginnerLimited seats

    From circuit to a real QPU

    Transpilation, backend selection and reading results while running on IBM Quantum hardware.

    Led byPor confirmar

    Lab 1
  • 16:1517:00
    Social

    Coffee and networking

    Main hall

Who is coming

Speakers

Being confirmed over the next few weeks.

  • Por confirmar

    Opening talk

    Reserved for whoever opens the event with the decade-of-quantum-on-the-cloud story.

  • Por confirmar

    Qiskit workshops

    Whoever runs the hands-on circuit and real-hardware sessions.

  • Por confirmar

    Research panel

    Quantum research happening today in Ecuador and the region.

Hackathon

Challenges and prizes

Final challenges are published on kickoff day.

  • Optimization

    Combinatorial optimization

    Attack a routing or assignment problem with QAOA and compare against the classical solution.

  • Simulation

    System simulation

    Model a small system and estimate its energy with variational algorithms.

  • Open

    Open challenge

    Any idea that uses Qiskit and can be demoed running within two days.

  • 1st placeTo be announced
  • 2nd placeTo be announced
  • Best newcomer teamTo be announced

Before you come

Show up with this ready

Workshops are hands-on from minute one. Without an account and Qiskit installed, your first hour goes to setup instead of code.

  1. Create your IBM Quantum Platform account

    Free, and it gives you access to real quantum hardware over the cloud. Do it early: verification can take a while.

    Create account

  2. Install Qiskit

    Python 3.9+ and `pip install qiskit qiskit-ibm-runtime`. A cloud notebook works too.

    Installation guide

  3. Bring a charged laptop

    It does not need to be powerful: circuits run on lightweight simulators or straight on IBM QPUs.

Reserve your seat

Hands-on workshops and the hackathon have limited seats because of lab capacity.

Where

Getting there

Gustavo Galindo Campus, ESPOL

Km 30.5 Vía Perimetral Guayaquil, Ecuador

Open in maps

Exact rooms and labs are confirmed along with the final schedule. Check-in is at the main hall on day one.

Supported by

Sponsors and partners

Lead sponsor

  • Auspiciante principal por confirmar

    Reserved for the event lead sponsor.

Gold

  • Auspiciante por confirmar

Academic partners

  • Aliado académico por confirmar

Community

  • Comunidad por confirmar

Want your organization to sponsor the event? Write to us at contacto@ejemplo.espol.edu.ec

Who we are

The team

An event organized by ESPOL students.

Organizing committee

  • Por confirmar

    General coordination

  • Por confirmar

    Workshops and technical content

  • Por confirmar

    Communications and design

  • Por confirmar

    Logistics and venues

Faculty

  • Por confirmar

    Faculty advisor

Questions

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a quantum physics background?

No. The first days start from zero and are meant for people who code but have never touched quantum computing. The only real prerequisite is being comfortable with Python.

Is there a cost?

No. Qiskit Fall Fest is free. Hands-on workshops do have limited seats because lab capacity is limited.

Can I attend only some activities?

Yes. Talks and panels are open. The hackathon and hands-on workshops need a reserved seat.

What should I bring on day one?

Your laptop, with an IBM Quantum Platform account already created and Qiskit installed. The prerequisites section has the links. Showing up without them means spending the first hour installing instead of coding.

Do I need a powerful computer?

No. Circuits run on lightweight simulators or directly on IBM QPUs over the cloud. Any laptop that runs Python is enough.

Is it only for ESPOL students?

No. The event is open to students from other universities and to anyone interested, up to venue capacity.

Is there a certificate?

The certificate and badge policy will be confirmed closer to the date. The global Fall Fest usually issues an IBM digital badge to those who complete the activities.

What exactly is Qiskit Fall Fest?

It is a global season of student-run quantum computing events, supported by IBM Quantum. Each host builds its own program. This is the ESPOL edition.