What it is
JSHeroes is a JavaScript and web development conference held every year in Cluj-Napoca. It is a non-profit event run by volunteers from the local developer community, and it keeps to one format: a single track over two days, so every attendee sees the same talks. The next edition is on 27 and 28 May 2027; the homepage currently offers a waitlist, and the venue has not been announced.
How the programme works
Talks last about 30 minutes and are chosen through an open call for papers. For 2026 the organisers received 217 proposals. According to the speaking page, a committee first rates the proposals anonymously; those above a threshold are then de-anonymised and compared topic by topic until the agenda is full. Selected speakers have their travel paid. Each year has a broad theme; in 2026 it was “Looking into the future”, with talks on tooling, performance, CSS, accessibility and the effect of AI on how software is built. Short panels ran on an alternative stage during the coffee breaks.
Who goes and how to take part
The audience is developers, and the organisers say more than half of attendees come from Cluj and the surrounding area. The 2026 edition was held on 14 and 15 May at Grand Hotel Italia, whose event spaces are described as wheelchair accessible. There are three ways in: a ticket, a talk proposal when the call opens, or sponsorship.
What came out of past editions
The organisers publish their budgets and expenses on a transparency page. It records that the first edition, in 2017, had around 350 attendees and that the 2019 edition had close to 700. The 2020 edition was cancelled because of COVID-19, and the 2022 edition lasted a single day. Since 2022 each speaker has been paid a 500-euro fee from the event’s reserve; when a speaker declines it, the money is donated to initiatives such as Women in Tech Cluj.
Why it matters for cities
JSHeroes is not a conference about cities. Its interest for local officials and researchers is as an example of a volunteer community running a recurring international event in Cluj-Napoca and publishing its accounts openly, so that other groups can copy the model.
Going, or following from home
Dates for 2027 are set, but ticket prices, the venue and a new call for speakers had not been published when we checked. Joining the waitlist on the homepage is the current way to hear when tickets open.