We are back on March 13-15, 2026

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Welcome to Australia’s biggest student hackathon

Join 500+ students for a 48-hour hybrid hackathon weekend where you get to learn new skills, connect with brilliant mentors, forge new friendships with like-minded students, and build something incredible.

Everyone is welcome at UNIHACK, whether you are just getting started or a seasoned hacker. All you need is to be passionate about building stuff.

Is there a theme or prompt?

Officially, we do not have a theme or prompt. You can build whatever you want, in whatever shape that you want - a mobile app, a hardware piece, or even a video game. Every idea is eligible for the Main Prize.

Some of our prizes do have specific challenges or themes, and we strongly encourage you to use them to shape your idea.

View Prizes

Can I participate?

You must be 18 years or older, and studying as a university/TAFE student in Australia or New Zealand at the time of the event.

If you have completed but not had your graduation ceremony, you are still eligible to participate.

Read Rules

How do I participate?

Participate remotely...

Join from anywhere in Australia or New Zealand - from your university lab, your bedroom, or even your local cafe.

Just make sure you and your team are registered and connected on our Discord.

... or at one of our hubs

Meet and collaborate with other hackers in person at your university. Limited spots available at each hub.

Participating from a hub is not mandatory - you can still join remotely!

Melborne Hub

Monash University Clayton

Learn More
Monash Association of Coding

Sydney Hub

UNSW Kensington

Learn More
UNSW DevSocUNSW WIT

Got questions? Looking for a team? Need a mentor? Get connected on our Discord.

Discord will be used as our primary platform for communication and connection throughout the event. This is where you will find announcements, ask questions, engage with our mentors during the weekend, and raffles during the night.

Join Discord

Event Schedule

All times are in Sydney/Melbourne/Canberra time.

Friday March 13

  • Opening Ceremony - LIVE on Twitch

    Join us on Twitch, or at one of the hubs, to kick off UNIHACK 2026!

  • Hacking Begins

    Start brainstorming, forming teams, and building your projects!

  • Team Registration and Checkpoint #1 Due

    Make sure you and your team are registered on Hackerspace and submit your first checkpoint!

Saturday March 14

  • Checkpoint #2 Due

    Submit your second checkpoint on Hackerspace.

  • Checkpoint #3 Due

    Need an extended mentoring session? Submit Checkpoint #3 on Hackerspace.

Sunday March 15

  • 🤔

  • STOP HACKING NOW

    If you have not submitted your project to DevPost, you have until the Closing Ceremony to submit.

  • Closing Ceremony - LIVE on Twitch

    Come together back on Twitch to find out next steps, find out some award winners, plus more.

  • Goodbye (for now)!

March 16 - 20 Judging Week

Our panel of expert judges will review all submitted projects during this week to find our winners.

Monday March 23

The Winners Announcement

Who takes home the UNIHACK 2026 crown? Find out all the winners at 6:00PM AEDT, live on Twitch.

Workshops

Join our hands-on workshops led by industry experts and learn new skills to help you build your hack.

Elastic

Build an agentic app in Elastic

25 February, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM AEDT

Learn More
Elastic

Elastic Security - Navigation to Investigation

26 February, 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM AEDT

Learn More

Prizes

Main Prize

All teams automatically enter the Main Prize.

First Place

  • $5,000 in cash
  • Bose Headphones per person
  • NOMAD Tracking Card Air per person

Second Place

  • $2,000 in cash
  • Crumpler Communal Dwelling backpack per person

Third Place

  • Bellroy Pack Well Travel kit per person
Judging Criteria
✨ Polish, Design, and Execution

What does the project look like? Is it intuitive, aesthetically pleasing, and accessible? And most importantly, does it actually work?

💪 Technical Difficulty

Does the hack look technically interesting or challenging? Is it simply putting a pretty frontend on an existing API or does it do something more?

💡 Originality and Creativity

How unique is the hack? Does it solve a new problem, or have a new take on an existing problem?

😲 Wow Factor

Does it spark joy? Would this be something you use and show to your friends? Yes, this is totally subjective. But that’s what makes it fun.

Category Prizes

You must opt-in for these prizes when you submit your project on Devpost to be eligible for them. You can opt-in for as many sponsored prizes as you think are relevant to your project.

Atlassian

First Timers Prize

The best project created by first-time hackathon participants.

  • TBA
Elastic

Best Use of Elastic Technology

Demonstrate the most innovative and effective use of Elastic technology in their project.

  • TBA
Quantium

AI Solutions Prize

Awarded to the team that best uses AI as an impactful part of your solution.

  • TBA

Best Design

Awarded to the most usable and best looking user interface.

  • TBA

Most Creative Idea

The project that has the most original idea or reinvention.

  • TBA

Social Impact Prize

The best idea that addresses an issue in your local community.

  • TBA

Most Fun Idea

Create the most fun and delightful experience, whether that be a game, a bot, or something else entirely.

  • TBA

Special Prizes

You are automatically considered once fulfilling the criteria.

Most Entertaining Pitch

Can you summarise your pitch in three minutes - whilst also being engaging and entertaining?

  • TBA

People's Choice Award

The project that wins the hearts and votes of the people.

  • TBA

Best Meme

Make the best meme during the event and post it on the UNIHACK Discord. I couldn't make it any more obvious. (This is an individual prize)

  • Totally a secret