TED Conference Heads to San Diego in 2027, Ending 12-Year Vancouver Run

After a two-year search for a new host city, TED has chosen San Diego as its next home, beginning in 2027. The conference will be based at the San Diego Convention Center, and will extend into surrounding venues. 

The length of TED’s contract with San Diego has not been disclosed.

“The expanded footprint lets us test new formats while keeping the curation and intimacy that define the TED experience. We’ll share more after our final Vancouver conference in 2026, but the goal is about a refresh that’s additive, not dilutive,” said Monique Ruff-Bell, TED’s chief program and strategy officer.

She said the decision followed a comprehensive review of infrastructure, capacity, and community engagement. “San Diego’s waterfront and convention center give us room to expand without losing what makes TED special,” said Ruff-Bell. “The city’s life sciences ecosystem, the cross-border innovation happening between San Diego and Tijuana, and the proximity to both the Pacific Rim and Latin America, all of that matters when your mission is surfacing ideas from everywhere, not just the usual places.”

San Diego’s Appeal

San Diego’s selection reflects the growth of its innovation sector.  The city is the third-largest and fastest-growing biotech hub in the U.S. Research institutions such as the Salk Institute, Scripps, and UC San Diego form a concentrated innovation ecosystem aligned with TED’s technology-forward identity. Recent expansions include Eli Lilly opening a 82,500-square-foot Lilly Gateway Labs facility in September 2025 to support up to 15 biotech startups.

“San Diego’s life sciences and biotech community certainly strengthened our case, but as TED noted in its announcement, it was the region’s broader culture of innovation that truly resonated,” said Daniel Kuperschmid, president and CEO, San Diego Tourism Authority.

TED also cited the significance of the San Diego–Tijuana region and its binational talent pipeline. “The San Diego–Tijuana partnership has long been a differentiator, and last year’s World Design Capital designation, the first ever shared by two cities in two countries, showed the world how seamlessly we work together. That cross-border collaboration runs through our culture, arts, culinary scene, and innovation economy,” said Kuperschmid. “We live and work in a region where ideas don’t stop at the border, they’re shared and strengthened by two cities moving forward together.”

Kuperschmid said TED will bring global visibility to the region. “Bringing TED here took collaboration and a shared belief in what this region can accomplish. We’re grateful to our partners at the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation and the San Diego Convention Center Corporation, as well as the many innovators, educators, and hospitality leaders who helped make this possible. It’s a meaningful moment for our city, and we’re excited for the world to experience it firsthand,” he said. 

The convention center will anchor TED’s new home base. In fiscal year 2024, the venue generated an estimated $1.5 billion in regional economic impact across 80 events. 

The move represents a loss for Vancouver, which has hosted TED since 2014. The conference typically draws between 1,200 and 2,000 attendees with pass prices ranging from $6,250 to $25,000; patron memberships sell for $250,000 for five years. TED generated more than $16 million annually in regional economic impact for Vancouver over the last two years.

During TED’s early years in Vancouver, organizers built a custom 1,200-seat pop-up theater inside the Vancouver Convention Centre. “We’re designing a stage that will have the same level of distinction and intentionality, but this is a new chapter. We want the space to feel both familiar to anyone who knows TED and elevated in ways that reflect where we’re headed,” said Ruff-Bell.

She acknowledged the difficulty of the decision. “After 12 remarkable years in Vancouver, we are profoundly grateful for the partnership and warmth that made TED thrive in Canada. That city will always hold a special place in TED’s story,” she said.

The geographic shift aligns with leadership changes at TED. In February 2025, CEO Chris Anderson announced he would step down after 25 years, beginning a review of more than 80 inquiries, including acquisition proposals. The organization ultimately chose to remain a nonprofit and named Sal Khan, founder of Khan Academy, as its “vision steward.” Logan McClure Davda, co-founder of TED’s Fellows program and former head of impact, has been appointed CEO, while former CEO Jay Herratti joins the board.

Coming Full Circle

The move to San Diego brings TED back to California, where the conference began in Monterey in 1984. After an unsuccessful first event, TED relaunched in 1990 and remained in Monterey until 2009, later shifting to Long Beach to accommodate growing attendance. Organizers relocated to Vancouver in 2014, attracted by its scenic waterfront and supportive convention center partnership.

TED 2026, themed “All of Us,” will close out the Vancouver era and preview the conference’s next chapter. The event takes place April 13–17 at the Vancouver Convention Centre.