We’re excited to have you join us for GDC Festival of Gaming! This is where the entire B2B games industry comes together. From design and code to publishing, marketing, and investment – it’s a place to learn, connect, collaborate, and shape the future of games.
This Welcome Guide is your starting point. Inside, you’ll find everything you need to plan your schedule, navigate the Festival Hall, activate networking, and discover the experiences that will define your week. We can’t wait to see you in San Francisco and share an unforgettable Festival together.
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The GDC Festival of Gaming program reflects the full reality of modern game development, from first idea to global launch, across indie and AAA teams alike. Sessions span the entire lifecycle and bring together developers, designers, producers, publishers, marketers, funders, and platform leaders in one unified experience.
All content is reviewed and curated by GDC’s Advisory Board to ensure it remains rigorous, relevant, and grounded in real production challenges. You’ll find expert-led talks, interactive formats, and specialized communities designed to support every role across the ecosystem.
Whether you’re here to sharpen your craft, explore new perspectives, or pressure-test your next big idea, the Festival Program gives you the depth, breadth, and flexibility to learn your way.
Your Festival experience starts with a plan. The GDC Agenda is your command center, built to help you browse, filter, and personalize your week across sessions, stages, and experiences.
Search by pass type, track, format, audience level, or (new this year) tags to surface what matters most to you. Save sessions in the event app, discover new voices, and leave space for spontaneous moments that often become the most valuable.
The Festival moves fast, but with the right lineup, you’ll move with purpose.
The Festival Hall is where momentum lives. Across three high-energy days, it brings together tools, technology, talent, and ideas in a reimagined expo experience built for discovery and connection.
Five themed neighborhoods guide you to the right people and products faster, while stages, lounges, and play spaces keep conversations flowing all day. From live demos and micro-talks to pop-up meetups and headline moments, the Festival Hall is designed to keep you learning, connecting, and moving.
This is where the industry shows up and where paths often cross.
When the day wraps, the Festival turns up. GDC Nights brings the community together through music, celebration, and shared experiences that carry the energy well into the evening.
Kick things off with a stadium-scale Opening Night at the ballpark, experience the emotional power of game music at the Developer’s Concert, and celebrate excellence at the IGF and Game Developers Choice Awards. Every night offers a new way to connect, unwind, and celebrate the craft – together.
All GDC Nights events are included with your pass.
Two nights. One spotlight. The Festival hosts back-to-back celebrations of creative excellence with the Independent Games Festival (IGF) Awards and the Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA).
From bold indie innovation to peer-recognized industry milestones, these ceremonies honor the work that moved the medium forward and the creators behind it. Attend live, celebrate with your peers, and witness the moments that will shape industry conversations for the year ahead.
Both ceremonies are included with your pass.
The Festival brings together an unparalleled mix of partners from across the global games ecosystem, spanning technology, platforms, services, publishing, education, media, and investment. This is where the organizations shaping how games are built, launched, supported, and scaled show up in force.
Explore partners across themed areas throughout the Festival Hall and beyond, from major platform and technology leaders to emerging studios, indie teams, state and country pavilions, and ecosystem partners supporting every stage of the lifecycle. Whether you’re evaluating tools, discovering new collaborators, or starting conversations that turn into long-term relationships, this is where meaningful connections begin.
Use this guide to browse partners by category, explore who’s participating, and plan which conversations you want to have onsite.
GDC Festival of Gaming 2026 introduces meaningful transformation, without losing what makes GDC trusted, rigorous, and community-led. The Festival Updates hub is your source for clear, transparent answers to the most common questions we’re hearing from attendees, partners, and the wider community.
Here you’ll find updates on program structure, passes, networking, Festival Hall changes, GDC Nights, and new experiences – alongside confirmation of what remains core to GDC’s identity. This page will continue to evolve with timestamped updates as details are finalized, so you always have the latest information in one place.
If you’re wondering how the Festival comes together, this is where clarity lives.
From venue hours to hotels, accessibility, and international travel support, this is your hub for planning a smooth Festival experience.
GDC takes place at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, with official hotels nearby and dedicated support for visa letters, accessibility accommodations, and onsite assistance. Our team is here to help every step of the way, before you arrive and throughout the week.
A little planning goes a long way toward a great Festival.
Plan Your Event