DragonHacks is Drexel IEEE's annual hackathon and one of Philadelphia's largest student build events. Five hundred people take a room for twenty four hours straight and ship something before Sunday. This year runs on Fire and Ice: build something that burns fast, or build something that keeps its head when everything else is on fire. Every project gets demoed. Nobody leaves with a slide deck.
Pick a side. Or braid them together.
Build something that burns fast.
Speed and ambition. Take a bold idea from zero to a live demo before the sun comes up, and let it run hot.
Build something that keeps its head.
Resilient, reliable, calm under load. The thing that still works when everything else is on fire.
Stuck on what to build? Let the elements decide.
Build a real-time study planner that works fully offline.
Put your tools in front of the people who will use them.
Five hundred engineers
Computer science, engineering and design students from Drexel, Penn, Temple, Rutgers and across the Northeast. Most are within two years of hiring. For a full day and night they use whatever tools are in front of them, and they remember which ones worked.
Twenty four hours of attention
This is not a table people walk past on the way to class. Your product sits in front of an audience that is awake, caffeinated and actively choosing what to build with. MLH backing means the event is vetted and the bar is set.
Named in the event title. Premium booth in the highest traffic spot, largest logo on shirts, badges, banners, the site and every post. Judging seat, a ten minute keynote, your own prize category, and first access to every resume in the room.
Full booth on the main floor, prominent logo placement everywhere, a mentor or judge seat, a workshop or API demo slot, and a sponsor prize category.
Shared exhibition table, logo on shirts, badges, signage and the site, and a mentor seat.
Logo on the site and event signage, plus swag in every attendee bag.
Product, food, drinks, credits, hardware or prizes, valued at the tier it matches and carrying the same benefits. Often the highest impact way in.
FAQ
DragonHacks is Drexel IEEE's annual hackathon and one of Philadelphia's largest student build events. Five hundred people, twenty four hours, one room. Every project gets demoed.
Build something that burns fast, or build something that keeps its head when everything else is on fire. Lean into one side, or combine both.
January 16 & 17, 2027, overnight at Drexel University in Philadelphia, PA. Full venue details are sent to accepted hackers.
All college and university students 18+, from any school and any major. No prior hackathon experience needed. Beginners are very welcome. Apply here.
Teams of up to 4 members. Register solo or with a team. We run team formation at check-in and plenty of great teams form on-site.
Yes. It costs $0 to attend. Meals, snacks, swag and hardware resources are provided thanks to our sponsors.
Yes. DragonHacks is an official MLH Member Event, and all participants follow the MLH Code of Conduct.