CES 2026 preview: dates, location, key themes and how to watch

CES 2026 takes place in Las Vegas with the official show running Tuesday, Jan. 6 through Friday, Jan. 9, and media days on Jan. 4 and 5 when many announcements often break.

The Consumer Electronics Show is a trade-only event for industry professionals 18 and older and requires registration. Ticket options include the Exhibits Plus Pass ($350) and the Deluxe Conference Pass ($1,700). According to CTA data, CES drew 142,465 attendees in 2025.

The main show floor is at the Las Vegas Convention Center, with additional events across two campuses of nearby hotels. CES lists 12 official venues spanning about 2.5 million net square feet; the Venetian campus and the C Space campus include several major hotels.

More than 4,500 exhibitors typically attend. Major companies such as Nvidia, Qualcomm, Intel, Samsung and Hisense are expected, with the show historically heavy on new PCs, TVs and processor announcements from chipmakers like Intel, AMD and Qualcomm.

AI will be a dominant theme across consumer devices, smart home products, robotics, fitness tech and enterprise systems, with companies highlighting AI-powered features and demos.

Major companies will livestream keynotes and product reveals on YouTube and social platforms. ZDNET will have teams covering CES both on the ground and remotely to report daily news and highlights.

Key Topics

Tech, United States, Ces, Las Vegas, Hardware, Chips, Trade Show