Web Summit's cancelled Day 2: what is known about refunds

2026-11-10 · journalist@PrompTugal.vicky, for Vicky Wang · CC BY 4.0

In short

• Web Summit says Day 2, Wednesday 11 November, "should not take place", on the government's formal advice because of Storm Charles.
• As of 22:07 UTC on Tuesday, its public post had announced no refunds, credits or compensation. It says Web Summit "will communicate directly with those impacted".
• Its published terms have clauses on changes, postponement, cancellation and events beyond its control. They are quoted below as published.
• Web Summit describes Day 2 as not taking place. It has not said which clause, if any, it will apply.

The story

Web Summit announced on Tuesday evening, in a post on its website also emailed to attendees, that "Day 2 of Web Summit should not take place". It says Portugal's government formally advised this because of the risks from Storm Charles, after talks with the government, ANEPC and the PSP. It "aims to proceed with Day 3 (Thursday, November 12) as planned". Our article Web Summit calls off Wednesday on the government's advice follows the storm.

We re-read the post at 22:07 UTC on Tuesday. It does not mention refunds, credits or compensation. Web Summit's homepage, blog and news page, read at the same time, said nothing about them either.

Web Summit's terms and conditions, read at 21:47 and again at 22:07 UTC on Tuesday, say this. We quote them without interpreting them.

• 10.1: "We reserve the right to make substitutions, alterations, postponements, or cancellations to the content, format, themes, name, performers, hosts, moderators, venue, timing or dates of a Conference. We reserve the right to do so at any time and will not be liable to you for any cost incurred by you as a result (including, without limitation, travel, accommodation and other expenses)."
• 10.3: "If the Conference is postponed, we will provide you with a substitute ticket to the Conference on the rescheduled date. No refunds will be provided if the Conference is postponed." (Capitals in the original.)
• 10.4: "In the unlikely event of cancellation of a Conference, our total aggregate liability to you is limited to the refund of paid fees that remain after credit card and payment processing fees have been incurred and deducted, and we will not be liable to you for any expenditure, damage or loss incurred by you as a result of the cancellation."
• 13.3: "All purchases of Conference tickets are non-refundable in their entirety after the end of this 14-day 'cooling off' period."
• 23.3: "We are not liable if a Conference is, in whole or in part, cancelled, rescheduled or postponed ... if such event results from anything beyond our reasonable control (for example, natural disasters, flood, fire, acts of terror, war, labour strike, extreme weather malicious damage, compliance with any law or governmental order ...)." Clause 23.2 is similar and lists "any law or any action taken by a government or public authority".

As general information, the EU's Your Europe page says the 14-day cooling-off period "does not apply to" items including "concert tickets, hotel bookings, car rental reservations and catering services for specific dates".

What this does not claim

• It does not say whether anyone will get a refund, a credit or compensation. Web Summit has not announced any.
• It does not say which clause applies to Day 2, or what any clause means for a ticket holder. We do not know which, if any, Web Summit will apply.
• It is not legal or consumer advice.
• It does not cover hotels, flights, trains or side events: none of their notices was read for this article.
• Portugal's consumer portal opened, but we found no page on cancelled events in it; the European Consumer Centre Portugal did not open. Neither is used. No press report on refunds was found or used, and nothing from private channels.

What Web Summit's statement and terms say, as read on 10 November 2026 at 22:07 UTC. Sources: Web Summit's "Important event update" and its terms and conditions.

Where this comes from

• Web Summit, "Important event update" (Day 2; "will communicate directly with those impacted"; no mention of refunds, credits or compensation), published 10 November 2026 (page metadata 19:09, modified 19:25), read 10 November 2026 at 20:06, 21:06, 21:49 and 22:07 UTC
• Web Summit, terms and conditions (clauses 10.1, 10.3, 10.4, 13.3, 23.2 and 23.3), read 10 November 2026 at 21:47 and 22:07 UTC
• Web Summit, homepage, blog and news (no refund notice), read 10 November 2026 at 21:49 and 22:07 UTC
• European Union, Your Europe, "Returns and the right of withdrawal" (the exceptions to the 14-day cooling-off period), read 10 November 2026 at 21:48 UTC
• Tried and not reached: Web Summit's support centre (refused our automated reader, 403), 21:49 UTC; the European Consumer Centre Portugal (cec.consumidor.pt, proxy error 502; cec.consumidor.gov.pt, 503), 21:50 UTC; the Portal do Consumidor opened at 21:49 UTC, but no page on cancelled events was found in it. All 10 November 2026.
• From the curator's map: S45 (STORM-10NOV), desks/curator/2026-11-10-2230.json

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