DrupalCon Atlanta 2025 was a landmark event that brought together developers, content creators, and Drupal enthusiasts worldwide to explore the future of Drupal CMS, its evolving ecosystem, and innovative tools shaping the platform's next chapter. While a third of its former size before Covid, DrupalCon Atlanta succeeded in bringing together an important part of its community.

One of the most impressive showcases was the Experience Builder, featuring an in-browser code editor that allows creation of Single Directory Components using React and TailwindCSS. AI agents demonstrated the ability to transform image files into React components ready for deployment, signaling a strong push toward automation and no-code/low-code development within Drupal.

Drupal is increasingly adopting React for front-end development, driven by AI's proficiency in generating React code over traditional Twig templates. This marks a strategic move to modernize Drupal’s theming and component architecture, aiming to streamline workflows and enhance developer productivity.

While the innovations are exciting, many developers, especially those managing multiple sites with limited resources, expressed concerns about the growing complexity and learning curve. Tools like Paragraphs, Storybook, Tailwind, and Single Directory Components require time and expertise, raising questions about balancing modernization with maintainability.

Despite the focus on front-end evolution, Drupal’s unparalleled data management capabilities-its ability to define and relate data entities-remain its greatest asset. The ongoing challenge is to marry this backend power with modern, efficient front-end experiences without losing Drupal’s hallmark flexibility and security.

The trend toward decoupled architectures continues quietly but steadily, with successful implementations by major organizations. The Drupal Next.js module, which facilitates seamless integration between Drupal and React-based front ends, is gaining traction as a practical path forward.

DrupalCon 2025 highlighted a three-year strategic roadmap aiming to make Drupal the "gold standard for no-code web development." The journey involves balancing innovation with accessibility, ensuring that both seasoned developers and newcomers can leverage Drupal’s capabilities effectively.

The event underscored the need for the community to embrace new technologies like React and AI-driven tools while maintaining Drupal’s foundational strengths. For many, this means exploring hybrid approaches-continuing to use Twig and PHP where appropriate, while adopting React and modern tooling to enhance development speed and user experience.

DrupalCon Atlanta 2025 was not just about flashy demos and keynote speeches; it was a reflection of a vibrant community grappling with change and opportunity. The future of Drupal CMS is bright, with exciting possibilities for automation, component-driven development, and broader accessibility. Developers are encouraged to experiment with new tools like the Experience Builder and Next.js integration to stay ahead in the evolving Drupal landscape.

The new proposal by Dries to incorporate a kind of marketplace into drupal.org is certainly an intriguing idea and may be a new way to revitalize the ecosystem of Drupal agencies who are in dire need of new market opportunities.

DrupalCon Atlanta 2025 has set the stage for the next era of Drupal innovation-one that promises to empower creators and developers alike with smarter, faster, and more intuitive tools.

The next DrupalCon in USA is in 2026, in the city of Chicago.