The most prominent recent use of “the conclave” in news and forum discussions is the papal conclave that followed Pope Francis’s death; that conclave was scheduled to start on 7 May 2025 at 4:30 p.m. local time in the Vatican.

However, “conclave” is also the name of several recurring conferences and church or student-ministry events, each with its own start date, so the answer depends on which one people in your forum thread mean:

  • A youth-ministry event called Conclave in Chattanooga in 2026 runs January 29–31, so its first day starts on 29 January 2026.
  • A regional Scout Conclave for 2026 at Tejas Lodge is scheduled from 17–19 April 2026, starting on 17 April.
  • A Kentucky Baptist Conclave-related training gathering lists multiple 2026 morning sessions (for example, one beginning at 8:00 a.m. on 26 February 2026 and further Thursdays in March).
  • Tau Kappa Epsilon’s Conclave 2026 in New Orleans is planned as a four‑day event from 30 July to 2 August 2026, beginning on 30 July.

Because the phrase “when is the conclave starting” is used across different forums and events, you’ll want to check which conclave your specific discussion is about (papal, youth-ministry, fraternity, scouting, etc.), then match it to the dates above. If you share which conclave you mean, I can narrow it to a single clear start date.