The Streptococcus Great Britain & Ireland 2026 meeting brought together Early Career Researchers (Masters students, PhD students, Postdocs, Fellows and Technicians) and experts in Durham to highlight cutting-edge research focused on crucial aspects of Streptococcal biology. This included evolution, genetics, cell biology, virulence mechanisms, host immune responses, epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of Streptococcal bacteria.