JavaZone 2025—Scandinavia’s landmark developer conference—delivered an exciting, two-day immersion into the world of Java held for the first time at Nova Spektrum in Lillestrøm on September 3–4, 2025.

A Fresh Venue: Nova Spektrum

With Oslo Spektrum under renovation, JavaZone relocated to Nova Spektrum. Just a short 10-minute train ride from Oslo, the venue offered significantly more space, enhancing the attendee experience with larger, more accessible rooms and an open exhibition hall—a welcome change over previous years.

The info stand at JavaZone 2025.

The info stand at JavaZone 2025. License: Andreas Lien, CC BY-SA 4.0.

More Attendees, More Energy

The move didn’t slow momentum—JavaZone 2025 welcomed approximately 3,800 developers, a few hundred more than the previous year, proving that the excitement for this community-driven event remains strong.

The Gjensidige stand at JavaZone 2025.

The Gjensidige stand at JavaZone 2025. License: Andreas Lien, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Programming Highlights

With over 100 speakers, the conference brought together engineers, architects, and industry leaders exploring themes like Java development, cloud-native architectures, DevOps, security, and more.

A large convention hall filled with people sitting at tables and walking around. On the left, there is a stage with a “JavaZone” sign above it, and on the right are various booths, including one from Storebrand. The lighting is dim with blue and purple spotlights, creating a lively atmosphere.

Scene from the JavaZone conference, where participants gather around booths and seating areas in the convention hall. License: Andreas Lien, CC BY-SA 4.0.

A standout feature was the pre-conference workshop day, followed by two full days of lightning talks—quick, dynamic presentations packed with insights.

Notable Sessions:

  • “Building Secure AI Agents with Quarkus LangChain4j” – A hands-on workshop guiding participants through AI agent development and security.
  • “Local Development in the AI Era” – Explored strategies to run AI models and code assistants entirely on local machines using tools like Ollama and Podman.
  • “Non-deterministic? No problem! You can deal with it!” – Tackled testing AI’s unpredictable nature using Quarkus, Testcontainers, and more.
  • “Boost Developer Productivity and Experience: A Deep Dive into Quarkus” – Demonstrated how Quarkus accelerates development workflows with features like live coding, Testcontainers, native images, and AI integration.
A large presentation room with rows of empty chairs facing two big screens displaying the JavaZone logo and the Roman numeral VII. Two speakers stand on stage at a podium preparing for a talk, while a few attendees sit scattered in the audience. The room is dimly lit, with focused stage lighting.

Presentation room at JavaZone, set up for talks and lightning sessions. License: Andreas Lien, CC BY-SA 4.0.

A Community-First Approach

Organized entirely by volunteers from javaBin, JavaZone remains the biggest community-driven Java conference in Norway, consistently fueled by passion and devotion to the developer community since 2001.

Throughout the conference:

  • Food service was seamlessly integrated into the exhibition hall, eliminating long lunch queues and allowing attendees to grab bites anytime between sessions.
  • The Roman Empire theme (honoring the “Romerike” region) added a playful, immersive vibe—booths and food stalls were stylized accordingly, creating a festive atmosphere that tied together culture and tech.
A metal bucket filled with several silver beer cans labeled “Ølsmia.” The bucket is placed on a table, and people are standing around in the background, some reaching for cans.

A bucket of Ølsmia beer cans served at an event. License: Andreas Lien, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Social & Fringe Events

JavaZone’s famed evening party included music, food, and community bonding—a perfect way to unwind and network. Lightning talks also made for a spontaneous and engaging way to share ideas between sessions.

A concert stage with bright lights and large screens, where the Norwegian duo Ylvis is performing in front of a crowd. The audience is gathered in a dark hall, illuminated by colorful stage lighting.

Ylvis closing the event with a live concert performance. License: Andreas Lien, CC BY-SA 4.0.

JavaZone 2025 exceeded expectations—despite a venue change, it maintained its warm, inclusive spirit and scaled up with ease. With richer sessions, a refreshed venue, strong attendance, and standout community energy, the conference reaffirmed its place as a can’t-miss event for Java practitioners and enthusiasts.