GDC Festival of Gaming 2026 Delivers Five Days of Transformative Connection and Insight

The renewed GDC marks the beginning of a new era, returning to Moscone Center in 2027

Mar. 14, 2026 at 6:58pm by Ben Kaplan

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The GDC Festival of Gaming has come to a close after uniting all facets of the international games industry for five days of learning, networking, inspiration, celebration, and headline-making news. The transformed and re-branded event hosted 700+ cross-disciplinary sessions from 1,100 speakers, thousands of networking meetings, more than 300 exhibitors, and nightly celebrations throughout San Francisco.

Why it matters

The GDC Festival of Gaming represented a boldly reinvented GDC, expanding the appeal of the event to welcome all attendees and address the changing needs of the industry while honoring four decades of GDC's legacy. The event featured major announcements, demonstrations of emerging technologies, and a vibrant Festival Hall that provided hands-on experiences with new games and interactive exhibits.

The details

The Festival Hall evolved into five distinct neighborhoods, each with its own stage for talks, spotlights, and live interviews. Over 300 exhibitors presented their emerging technologies and innovations, including industry leaders like Sony, Microsoft, Tencent, and NVIDIA. The event also featured the IGF Pavilion's indie game showcase, alt.ctrl.GDC's experimental controllers, and GDC Play's platform for indie developers.

  • The GDC Festival of Gaming took place from March 1-5, 2026.
  • GDC will return to Moscone Center next year, from March 1-5, 2027.

The players

Nina Brown

President of GDC.

Mark DeLoura

Executive Director, Innovation & Growth at GDC.

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What they’re saying

“This was the first year of a bold new concept for GDC. We are thrilled that 20,000 unique attendees representing our global community showed up from over 85 countries and trusted us with this evolution.”

— Nina Brown, President of GDC (Business Wire)

“We have heard loud and clear from our community this week that the redesigned GDC Festival of Gaming is starting to truly respond to their needs – from industry stalwarts who come to the show year after year to smaller indies seeking inspiration for their bold debut, to every branch of the industry that can now call GDC home.”

— Mark DeLoura, Executive Director, Innovation & Growth at GDC (Business Wire)

What’s next

GDC will be returning to Moscone Center next year, Monday, March 1 to Friday, March 5, 2027. The call for submissions for the GDC Festival of Gaming will open in early July 2026.

The takeaway

The GDC Festival of Gaming has evolved to become a must-attend event for the entire games industry ecosystem, offering a transformed experience that addresses the changing needs of the industry while honoring GDC's four-decade legacy.