Luton students invited to free AI hackathon at town's central library

CTRL + Chat Hack Day will take place on Saturday, October 24, from 10am to 4pm as part of Hacktoberfest 2026, in partnership with Major League Hacking.

The event is open to students from any university or college, regardless of their background or previous experience with technology.

Organised by University of Hertfordshire student and Luton resident Toheeb Olanrewaju Olagoke, the day aims to give young people an opportunity to experiment with AI in an accessible, welcoming environment.

It will begin with a short talk about artificial intelligence before participants break into teams to develop their own projects using open-source AI tools. Mentors will be available throughout the day to offer guidance, with the event finishing with project demonstrations and prizes.

Students do not need to arrive with a team or an idea, and beginners are welcome alongside those with more technical experience.

Toheeb said: “Luton has no shortage of talented students. What it needs are more doors that are open to them. I wanted to build one of those doors, in a library, where anyone curious can walk in and make something.”

He added: “You don't need to be an expert. If you can bring curiosity, we'll help you ship something by 4pm.”

The event is supported by Major League Hacking and ElevenLabs, whose AI voice tools will be available for participants to use, and is being hosted at Luton Central Library, run by Active Luton.

It follows an AI workshop and mini-hackathon organised by Toheeb at the University of Hertfordshire in April, which attracted more than 50 students despite taking place during the exam season.

The latest event aims to build on that interest by opening the opportunity to a wider range of students across Luton and beyond.

Places are limited, and students must register in advance. To sign up, visit the website here.