Berkshire Hathaway Annual Shareholders Meeting

Berkshire Hathaway, the Omaha-based conglomerate behind GEICO, BNSF Railway, See's Candies, Dairy Queen and dozens of other companies, holds its annual shareholders meeting in its hometown on the first Saturday of May. For decades it was Warren Buffett's show, with hours of questions answered alongside Charlie Munger. Buffett stepped down as CEO at the end of 2025, and the 2026 meeting was the first led by his successor, Greg Abel, with Buffett attending from the floor as chairman. The 2027 meeting is set for Saturday, May 1, 2027.

Meeting day starts early. Doors at CHI Health Center open at 7 a.m., Abel gives a business update at 8:30, and two long question-and-answer sessions follow with Berkshire executives such as Ajit Jain, BNSF's Katie Farmer and NetJets' Adam Johnson. Shareholders line up at ten microphones, and CNBC's Becky Quick reads questions sent in by email. The formal business meeting comes at 2 p.m. The whole thing is also livestreamed on CNBC.

The weekend is about much more than the meeting. On Friday afternoon the exhibit hall becomes a giant shareholders-only marketplace where Berkshire companies sell everything from Fruit of the Loom and Brooks running shoes to See's Candies and Dairy Queen treats, many at special prices. Borsheims jewelry hosts a shareholders-only shopping night Friday and a shopping day Sunday, and Nebraska Furniture Mart runs a multi-week shareholder discount plus a Saturday evening picnic with food and live entertainment at its 72nd Street store.

Sunday morning brings the Brooks 'Invest in Yourself' 5K along the Omaha riverfront, which in 2026 started at Lewis and Clark Landing. Around all of this, independent investor conferences, dinners and meetups run across Omaha from Wednesday to Sunday, and visitors from around the world make pilgrimages to Buffett's old haunts and his famously modest house in Dundee.

Turnout has been estimated at around 40,000 in peak years (press estimates; Berkshire does not publish an official count), with a large share of international visitors. It is one of the busiest weekends of the year for Omaha hotels, restaurants and Eppley Airfield.

Highlights

• Q&A with Greg Abel and Berkshire's senior executives, now in the post-Buffett era
• Friday shareholder shopping day with discounts from Berkshire-owned brands
• Borsheims shareholder events Friday night and Sunday
• Nebraska Furniture Mart shareholder discounts and Saturday evening picnic
• Sunday 'Invest in Yourself' 5K by Brooks on the riverfront
• Investor conferences and meetups all over town for the whole week

Tips for going

• You need a meeting credential, which comes from owning Berkshire shares (Class A or B). Credentials can be requested through your broker in advance; if yours does not arrive, bring proof of ownership and a photo ID to Will Call.
• Book lodging months ahead. Downtown and Aksarben area hotels sell out and prices rise sharply for this weekend; a vacation rental is often the easiest way to house a group.
• Arena seats go fast. Lots open as early as 3:30 a.m. on meeting day and people line up well before the 7 a.m. doors. Parking in 2026 was $10 for surface lots and $15 in the garage.
• Mind the bag rule: only small clutches or clear bags are allowed in the arena, and luggage has to be checked outside.
• Recording of any kind is banned during the meeting. Leave the phone in your pocket or risk losing your credential.
• Plan time for Omaha itself: shuttles run between hotels, the arena and NFM, and many visitors add the Old Market, Joslyn Art Museum and the Henry Doorly Zoo.