Cisco Live 2026 opens tomorrow — Sunday, May 31 — at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, and for the 20,000-plus attendees registered from more than 75 countries, the five-day conference represents the year's clearest window into where enterprise networking, AI security, and agentic infrastructure are heading. The event runs through Thursday, June 4, and for those not traveling to Nevada, a free global broadcast requires no registration and streams June 2–4 at ciscolive.com.
The timing is not incidental. Cisco reported record third-quarter revenue of $15.8 billion earlier this month — a 12 percent year-over-year increase — driven largely by surging demand for AI infrastructure. Cisco also raised its full-year AI infrastructure order target to $9 billion, up from an earlier forecast of $5 billion. CEO Chuck Robbins, who leads the opening keynote Tuesday, arrives at the Las Vegas stage with significant momentum at his back and a portfolio now built around one central claim: that Cisco is the foundational infrastructure layer of the enterprise AI era.
What follows is a day-by-day guide to the full schedule. All times are in Eastern Time (ET).
Tonight: Badge Pickup Opens in Las Vegas
Badge pickup and registration open tonight at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center from 7:00–10:00 p.m. ET (4:00–7:00 p.m. local time), giving early arrivals the chance to skip Monday morning queues and get oriented before programming begins. Full Conference and IT Leadership pass holders should also note that the deadline to register a complimentary Cisco certification exam through Pearson is today — exams cannot be scheduled on-site.
Sunday, May 31: Pre-Conference Day
Sunday offers the deepest technical programming of the week for engineers willing to spend the full day in focused study.
Technical Seminars — the most intensive educational offering on the schedule — are available Sunday only. These four-hour, classroom-style sessions cover topics including SD-Access Transit and LISP Extranet deployment, among other advanced areas. Priced at $595 or six Cisco Learning Credits, seminars can be added to any Cisco Live pass type. Scheduling is open via the Attendee Dashboard.
Instructor-Led Labs are also available Sunday for pre-registered attendees, offering structured hands-on hardware practice in a small-group setting. Lab sessions continue through Thursday and take place at both the main Mandalay Bay venue and the adjacent Luxor Hotel.
For developers, the day's headline session is "Into the Observability-Verse: Achieving End-to-End Visibility from Network Infrastructure to AI Workloads," running 5:00–9:00 p.m. ET (2:00–6:00 p.m. local). The session represents one of the first full technical deep-dives of the week.
The Cisco Live Orientation session, hosted by veteran NetVets and the Cisco Live Events Team, runs during the day and is particularly valuable for first-time attendees. It covers how to navigate the session catalog, maximize time across tracks, and connect with the community before the main program begins.
Badge pickup remains open Sunday from 10:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m. ET (7:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. local).
Monday, June 1: Main Conference Opens
Monday marks the full launch of the conference. The World of Solutions — Cisco Live's central exhibition floor — opens to all pass holders and remains the social and commercial hub of the event through Thursday.
The floor features the Cisco Showcase, with more than 100 live demos staffed by Cisco engineers, alongside a DevNet Zone, a Network Operations Center (NOC), a Security Operations Center (SOC), a Technical Assistance Center (TAC) Clinic, Walk-in Labs, and a Capture the Flag competition for attendees looking to test coding and security skills competitively.
Monday also brings the week's most unexpected programming choice: at 12:00–12:50 p.m. ET (9:00–9:50 a.m. local), Chef José Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, joins Cisco SVP Brian Tippens for a fireside chat on how technology, public-private partnerships, and community leadership reshape crisis response and long-term resilience.
Keynote Deep Dive sessions begin Monday and run through Wednesday. These are foundational sessions covering Cisco's strategic direction across AI, Security, Campus and Branch, Data Center, and Collaboration. Seats are limited — pre-scheduling through the Attendee Dashboard is recommended.
Key Monday DevNet sessions:
- "AgenticOps in Practice: Turn Intent into Action with Agentic Workflows" — 1:30–2:00 p.m. ET (10:30–11:00 a.m. local). Demonstrates how Agentic Workflows translate natural language requests into deterministic automations across Cisco domains and third-party systems.
- "From Prompt to Provisioning: Mastering Natural Language Network Automation" — 4:30–5:15 p.m. ET (1:30–2:15 p.m. local). Shows how Cisco Agentic Workflows and the AI Assistant convert natural language prompts into fully deterministic network automation workflows.
- "Plan, Provision, Validate: MCP-Enabled Network Automation" — 6:30–8:00 p.m. ET (3:30–5:00 p.m. local). Covers how Model Context Protocol (MCP) turns existing Ansible, Terraform, and Python automation into composable tools that AI agents can orchestrate end-to-end.
