Gathering together in a celebration of passion, interactive arts, and culture, players attend gaming events to try out unreleased demos, participate in esports, attend workshops and panels hosted by industry leaders, and even dress up as their favourite characters.
In fact, London is home to quite a few expos – and quite a few video game fans – all designed to immerse yourself into the community, and each of which is jam-packed with plenty of fun to suit casual gamers and hardcore fans alike.
So stand aside, music festivals – these are the most anticipated gaming events coming to London in 2024.
ICE London
The largest international gaming event in the entire world calls London its home, and it’s due to return on 6-8 February 2024 at West London’s ExCeL London. This time around, it’ll have more than 700 exhibitors from over 50 countries, each of which represent their own part of the gaming industry – including betting, mobile, and tonnes of non UK based casinos for Brits, just to name a few!
Attendees get to try live demos and participate in tournaments just as they can any other other expo, but there’s more to ICE than that. You’ll also gain access to a wealth of educational content, often covering topics like industry best practices and regulatory compliance, among others. Perfect for anyone who is hoping to break into the field but isn’t quite sure where to start – all of that and more is covered through talks by professionals.
All in all, it’s an excellent way to stay ahead of the curve, discover the latest games and industry trends, and even make connections that could jump-start a career.
EGX London
Another salute to all things gaming, EGX London will keep that itch scratched after you’ve been blown away by ICE’s exhilarating exhibits. Thousands of visitors will come to London and check out live demos from over 200 presenters, covering everything from indie mobile games to triple-A console titles and more.
Like at ICE London, EGX will feature several tournaments and cosplay contests, each of which give players an opportunity to win some exciting prizes and their fair shot at glory. For 2024, the expo is expected to host fierce competitions for Tekken 7, Call Of Duty: Vanguard, FIFA 24, and Street Fighter 6.
The party keeps on even when the rest of the event shuts down for the night, too; you can attend the EGX After Hours event, have a few drinks, and play a few games that stay on the floor until about 10pm.
However, the dates for EGX London 2024 have not yet been confirmed, so keep an eye out for updates!
London Anime & Gaming Con
This one’s for the anime fans! Yet another event coming in February, London Anime & Gaming Con comes back with a vengeance on 16-18 February 2024 at the Novotel London West. Promising an astounding four floors of merchandise and exhibits, LAGC is the largest anime convention in London. Again, you can participate in costume contests and find stations to play video games designed for all ages.
Over three days, the Anime expo will also host dozens of internationally-famous voice actors, performers, and other contributors to your favourite shows, games, and other media. Next year, attendees can expect guests like Gareth David-Lloyd (Solas, Dragon Age: Inquisition), Craig Fairbrass (Ghost, Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 2), and Erica Schroeder (Pokemon, One Piece, Yu-Gi-Oh!).
London Games Festival
Get ready, because this one is a real game changer; London Games Festival comes back next year and is to take place from 9 to 25 April, giving you more than ample opportunity to make your way through and see everything it has to offer.
For its ninth year, the Games Festival promises to be its largest one yet as the entire city is set to celebrate games over sixteen days, and it helps generate revenue for participating games businesses. Each of the activities are divided into three main categories: Industry, Talent & Impact, and Gameplay.
A few key moments that have already been announced to expect include the following:
- Official Selection, a highlight of 30+ games via live demos and online showcases
- Now Play This, a festival of experimental titles
- W.A.S.D. returns to the Truman Brewery
- Games Impact Summit, exploring themes such as how games can create positive change
- London Games Festival Fringe, back from its 2019 hiatus
- Open Studios, where gaming studios invite players and professionals to explore their operations
- VIP networking opportunities
- Screen Play, a new conference looking at the links between games, TV, and film
- Games Finance Market, introducing developers with publishers and investors
A full schedule will go live soon with all of the specifics, but it’s still early yet in the planning stages. Ticket sales are expected to go live sometime in December.
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