Every spring, London serves as a hub for a gaming event that aims to shine a spotlight on the video game industry in the country while also being a great place to network and meet folk in the sector. This is known as the London Games Festival, and following a few years in operation, it will be back once more in 2026 for its biggest event to date.
We're told that the London Games Festival 2026 will happen between April 13-19, and that thanks to moving to a larger venue able to host more visitors and studios, it will be the largest yet. The new venue applies to the main New Game Plus exhibition part of the festival, which happens between April 16-17 and will now be featured at Exhibition in White City, a venue that is said to be around twice as large as the former venue.
Beyond this, the festival will have other goodies and exciting offerings, including an industry-focussed B2B element running on April 14-15 that will serve as a place for "studio-to-investor pitch meetings" but also a place to spotlight co-development and self-published projects too.
Adding to this is the return of Screen Play on April 15, which will serve as a one-day conference that ties together games, film, and TV. There will also be Side Events ran by partners, community groups, and games companies, and on the Friday, April 17, will be the BAFTA Games Awards too.
Justine Simons OBE, deputy mayor for culture and the creative industries, explained: "It's great news that the London Games Festival will return bigger and better than ever before next year. For over a decade it has grown from strength to strength, successfully drawing crowds from all over the world to visit and do business in London. Its expansion and move to a bigger venue, shows its significance and confirms London's position as a world leading gaming capital, as we continue to build a better London for everyone."
The festival is also backed by the Mayor of London and is thought to be key to generating investment in the UK games industry, with a supposed £110 million worth of deals completed since it started in 2016.