Microsoft Says Goodbye to Build in Seattle

Microsoft notified Seattle that it will no longer host its Build conference in the city because of ongoing problems with homelessness and open drug use.

“[Microsoft] cited the general uncleanliness of the street scene, visibility of individuals engaging in drug use, and unhoused individuals, including the recurring tent in the Arch Tunnel,” an internal Visit Seattle email obtained by a Seattle-area radio station reads. “Microsoft has previously addressed these concerns and Visit Seattle has been working actively with SPD [Seattle Police Department], DSA [Downtown Seattle Association], the Care team and others on trying to solve for them. Unfortunately for Build, it was a contributing factor to their final decision to move out of Seattle.”

Microsoft’s move out of Seattle isn’t a one-time thing, either. The software giant cancelled all the holds it had placed on the Seattle Convention Center in future years. The email it sent was titled “DEFINITE CANCELLATION,” and it also cited the “[Microsoft] leadership and attendee experience walking the convention core from the Hyatt Regency to the Arch building on 8th street” as reasons for the cancellation.

Microsoft confirmed the change.

“Our plans for Build 2026 have changed, but our vision to empower builders and developers at a major event next year remains the same,” a Microsoft spokesperson said. “We thank the city and the community for their support over the years.”

Interestingly, the report I saw about this claims that Microsoft at one point expected at least 4,500 attendees for Build 2026. But I know that barely 3,000 attended this year’s show, triggering a ticket price reduction so that it could hit its internal goal of 3,000 attendees. Microsoft will hold Ignite 2025 in November in San Francisco, and that city and Las Vegas are obvious choices for Build 2026. But the former has its own issues with homelessness and open drug use, and they are at least as bad as what we see in Seattle.