Google Marketing Live is back on May 20, 2026. Below you’ll find the full schedule, speaker lineup, registration links, and what advertisers should be watching out for this year.
Whether you’re running paid media for a global brand, an ecommerce store, or a local service business, this is the annual moment that defines what advertisers will be working with until the next GML rolls around.
What Is Google Marketing Live 2026?
Google Marketing Live, known as GML, is the yearly keynote where Google tells advertisers where its ads platform is heading. It’s where new campaign types launch, existing products get overhauled, and the strategic direction of Google Ads for the rest of the year becomes clear.
Google describes the 2026 edition as “Front row, everywhere”, positioning it as an exclusive event for performance marketers to access the biggest announcements across Ads, AI, and YouTube through live sessions, demos, and Q&As.
The 2026 theme puts AI front and center. Google is framing the keynote around turning what it calls “the Gemini advantage” into a competitive edge for advertisers, with a strong focus on AI-powered campaigns, agentic commerce, and a new era of performance on YouTube.
🗓️ Missed past events? Explore our full Google Marketing Live summary to catch up on key updates from previous years.
When Is Google Marketing Live 2026?
The global event takes place on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, starting at 8:45 AM PT.
A regional EMEA event follows the next day, on Thursday, May 21, 2026 at 11:00 AM BST.
One important piece of context: GML 2026 lands right after Google I/O 2026, which is scheduled for May 19 to 20. While I/O focuses on Google’s broader ecosystem, including AI, Search, and developer technologies, announcements there often set the stage for what’s coming to Google Ads.
Where Is Google Marketing Live 2026?
The event is fully virtual and streamed online, with free access for anyone who registers. The EMEA edition is also a digital experience.
Where to Watch the Live Stream?
Registration for the 2026 event is now open at the official Google Marketing Live website. Attendance is free, but you’ll need to complete a short registration form to access the stream.
Global event (Americas): Register here
EMEA event: Register here
Both editions will also be available on demand after the event on the official website, and later on Accelerate with Google. The livestream offers language options including English, Spanish (Latin America), and Portuguese (Brazil), along with live captions and American Sign Language translation.
GML 2026 Speakers
Google has confirmed the following speakers for the global keynote:
- Vidhya Srinivasan, VP/GM, Ads and Commerce, Google
- Philipp Schindler, SVP/Chief Business Officer, Google
- Gaurav Bhaya, VP/GM, Ads Measurement, Google
- Nicky Rettke, VP, Product Management, Ads, YouTube
- Sean Downey, President, Americas and Global Partners, Google
- Selin Song, Global President, Google Customer Solutions
Additional confirmed names on the broader lineup:
- Ginny Marvin, Ads Product Liaison, Global Communications and Public Affairs, Google
- John Nicoletti, VP, Google Customer Solutions
For the EMEA event, confirmed speakers include:
- Dan Taylor, Vice President, Global Ads, Google
- Stephanie Davis, Vice President, Google Customer Solutions, EMEA, Google
- Shashi Thakur, Google
Google has noted that more speaker announcements are still to come.
GML 2026 Agenda
Here’s the official agenda for Wednesday, May 20, 2026:
8:45 AM PT – 9:00 AM PT: Pre-Show On-the-ground hosts kick things off with a few special surprises.
9:00 AM PT – 10:30 AM PT: Product Innovation Keynote The main event. Google will unveil new AI-powered campaign tools, agentic commerce capabilities, a new era of performance on YouTube, and new opportunities to create, capture, and convert demand across the expanding Google universe.
10:30 AM PT – 10:35 AM PT: Award-winning wrap-up A short segment showcasing AI excellence in action, inspired by the Google Ads Impact Awards.
10:35 AM PT – 11:00 AM PT: Ads Decoded Live A live recording of Google’s popular Ads Decoded podcast, with product leaders breaking down the day’s biggest announcements. This is new for 2026 and replaces the 2025 Q&A format.
Google Marketing Live EMEA 2026
Advertisers in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa get their own regional edition on Thursday, May 21, 2026 at 11:00 AM BST.
The EMEA broadcast runs fully online this year, stays free to attend, and, like the Americas event, will remain available on demand once it wraps.
Confirmed speakers include Dan Taylor, Stephanie Davis, and Shashi Thakur, with more names likely to be announced closer to the date.
📋 Register for Google Marketing Live EMEA 2026
What to Expect at GML 2026
Based on Google’s own framing of the event and the product direction over the past 12 months, several themes are expected to dominate this year’s keynote:
- The Gemini advantage. Google is explicitly positioning Gemini as the backbone of the 2026 story. Expect deeper Gemini integration across campaign creation, asset generation, and advertiser workflows.
- Agentic commerce. A new term Google is using for the 2026 keynote. This points to AI agents that can act on behalf of consumers and advertisers across the shopping journey, likely building on last year’s AI Max for Search.
- A new era of performance on YouTube. Nicky Rettke’s presence on the keynote lineup signals major YouTube ads announcements. She’s spent her career transforming how brands connect with audiences across screens and devices, so expect new formats, creator-led ads, and performance measurement updates.
- Creative automation. Building on Asset Studio, expect continued expansion of unified creative tools that produce images, video, and copy variants directly inside Google Ads.
- Measurement and attribution for a privacy-centric future. With Gaurav Bhaya on stage, expect updates on cross-channel attribution, MMMs, and incrementality. He’s led transformational changes across Google Ads, Performance Max, Google Analytics, and Google Marketing Platform, with a clear focus on modernizing digital advertising for a privacy-centric, AI-driven future.
- Performance Max and Demand Gen. Continued refinement of campaign controls, prospecting settings, and transparency remains one of the loudest advertiser requests heading into 2026.
- A direct line to the product teams. The new Ads Decoded Live format is worth paying attention to. Ginny Marvin, who hosts the Ads Decoded podcast, has made a career out of translating technical shifts into actionable strategies for marketers. Having her break down the announcements with product leaders right after the keynote should give advertisers more practical context than a standard Q&A.
The timing right after Google I/O 2026 also suggests we may see direct crossover between Google’s broader AI announcements and new Google Ads products, particularly anything built on the latest Gemini models.
GML 2026 Highlights
The event hasn’t happened yet. This section will be updated after the event with the biggest announcements as they drop.
📔 Curious what set the stage for this year’s keynote? Our Google Marketing Live 2025 recap covers every major announcement
GML 2026 Recap [All Announcements]
💡 Short on time? Once the keynote ends, we’ll publish a full Google Marketing Live 2026 Recap pulling together every announcement, feature launch, and product update in a single article.
Bookmark this page and check back on May 20 for the full rundown.