With more than 250 detected events, the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA network has successfully concluded on November 18, 2025, the third part of the O4 observing run (O4c). An intense activity to analyze the collected data is ongoing, and in the meantime plans for upgrades toward O5 are prepared, to further increase the number of detected coalescences and with the aim of possibly detect new classes of gravitational wave emitters.
At the same time, the preparatory work for third generation ground-based interferometers Einstein Telescope and Cosmic Explorer is in full swing, with many R&D activities going on, new laboratories coming online and new concepts being elaborated, while the quality of the candidate sites are assessed. Lots of activities are also surrounding the preparation for the LISA mission, expected to probe a completely different band of the gravitational wave spectrum.
The gravitational wave community worldwide is growing, stimulated by the challenges of new detectors on Earth and in space. The Gravitational Wave Advanced Detector Workshop (GWADW) series is one of the main opportunities worldwide to present the work on detectors leaving, as is tradition, ample space for informal discussions.
The scientific programme will consist of plenary sessions only, with two poster sessions on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. The daily work schedule will be concentrated in the morning and in the evening leaving room for informal discussions around lunch time.
GWADW 2026 will begin on Sunday, May 17th and finish on early morning of Saturday May 23rd.