Guide to Attending DEF CON 33 in 2025

DEF CON is a must-attend conference for cybersecurity professionals. Like cybersecurity, DEF CON is big and confusing at first. There is so much to do and see; it can be overwhelming. There is also still a bit of that old hacker mentality that you should only be here if you are smart enough to figure it out. So, I wanted to put together a DEF CON 33 guide for those who plan to attend for the first time.

DEF CON 33 is from August 7th through to the 10th. If you have not yet booked a room and flight, jump on that!

The tips and resources I provide within this post are based on details collected during my multiple DEF CON trips. Some things have changed, but most things for DEF CON 33 will be the same.

Guide to Attending DEF CON 33 in 2025 Overview

Before I Get Excited, What’s This Gonna Cost?

The price of DEF CON has been steadily increasing over the years, and this year is no exception. The cash price at the door is now $500, up from the $460 price in 2024. If you prefer to pre-purchase your badge, you’ll be paying as high as $580, depending on the timing. That’s a full $100 jump from 2024!

To be fair, I’m giving the organizers the benefit of the doubt here. The recent move to the Las Vegas Convention Center likely brought on a slew of new logistical costs and venue fees. After their first year in the new space, it’s not surprising they’d need to raise prices to cover the difference. While I’m personally not thrilled about the increase, I do get it.

That said, DEF CON is still one of the most affordable security conferences around. For comparison, a Black Hat pass will run you $2,500—just for two days. Now that’s outrageous.

So, what’s the benefit of pre-purchasing your DEF CON badge?

The primary reason DEF CON introduced pre-purchased badges is to provide receipts—an essential perk for those lucky enough to get reimbursed by their employer. If you need a receipt, you must buy your badge in advance. There are no receipts for cash purchases at the door.

There’s also an unofficial benefit: the line you stand in. Typically, pre-registration gets you into a separate (and historically shorter) line during Day 1 badge pickup. In previous years, the cash line was notoriously long. But in 2024, that script flipped. I was in line at 5:00 AM on Day 1, and the cash-only line was about a tenth the size of the pre-reg line.

Of course, there’s a bit of selection bias here. The type of person who pre-purchases a badge is also probably the type who thinks ahead and shows up early—so naturally, more of them end up in the early lines. Bottom line: predicting which line will be shorter is a crapshoot.

That said, if you’re in line by 5:00 AM, you can generally expect to have your badge in hand by 8:30 AM, regardless of which line you’re in.

Do Your Homework Before DEF CON 33

DEF CON is packed with activities—talks, CTFs, workshops, villages, contests, and more. With so much going on at once, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or miss out on something you really wanted to catch. To make the most of your DEF CON 33 experience, take the time to write out a plan in advance.

Look over the schedule, check out what each village is offering, and prioritize the events and talks that matter most to you. Having a game plan—even a rough one—can make a big difference in how much you get out of the con.

DEF CON 33 Villages

Villages at DEF CON operate completely independently from the main conference. Each one is essentially its own mini-conference, with its own schedule of talks, CTFs, and workshops. If a particular village catches your interest, be sure to visit its official website for the full schedule and details—DEF CON’s main site doesn’t list all the specifics. Most villages also maintain their own Discord servers, which are often the best place to get up-to-date info and ask questions directly.

If you are unsure what villages there are, start in the DEF CON Villages forums for a list and details about each village.

-- Status Updates About Forums --
As of June 10th, the DEF CON Villages section in the forums still hasn’t been fully updated with all the village details.

Normally by this time, the listings are complete—but every now and then, things run late like this. If you're trying to plan ahead, keep checking the forums regularly. The info will get posted; it’s just a matter of when.

Red Team Village

A special note about Red Team Village. Red teaming and pentesting have long been seen as the cool, flashy side of cybersecurity. I mean, who hasn’t imagined themselves as ZeroCool trading hacks with Angelina Jolie? No? You haven’t? I don’t know if we can be friends…

Anyway—Red Team Village. Honestly, skip it. It’s consistently one of the most overcrowded villages at DEF CON. The lines are brutal, and every year it feels like they reinvent the process for talk access or workshop sign-ups. To be clear, I’m not knocking the folks who run it—they do great work—but they’re simply overwhelmed by the massive crowds they attract.

