Info
◀ Back to deckEligibility & logistics
Before you arrive
The practical stuff
If your question is not here, email us. We answer everything.
What does it cost?
- Nothing. Soton Ship 2026 is free to attend, with no ticket price, no deposit and no fees of any kind. Attendance is limited to 120 confirmed participants. Food across the weekend is on us. Travel is not.
Who can attend?
- Current university students, 18 or over on 16 October 2026, with student ID to show at the desk. You do not need to be a Southampton student and you do not need hackathon experience. This also meets the Hackathons UK requirement that at least 80% of attendees are in formal education, or have been within the last 12 months.
Who owns what I build?
- You do. Participants keep full ownership of everything they build at Soton Ship. Neither the organisers, the AI Society, the University, Hackathons UK nor any partner claims any intellectual property in your work. You are encouraged, but never required, to open-source your project.
Can I still apply?
- Applications are closed. We're no longer accepting applications for Soton Ship 2026. If your place is already confirmed, use the Log in button to access the live event portal.
Do I need a team?
- No. Confirmed participants can form a team on the Friday evening. Teams are two to five people, all registered and present. There are no solo entries in the judging.
Where is it?
- Barclays Eagle Labs (Network Eagle Lab), Marlands Shopping Centre, second floor, Portland Terrace, Southampton SO14 7SJ. Use the street-level entrance on Portland Terrace, opposite Quilter. It is a short walk from Southampton Central.
Can I stay overnight?
- Yes. Soton Ship is a 48-hour overnight hackathon. Eagle Labs stays open from doors at 17:00 on Friday until 20:30 on Sunday, so you can hack through the night and sleep at the venue. Bring a sleeping bag or blanket if you want to rest. Going home or to a hotel for the night is fine too, just tell the registration desk when you leave and come back.
What should I bring?
- A laptop and its charger, photo student ID for the desk, and whatever makes a long overnight weekend comfortable: a sleeping bag or blanket, a toothbrush, a hoodie, a water bottle, a power strip if you have one. Email aisoc@soton.ac.uk with any accessibility needs and we will sort them before you arrive.
What are the rules on conduct?
- We run under the Hackathons UK Code of Conduct, and we enforce it. Read it on our Code of Conduct page, along with every route for reporting a problem. All of them can be used anonymously.
Venue
Barclays Eagle Labs · Network Eagle Lab, Portland Terrace, Southampton, SO14 7SJ
Still stuck? Email aisoc@soton.ac.uk or Ivan.ling@soton.ac.uk. Conduct questions are answered on the Code of Conduct page.