Microsoft Build says goodbye to Seattle — drugs, crime, and homelessness allegedly to blame

Microsoft will not hold its Build developer conference in Seattle, Washington, in 2026. The change appears to be permanent, or at least long-term, because the tech giant has reportedly canceled holds of the convention center used for Build "for all future years."

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

The change is reportedly due to the rise in homelessness, drug use, and criminal activity, according to The Seattle Medium. An email seen by the outlet indicated attendee experience in the city led to Microsoft's decision.

"Customers cited the general uncleanliness of the streets, visible drug use, and the presence of unhoused individuals, including a recurring tent in the Arch Tunnel," said the email. That same message stated that Microsoft had raised concerns about these issues previously.

Ironically, similar issues were believed to have led to Microsoft's decision to relocate Build from San Francisco, where it was held in 2013, 2014, and 2016, to Seattle in 2017 and beyond.

Microsoft's statement to The Seattle Medium and the internal email appear to be at odds. The spokesperson did not mention the concerns raised in the email in the public statement. When pressed on the topic, Microsoft repeated the same statement to The Verge.

Moving Build away from Seattle will result in a significant loss of booked rooms and spending in the area. The internal email stated that 4,500 attendees were expected to attend Build 2026.

Microsoft has not shared where Build 2026 will be held at this time. There is a chance that the conference could be converted to an online-only event. Build did not have an in-person component in 2020-2022 due to the global pandemic.

Microsoft's headquarters in Redmond, Washington, are a short drive from Seattle, so the tech giant could relocate the conference from downtown Seattle while remaining in the general area.

While neither Microsoft's statement nor the internal email mentioned protests as a factor in the decision, it's worth noting that the last two Microsoft events have been affected by demonstrations. Protesters interrupted Build 2025 three times. All of those protests centered around Microsoft's cloud contracts with the Israeli government.