DEF CON Official Calendar

There’s also an official DEF CON calendar you can use to track events during the conference. That said, I’ve personally never found it to be all that useful.

Day 1 of DEF CON is just LineCon… Except…

The first day of DEF CON is essentially LineCon—and honestly, it’s not that bad.

At DEF CON 32, the guy behind me in line had a fully portable Super Nintendo setup, and we ended up playing Mario Kart for hours. The guy in front of me gave me some fantastic 3D printing tips while we waited. My point is: LineCon is what you make of it.

Bring a good attitude, strike up conversations, and you might just learn something new or make a few friends before the con even officially starts.

Not into LineCon?

If LineCon isn’t your thing, I’ve got the inside scoop on how to get through it as fast as humanly possible.

Using this method at DEF CON 31, I had my badge and all my swag in hand by 7:43 AM. I know the exact time because the photo I took minutes after leaving the swag booth has the metadata to prove it. That’s wild, considering I’ve spent past years stuck in lines until 3 or 4 PM.

Trust me—if you want to beat the chaos, a little strategy goes a long way.

Here’s The Strategy

1. August 7th at 4 AM(meaning get up at 3 or 3:30 AM)

Officially, DEF CON’s doors open at 5:00 PM the day before the first day. They’ve been open all night every year I’ve gone—including DEF CON 32 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. People were already lining up as early as 10:00 PM the night before the con even started.

In the past, showing up around 5:00 AM with a pre-purchased badge was enough to cruise through registration and merch. But last year, that changed. A lot more folks had the same early-bird idea, and I didn’t make it through registration and swag pickup until 9:15 AM.

So this year, I’m adjusting. My plan is to be in line by 4:00 AM. That should help reestablish the edge I used to have and get me through LineCon while the rest of the crowd is still waking up.

2. With a DEF CON 33 badge in hand, Speedwalk To Merch

After snagging your DEF CON 33 badge, don’t dawdle—speed-walk straight to the merch line.

DEF CON merch can and will sell out, and it happens fast. The most popular items—like men’s large T-shirts—are usually the first to disappear. If you want the good stuff, you’ve got to hustle.

Last year, the process was streamlined thanks to the Hacker Tracker app. You could browse available merch, check prices, and build a shopping list in the app. Once you hit the merch line, a goon would scan your QR code and fetch your items for you.

Pro tip: while you’re waiting in LineCon, use the Hacker Tracker app to build your merch wishlist. That way, you’re ready to go the moment you hit the front of the line.

Extended LineCon…

If you choose not to follow my advice and end up in an extended LineCon on the first day, make the most out of it. Make new friends in LineCon, and plan to meet up at DEF CON 33 parties when the sun goes down. Seriously, even introverts like myself can find a way to make new friends in LineCon. I mean, they’re trapped in line with you for like 3-hours, so you have time to think of a way to start a conversation.

Notes on DEF CON Badges

DEF CON badges are famous for their designs. Most people only know about the circuit board badges and don’t know that not every year has a circuit board badge. DEF CON alternates between a circuit board and a non-circuit board badge every other year. Many first-time DEF CON attendees do not know this, and are very disappointed when they show up on a non-circuit board badge year.

DEF CON 33 is NOT a circuit board year…

Plan Ahead For Village Badges

If you want to get some of the other sweet DEF CON badges from villages, you must buy them in advance. Nearly all the major villages will have their cool badge, but you must seek them out weeks or even months in advance. These, too, sell out quickly, long before the convention even starts.

A little pro tip: The Red Team Village in 2023 only allowed those who registered for workshops hosted there to come in. If you buy a Red Team badge, you are allowed to go straight in to pick it up. After you pick up the badge, maybe you hang around, pretend you are supposed to be there and listen to some workshops. I am not saying that is what I did; I would never do this.

DEF CON 33 Workshops – Day 1 Planning Exception!

The big day one DEF CON 33 planning exception is workshops. Workshops are held on day one and run for 4 hours each. DEF CON workshops typically cost $25 USD but have very limited seats, with an average of 50 per workshop. So, you need to sign up for these workshops as soon as they are announced. Otherwise, you will miss out.

