Changelog
What's new on Hackathon Radar
Every notable feature and improvement we've shipped, newest first.
Jul 2026
See the whole month at a glance
Open the calendarThe database now has a calendar view. Flip from the list and every hackathon lands on its day, so you can spot a free weekend, plan around deadlines, and see how a month is shaping up without scrolling. Each event shows its participant count and prize pool right on the day, and busy days tuck the extras behind a tap so nothing feels crowded.
It works hand in hand with your filters — upcoming, ongoing, or already ended — so the month always reflects exactly what you're looking for. On your phone it becomes a clean day-by-day agenda, and the list view is still there whenever you prefer it.
Jul 2026
A clearer way to get around
Explore the databaseThe app's navigation has been redesigned from the ground up. Instead of a thin strip of icons, you now get a full sidebar with everything labelled and grouped into three sections: Hackathons for browsing events, judging opportunities, sponsors and organizers; Explore for stats and the State of Hackathons report; and Personal for your passport, favorites and settings.
Everything is one click away and you always know where you are. On smaller screens the same navigation slides in from the side, so nothing gets lost on mobile.
Jul 2026
A free, always-current hackathon list on GitHub
Browse the list on GitHubThere's now a free, public list of hackathons happening right now or starting in the next few days, open to everyone on GitHub. It refreshes every day, so it's never the stale, half-abandoned list you usually stumble across.
It's the quickest way to see what's on this week and share it with your team — and every event links straight back here for the full picture, from the map to the months of events still ahead.
Jul 2026
A richer way to discover hackathons
Start exploringThe Discover page has been rebuilt around how people actually browse. Nine themed categories — from AI to climate to gaming — sit front and centre, alongside far more cities so you can jump straight to the scene nearest you. Every event shows its status at a glance, the dates it runs, and the sponsors behind it.
Whether you're chasing a specific theme, a particular city, or just want to see what's happening soon, there's now a clear path in. Less scrolling, more finding the weekend that's right for you.
Jun 2026
See who a hackathon is really for
Explore the databaseOrganisers rarely spell out who shows up: students or seniors, founders or researchers, AI builders or hardware tinkerers. Every event now carries an estimated audience profile that reads the event's own details and paints a picture: experience level, the kind of people it draws, the technical focus, the industries in play, and signals like beginner-friendly or women-in-tech.
Every estimate comes with a confidence rating and the evidence behind it, so you can see why we think a crowd looks the way it does, and judge for yourself. It turns 'how many attendees?' into the question that actually matters when you're deciding where to spend your time or sponsorship: who's in the room.
Jun 2026
Star hackathons into a universal favorites list
View your favoritesEvery hackathon card and detail page now carries a star. Tap it and the event drops into one personal favorites list that follows you across the whole site, so the weekend you spotted on the map is still there when you open the database an hour later.
It's a single universal list rather than a folder per view, which keeps the mental model simple: if it matters to you, star it, and it's all in one place. Favorites are tied to your account, so the list is the same whether you're on your laptop or your phone.
Jun 2026
Per-category email preferences
Manage email preferencesEmail is now opt-in per category instead of all-or-nothing. Digests, new-match alerts, product news and launch announcements are each their own switch, so you can keep the updates you find useful and silence the ones you don't.
The goal is to make staying subscribed an easy call. Rather than unsubscribing from everything the first time one email misses, you trim it down to exactly what you want and the rest stops arriving.
Jun 2026
Ask your AI assistant about hackathons
Connect an assistantYou can now connect Hackathon Radar to AI assistants like Claude and let them search the database for you. Ask for upcoming events, filter by tech or prize pool, and get answers in the chat you're already using.
It works as you: the assistant only sees what your own account can, so everything stays in sync with your plan and preferences. No more switching tabs to look something up mid-conversation.