Highlights from FabCon and SQLCon 2026: Where databases and Fabric come together

2026-03-30 · Source: The Microsoft Cloud Blog · Field: Technology & Digital — Data Science & Analytics, Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Cloud Computing & IT Infrastructure · Depth: Intermediate, medium

Summary

FabCon and SQLCon 2026, held in Atlanta, brought together over 8,000 attendees across nearly 300 sessions to explore advancements in Microsoft Fabric and SQL. This marked the first time SQLCon joined FabCon, fostering a unified community experience. The event featured pre-conference workshops covering data engineering, real-time analytics, governance, AI, and advanced SQL scenarios, allowing hands-on learning with product teams. The Expo Hall served as a central hub for connections, offering direct engagement with Microsoft engineers and partners. Highlights included competitive challenges like "Fast at Fabric" and the DataViz World Championships, alongside community-focused events such as the Community Lounge, Women in Data, and DEI luncheons. The conference concluded with a celebration at the Georgia Aquarium, emphasizing the momentum behind the global data community and anticipating the next event in Spring 2027.

Key takeaway

For Data Engineers and Data Scientists evaluating Microsoft's data ecosystem, the combined FabCon and SQLCon event highlights a strong, unified platform for databases and Fabric. You should explore the resources from the 2026 conference, particularly the "FabCon and SQLCon 2026: Unifying databases and Fabric on a single, complete platform" blog, to understand the integrated capabilities and community support available for your projects.

Key insights

FabCon and SQLCon 2026 unified data communities, emphasizing collaboration and hands-on learning for Microsoft Fabric and SQL.

Principles

• Community engagement enhances learning
• Hands-on workshops deepen technical skills
• Direct expert interaction is highly valuable

Method

The conference structure combined pre-conference workshops, keynotes, breakout sessions, an interactive expo hall, and competitive challenges to facilitate learning and community building.

In practice

• Attend pre-conference workshops for deep dives
• Engage with product teams at "Ask the Experts"
• Participate in data visualization competitions

Topics

• Microsoft Fabric
• SQL Server
• Data Engineering
• Real-time Analytics
• Power BI

Best for: Data Engineer, Data Scientist, MLOps Engineer

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by The Microsoft Cloud Blog.