Certification Testingopens Monday. Full Conference and IT Leadership pass holders receive one complimentary Cisco or Splunk exam — 2026 is the first year Splunk certifications are available on-site at Cisco Live. Exams must be pre-scheduled through Pearson; walk-in scheduling is not available.
Walk-in Meet the Engineer slots also open Monday, offering one-on-one time with Cisco technical experts. These fill quickly and are booked only through the Attendee Dashboard.
Tuesday, June 2: Opening Keynote Day
Tuesday is the week's marquee day.
Opening Keynote: "Lead in the Agentic Era" 11:30 a.m.–1:15 p.m. ET (8:30–10:15 a.m. local)
This keynote is the centerpiece of Cisco Live 2026. On stage will be CEO Chuck Robbins, President and Chief Product Officer Jeetu Patel, SVP and General Manager of Infrastructure and Security Tom Gillis, SVP and General Manager for Enterprise Connectivity and Collaboration Anurag Dhingra, and Cisco platform SVP Kamal Hathi.
Expect announcements covering Cisco's agentic AI infrastructure vision, AI-driven security operations, and the evolution of enterprise networking. Robbins arrives with the company's record Q3 earnings and a newly expanded Astrix Security acquisition — announced May 4 — as the backdrop. Astrix, a pioneer in securing non-human identities such as API keys, service accounts, and OAuth tokens, extends Cisco's Zero Trust architecture to what the company calls the "agentic workforce" — the growing network of AI agents operating inside enterprise systems. The keynote will also stream globally, free and without registration, for those watching from home or the office.
What Does "AgenticOps" Actually Mean for Network Engineers?
AgenticOps is Cisco's term for an AI-first IT operating model in which AI agents handle routine network operations autonomously, with human oversight built into the workflow rather than required at every step. First introduced at Cisco Live EMEA in February 2026, it applies across networking, security, and observability, pulling telemetry from Cisco Meraki, Catalyst Center, Splunk, and ThousandEyes to enable what Cisco describes as closed-loop execution — AI agents that detect a problem, diagnose it, and remediate it without waiting for a ticket. Sessions throughout the week will demonstrate working implementations rather than conceptual frameworks.
Tuesday's additional programming worth noting:
- "Cisco Cloud Control and AgenticOps: Reimagining Enterprise Operations" — 2:00–2:45 p.m. ET (11:00–11:45 a.m. local). Speaker: DJ Sampath, SVP AI Software and Platform, Cisco.
- "Connecting AI to Your Infrastructure" — 2:30–3:15 p.m. ET (11:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m. local). Demonstrates how MCP servers and clients can connect AI to Meraki and Cisco Catalyst Center for context-aware automation.
- "Closing the Distance: How AI and Security are Reshaping the Collaboration Platform" — 3:15–4:00 p.m. ET (12:15–1:00 p.m. local).
- "Operating at Agentic Scale: Re-thinking the AI Data Center" — 5:30–6:15 p.m. ET (2:30–3:15 p.m. local).
Center Stagesessions in the World of Solutions run throughout the day, featuring customer stories and thought leadership discussions in the open expo environment. NVIDIA, a Diamond sponsor this year, hosts sessions on the Cisco Secure AI Factory with NVIDIA — the company's validated reference architecture for deploying AI workloads securely at scale, from pilot to production.
Wednesday, June 3: Second Keynote, Cisco Spirit Day, and Allegiant Stadium
Wednesday packs more into a single calendar day than any other day on the schedule.
Keynote: "From Agentic Vision to Enterprise Reality" 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m. ET (8:30–10:00 a.m. local)
Liz Centoni, EVP and Chief Customer Experience Officer at Cisco, leads this customer-focused keynote with Scott Malone from GEODIS and John Hoenemier from GlobalFoundries joining on stage to share first-hand accounts of deploying Cisco's AI-driven infrastructure in production. This is the week's most practically grounded session for enterprise IT leaders evaluating real-world agentic deployments, not future-state ones.
Wednesday Thought Leadership sessions:
- "AgenticOps in Action: Secure, Scalable Campus and Branch Networks" — 3:00–3:45 p.m. ET (12:00–12:45 p.m. local).
- "Operating at Agentic Scale: Securing the Network When Attackers — and Your Apps — Run on AI" — 5:30–6:15 p.m. ET (2:30–3:15 p.m. local).
- "Digital Resilience in the AI Era: Building a Secure and Trusted Agentic Enterprise" — 6:45–7:30 p.m. ET (3:45–4:30 p.m. local).
Cisco Spirit Daylaunches as a new annual tradition this year. Attendees wearing Cisco gear, branded apparel, or blue clothing earn points in the gamification leaderboard throughout Wednesday. The attendee judged most spirited wins the Cisco Live Cape.
