© Roberto Pizzo

The 2026 edition of the LOFAR Annual Meeting took place between 8-12 June at the impressive Trinity College in Dublin (Ireland). Hosted by the Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies (DIAS), the event gathered 113 LOFAR enthusiasts from all over the globe working on a broad spectrum of scientific topics.

The program featured a very broad range of talks and posters showcasing recent findings and advancements in LOFAR science, including cosmic magnetism, galaxy evolution, transient phenomena, large-scale structure, solar physics, and space weather, as well as advances in data processing and instrumentation.

During the event, we also hosted an Observatory session to highlight the current status of the LOFAR2.0 upgrade and developments and the plans towards the start of the LOFAR2.0 operations, including the next steps of the review process of the LOFAR2.0 Large Programs. We gave particular emphasis to the commissioning activities of the instrument, for which a comprehensive overview of achievements was presented and demonstrated the incredible progress being made. It was evident in the community that people are eager to start using the upgraded system as soon as possible.

Besides the scientific and technical program, the participants enjoyed a wonderful conference dinner at the Trinity College Dublin Dining Hall. The stunning interiors provided the setting for an incredible showcase of traditional Irish music and dance. Various participants could not resist joining the dance!

More information about the conference, including access to the presentations and resources shared during the event (coming soon!) are available on the official conference website at https://indico.lofar.eu/event/42/overview