About the Fest
Save The Dates: April 23 & 24, 2027 — Holiday Inn Express & Guest Suites, Fort Washington, Pennsylvania and via Zoom
The NASWA SWL Fest is a conference of radio hobbyists of all stripes, from DC to daylight. Historically, every year scores of hobbyists have descended on the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania suburbs for a weekend of camaraderie. The Fest is sponsored by NASWA, the North American Shortwave Association, but it covers much more than just shortwave; mediumwave (AM), scanning, satellite TV, and pirate broadcasting are among the other topics that the Fest covers. Whether you’ve been to every Fest (all 39, starting with the first year at the fabled Pink & Purple Room of the Fiesta Motor Inn) or this year’s will be your first, you’re sure to find a welcome from your fellow hobbyists, even if it’s a “virtual” welcome!.
The 40th Annual (!) NASWA SWL Fest will have two days of sessions where you can learn about the latest developments in the radio listening hobbies. In addition, there’s the Hospitality Suite, where attendees partake of tuning oil and other treats and engage in spirited conversations. And of course, the infamous midnight ride of Pancho Villa that traditionally closes things out every year is likely to make a return appearance.
The 2026 Fest was the third in-person event since 2020 and the CoVID-19 Pandemic, and it was again limited to 65 in-person participants due to meeting space considerations. We expect the same arrangement for 2027. However, we also will offer the option of participating via Zoom, as we have the past five years.
We’ll have more details in early 2027, but for now, save the dates!
If you have questions please contact the Fest organizers at swlfest [at] naswa [dot] net .