Customer Achievement Awards — 7:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. local). The annual ceremony recognizes enterprises and individuals whose Cisco deployments have demonstrated measurable impact.
Cisco Live Celebration at Allegiant Stadium From 10:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. local)
Wednesday night moves to Allegiant Stadium — the home of the Las Vegas Raiders — for the conference's headline social event. Maroon 5 headlines: the group was recently named Billboard's top band of the 21st century and will perform hits including "Sugar," "Moves Like Jagger," and "Girls Like You." The Chainsmokers close the evening with a set of their chart-topping productions.
The event is included with Full Conference passes. Guest tickets cost $245 and must be purchased by June 2 — through the Attendee Concierge Desk or the Attendee Dashboard. Shuttles from official conference hotels run 10:15 p.m.–2:30 a.m. ET (7:15–11:30 p.m. local). Allegiant Stadium operates a strict clear-bag policy; bags must be clear plastic, vinyl, or PVC and not exceed 12" × 6" × 12". All event logistics are detailed on the official Cisco Live Know Before You Go page.
Thursday, June 4: Final Day
Thursday closes out the formal conference program. Breakout sessions run through the early afternoon, with the World of Solutions open until 5:00 p.m. ET (2:00 p.m. local). Walk-in Labs continue through their final slots, and a brunch service runs 1:00–4:00 p.m. ET (10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. local) inside the World of Solutions, with goodbye cocktails available at participating sponsor booths.
Final Thursday session highlight: "MCP Servers to Mobile Apps — AI Insights from Meraki and Catalyst Center" — 2:30–3:15 p.m. ET (11:30 a.m.–12:15 p.m. local). Demonstrates how AI agents use MCP servers to retrieve and prioritize network insights from Meraki and Cisco Catalyst Center within a mobile app experience.
Global Broadcast: June 2–4
The Cisco Live 2026 global broadcast runs June 2–4 and is free to watch with no registration required. It covers both keynotes, Keynote Deep Dive sessions, Center Stage presentations, and selected technical content accessible to viewers in the Americas, EMEA, and APJC regions. Full session recordings will be available in the Cisco Live On-Demand Library after the conference concludes. Add the broadcast to your calendar here.
Special Programs Worth Knowing
Executive Symposium is an invitation-only track for C-suite and senior IT leaders, with strategic briefings and peer networking separate from the general conference program.
NetVet Program recognizes attendees who have attended three or more Cisco Live events between 2021 and 2025 with a Full Conference or equivalent pass. Benefits include priority session scheduling, a free Cisco Press eBook, access to the exclusive NetVet Lounge, and a distinctive conference lanyard.
DevNet Zone — the developer hub inside the World of Solutions — hosts hands-on Capture the Flag competitions, coding challenges, and API automation sessions throughout the week.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is AgenticOps and why does Cisco Live 2026 focus on it?
AgenticOps is Cisco's operating model for AI-driven network and security management, in which AI agents handle routine IT tasks autonomously — from troubleshooting to provisioning — while human teams maintain oversight of outcomes. It was formally announced at Cisco Live EMEA in February 2026 and will be the dominant theme across both keynotes and the majority of technical sessions at this year's Las Vegas event.
How can I watch Cisco Live 2026 if I'm not attending in person?
A free global broadcast runs June 2–4 and requires no registration. It covers both keynotes, Center Stage presentations, Keynote Deep Dive sessions, and selected technical content for viewers in the Americas, EMEA, and APJC regions. Sessions are available at ciscolive.com during the event and through the On-Demand Library afterward.
What is the deadline to buy guest tickets for the Allegiant Stadium concert?
Guest tickets for the Wednesday, June 3 Cisco Live Celebration — featuring Maroon 5 and The Chainsmokers at Allegiant Stadium — cost $245 and must be purchased by June 2. They can be added through the Attendee Concierge Desk on-site or through the online Attendee Dashboard.
What Cisco certification exams are available at Cisco Live 2026?
Full Conference and IT Leadership pass holders receive one complimentary certification exam at the on-site Pearson VUE testing center. For the first time, Splunk certifications are available alongside standard Cisco certifications, covering Networking, Cloud, and Cybersecurity tracks. Exams must be pre-scheduled through Pearson — walk-in scheduling is not available on-site.
For any IT organization evaluating its AI infrastructure roadmap for the second half of 2026, this week in Las Vegas will be the year's densest single source of Cisco product direction, customer implementation evidence, and hands-on technical training. Attending in person provides direct access to Cisco engineers at Meet the Engineer slots and in the Showcase. Watching the broadcast provides the same keynote content at no cost. What neither option provides is the ability to wait: the announcements Robbins and Patel make Tuesday morning will define the conversation in enterprise networking for the rest of the year.
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