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The Game Developers Conference (GDC) has always been more than just panels and networking - it’s where the global games industry comes to celebrate its craft. And in 2026, GDC is expanding its reach with the Festival of Gaming, an evolved format that blends professional development with community celebration.
Whether you’re a seasoned developer, indie creator or just someone who loves the culture around making games, this year’s GDC is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious yet. Expect hands-on demos, public showcases, major studio announcements and a spotlight on the people shaping the next generation of games.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Festival of Gaming 2026 - including when it’s happening, where it’ll be held and who you can expect to see there.
When and Where Is GDC 2026?
The event is scheduled to run from Monday, March 9th to Friday, March 13th 2026, once again taking place at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California - the long-time home of the event. If you’re planning to attend, speak, exhibit or just potentially join remotely, those dates are what you want to remember.
What’s New This Year?
This year, GDC is expanding beyond the usual conference halls into a festival-style setup that blends the heart of GDC with a more public, celebratory experience.
The main conference will still occupy the familiar Moscone North, South, and West buildings, hosting talks, panels and networking sessions across disciplines like design, programming, production and business. But 2026 introduces new festival zones - including outdoor spaces, demo pavilions and community hubs designed to make the event feel more open and interactive than ever before.
Alongside the developer sessions, expect live showcases from major publishers and indie studios, esports exhibitions, interactive installations and meetups hosted by tool creators, platforms and universities. It’s part of GDC’s effort to bridge the gap between industry professionals and the broader gaming community, turning the event into a full-on celebration of games as both craft and culture.
If you’ve never been to GDC before, the Moscone area is surrounded by hotels, public transport links and endless post-session hangout spots where some of the most important industry conversations still happen (often over a drink rather than a PowerPoint).
Who’s Attending the GDC Festival of Gaming 2026?
If you’re wondering who will be there when the industry gathers in San Francisco from March 9th-13th 2026, the short answer is: everyone who makes games, sells games or supports the games ecosystem.
Expect an expanded crowd compared to previous years. Developers, artists, audio engineers, narrative designers are all still at the core. But now there’s a bigger mix of publishers, tech-platforms, investors, educational institutions and tools vendors. “We bring together game developers, publishers, distributors, investors, founders, technologists, toolmakers, marketers, educators, and media,” the organisers say.
How to Make the Most of GDC Festival of Gaming 2026
Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned attendee, the GDC Festival of Gaming 2026 can be overwhelming - with thousands of sessions, exhibitors and after-hours meetups packed into five fast-paced days. It’s important to go in with a plan.
Start by building your schedule early. GDC releases its session lineup weeks before the event, so bookmark the talks, roundtables and workshops most relevant to you. Popular ones fill up fast, especially anything featuring big-name studios or postmortems from award-winning games. Next, make time for the Expo Floor, it’s where you’ll find some of the most interesting conversations. From middleware demos and engine previews to indie showcases and VR experiments, this is where the practical, future-facing side of the industry lives.
Try not to skip the networking mixers, community meetups and after-hours events either. GDC has always been as much about the hallway conversations as the panels themselves. The new “festival” format makes that even easier - expect live music, outdoor lounges and pop-up showcases around the Moscone area designed to make mingling a natural part of the experience.
Finally, pace yourself. Hit the big sessions, meet a few new collaborators and leave space to wander. Whether you’re attending in-person or tuning in online, treat the event like what it is - the industry’s biggest week of learning, discovery, and connection.
Summary
The GDC Festival of Gaming 2026 is the centerpiece of the global games calendar. From March 9–13, 2026, San Francisco’s Moscone Center will once again gather developers, publishers, artists and fans under one roof to celebrate how games are made and where they’re going next.
This year’s expanded festival format marks an evolution - becoming a space where creators and players meet and where the future of interactive entertainment starts to really take shape. If you’re serious about working in games or simply just passionate about how they’re built, GDC is the event to mark on your calendar, promising a week that defines the year ahead.