These workshops are a HUGE value.

Ever looked into taking a SANS course? One class will set you back around $5,000—and that’s just to start. In contrast, DEF CON workshops are basically free with your badge.

Even better? Some of the workshops I’ve attended were led by off-duty SANS instructors. That’s right—the same folks who teach those $5K classes were at DEF CON teaching condensed versions of the same material. Sure, it’s only a fraction of the full course (you can only fit so much into an 4-hour session), but the value is undeniable.

Workshops for DEF CON 33 are announced on the DEF CON forums. Workshops should be announced between June 15th to 20th, and registration usually opens around July 5th. Stay tuned for updates.

DEF CON WORKSHOPS are registered through Eventbrite, so make sure you have your account set up before registration opens. Links to Eventbrite will be posted on the forums when the workshops are posted.

Pro Tip: If you can’t get into a workshop you really want to attend, go and line up for it anyway. There is a good chance someone else will not attend, and the workshop organizer will let you take the no-show spot.

DEF CON 32 Workshop Timing Rant…

At DEF CON 32, workshops were held at the SpringHill Suites Las Vegas. Now, even though it’s technically on the same block as the LVCC, it’s still a solid 15-minute walk away. Why does this matter?

Because I had a reservation for a workshop I was really excited about—and it started at 9:00 AM on Day 1.

I was in line at 5:00 AM, but I didn’t make it through badge pickup and merch until 9:15 AM. Add in the 15-minute walk to SpringHill, and I didn’t get to the workshop until 9:30. At that point, they had already given away my seat to someone from the waitlist.

To make matters worse, in previous years registration would open around 7:00–7:30 AM. But at DEF CON 32, they pushed that back to 8:00 AM. That small shift had a big ripple effect—especially for anyone trying to make it to early workshops.

Frankly, I think this was a major oversight by the event organizers. If you’re scheduling 9:00 AM workshops on Day 1, registration needs to start earlier or be more efficient.

Bring Cash to DEF CON 33!

Cash is king, and most vendors only accept cold, hard cash. That goes for merch, too, although some will take credit cards. However, it is a gamble of who will and will not accept CCs, so just to be safe, don’t plan on using a CC.

Bring those green-backs if you plan to get dripped in dope DEF CON merch!

DEF CON 33 at the Las Vagas Convention Center

Last year, DEF CON made the move from Caesars Forum to the Las Vegas Convention Center—and the change was awesome.

DEF CON had clearly outgrown Caesars. In the final years at the Forum, it felt like one giant human traffic jam: constantly shoulder-to-shoulder, stuck behind slow walkers when you’re trying to hustle to a talk, and elbowing your way through crowded hallways just to get anywhere.

At the LVCC, it’s a whole different story. There’s space. You’ve got room to breathe, to speed-walk around people if you’re in a rush, or to lazily mosey through the con without feeling like you’re holding up a line of impatient hackers behind you.

And let’s not forget the food court. Yeah, it’s pricey—but the convenience of not having to leave the convention to grab a drink or a bite? Totally worth it.

I recommend you bring snacks and food. To best optimize your time, I would plan on having a big breakfast, having snacks throughout the day, and eating dinner sometime after 6 PM.

This is the address for DEF CON 33: “300 Convention Center Dr, Las Vegas, NV 89109“

DEF CON 33 Location Pro Tips

The hotel room prices at the official DEF CON partner hotels? Absolutely brutal.

To dodge the DEF CON price hike, I booked a room at Circus Circus, which is just across the street from the LVCC West Hall. It’s only a 10–15 minute walk, and the rates were way more reasonable.

If you’re looking to save money and don’t mind a short walk each day, Circus Circus is a solid budget-friendly option.

DEF CON Fontainebleau Las Vegas Food Court

If you’re looking for a place to eat near DEF CON, check out the food court at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas hotel—just across the street from the LVCC.

It’s about a 10-minute walk from the moment you step out the convention center doors to when you’re standing in the food court. The selection is excellent, the pricing is decent (by Vegas standards), and every time I went, it was never too crowded.

