Google's annual developer conference is being held on home turf  this year. It will take place at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, the city where Google has its HQ, from May 18 - 20.

Google I/O has been held in San Francisco for some years so this may come as a surprise. Explaining the change of venue on Google+ Sundar Pichai writes:

2016 is going to be a special year for us -- we held our first developer day 10 years ago at the Googleplex. To celebrate our 10th anniversary of developer gatherings, we’ll be hosting I/O in our backyard at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, CA from May 18th - 20th. We’ll have 3 full days together to dive deep into developer content, code labs, and more. If you can’t make it in person, you can still join us via I/O Live and through an I/O Extended event in your local community. 

Although this decision could be explained simply to accommodate more developers - the Shoreline facility has about four times the capacity of the San Fransisco Moscone Center, it has led to speculation about what Google might put on the agenda. Some have noted that the location makes it easier for it to demo self-driving cars, which wouldn't be an option in San Fransisco.

Can we expect to see Android N?

Recent versions of Android have launched in the Fall so it would be something of a tall order to have it ready for May. Even so there's likely to some further detail about what to expect. Rumour has it that multiple windows might be the big new feature as this failed to make it into Android M because it was proving a difficult modification. As to its name, Pinchar has indicated this might be determined via an online poll.

After the Cardboard sensation of two years ago Google will find it hard to come up with an equivalent showstopper, however maybe is VR division will be able to provide something impressive making it a worthwhile event to attend. 

Finally there is the suggestion that the venue change it to allow the self driving car group to demo their project. 

Although there should be more places available the opportunity to purchase a ticket for the event will again be by lottery. So keep the dates and wait for the I/O 2016 Website to open in due course.