Definitely a solid option if you want to avoid the pricey and often packed food court inside the LVCC itself.

Protect Yourself! Have a BlueTeam State of Mind

Not everyone at DEF CON is a WhiteHat Hacker; personally, I think they’re mostly GreyHats. So you should take some steps to protect yourself. Here are a few things you can do to stay protected.

If you’re planning to use Wi-Fi at the convention center, make sure you connect to the DEF CON WPA3 network. WPA3 includes several advanced security features and, so far, doesn’t suffer from the same known vulnerabilities as WPA2. In short: the DEF CON WPA3 Wi-Fi is pretty secure, especially by conference standards.
Have a full tunnel VPN configured on your phone and laptop. This will ensure that your traffic will be encrypted even when using sketchy Wifi. You don’t want to show up on the wall of sheep!
Make a complete backup of all your devices. This is just good general advice before going on a vacation.
Enable Bitlocker or full disk encryption on all your devices. This will ensure that your data is not at risk in case your devices are stolen or lost.
Store all RFID and NFC cards, like credit cards, passports, and especially hotel room keys, in a Faraday bag. Faraday bags are cheap on Amazon.

If you want more tips on securing your data and personal belongings at DEF CON, check out my “The Traveling IT Worker” blog post.

Here’s a fun story: At DEF CON 30, my mother-in-law’s hotel room was broken into. Nothing was taken, but an item and a note with the date were left behind. I have a feeling she said something rude to the wrong people and became the target of some unsanctioned CTF shenanigans. Someone likely used a FlipperZero to clone her hotel room key.

LOL, this is why I love you fucking degenerates. <3

CTFs and Challenges: Plan in Advance

There are sooo many CTFs you can participate in. However, if you think you will just find one and start hacking away at it; think again. Don’t misunderstand me; you can do that, but you likely will not get that far. Most CFTs require special software, tools, and niche expertise. This means you must plan for the CTFs you want to do in advance.

This brings me to my next point. If you have not planned to do a CTF or workshop in advance, then you don’t need to bring your laptop to the convention center. You can keep your laptop in your room and not lug around a bunch of dead weight on your back. Trust me, a heavy backpack will kill your shoulders by the end of the day.

If you want to put your skills to the test, check out the DEF CON 33 Contests forum page.

Finding DEF CON 33 Parties

Many awesome parties are happening at DEF CON. However, finding them can be tricky. Here are a few places to find DEF CON 33 parties.

@defconparties X(Twitter) – This account is super helpful.
DEF CON Parties and Gathering Forums
Also, when at the conference, ask around different villages. Some villages will have their own parties that may not make it onto any list.

Get the Hacker Tracker App

Hacker Tracker is the official DEF CON app for planning all things DEF CON. You need to have this app to keep track of all the talks, events, workshops, contests, etc… Make sure you download the app before DEF CON 33.

Android: Hacker Tracker – Schedule App

Apple IOS: HackerTracker

Final Tips for DEF CON 33

To wrap up this DEF CON 33 guide, I want to add some final words of advice.

If you are having a good time, stay there.

DEF CON is big, spread out, and farther apart than you think. So don’t think you can see everything at the conference. Don’t feel like you need to leave an event or a talk you enjoy to try and see something else. If you are having a good time where you are, stay there. If you leave and come back, you may not be able to get back in.

Stuck on a project? Bring it to DEF CON.

I had been stuck on a hardware hacking project for months. So, I brought the devices with me to DEF CON and asked around. By the end of day two, I had root access to the device. We are stronger in numbers.

Avoid Workshop Overload

Since I am pretty good at getting into DEF CON workshops, I filled one year’s DEF CON with one to two workshops every day. It sounded great at the time, but I regretted it by the end of the conference. Every day of DEF CON felt like taking a 500-level college class, and it burned me out quickly. This also left little time for me to see good talks. While I definitely increased my skills exponentially that year, I didn’t really have fun.

Guide to Attending DEF CON 33 in 2025

Before I Get Excited, What’s This Gonna Cost?

So, what’s the benefit of pre-purchasing your DEF CON badge?