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| (Image Source: GamesIndustry.biz/gamescom) |
gamescom 2026 will mark the start of a highly promising year for the global gaming community. The organizers have now launched ticket sales with a strong turnout of participating exhibitors. For the third time in succession, the event has ended the early-bird period with a new record for registered exhibitors. In total, exhibitor numbers are up 15 percent year over year. This result reaffirms the international standing, relevance, and appeal of the world’s biggest event for computer and video games.
Felix Falk, Managing Director of game, the German Games Industry Association, says, “It’s already clear that gamescom will once again be the absolute highlight of the international gaming year. As the representatives of the German games industry, we’re proud that we get to stage this unique event and welcome visitors from across the world. This year, we’re making gamescom dev and gamescom even more closely linked than ever before, and that’s something I’m really looking forward to. The developer community is the industry’s beating heart of creativity, and it is only right that our developer conference should kick off the gamescom week.” Koelnmesse GmbH Chief Operating Officer Oliver Frese adds, “As the co-organizers of gamescom, we’re delighted that we’ve set a record at the end of the early-bird period for three years in succession. This result underscores gamescom’s unique role within the gaming industry and clearly shows why this event is a must-attend for the global gaming community. Achieving this best-ever result in the early-bird period is the perfect way to launch ticket sales. gamescom 2026 promises to be a superlative experience for all visitors.”
Visitors and fans can now purchase tickets for gamescom (August 26–30), gamescom dev (August 24-25), and gamescom congress (August 27). Tickets are available exclusively via the official gamescom Ticket Shop at tickets.gamescom.global. Tickets for gamescom Opening Night Live will go on sale at a later date. There will be no ticket sales at the venue. Attendees are strongly advised not to purchase tickets from unauthorized platforms or third-party vendors. As in the previous year, fans can select from the following tickets and bundles: day ticket, evening ticket (from 4:00 pm), family ticket, wildcard (admission to the trade visitor and media day, hosted in the entertainment area from August 26 at 1:00 pm), green ticket (optional contribution to climate protection initiatives), Superfan Bundle Plus (includes a ticket to gamescom Opening Night Live), and Superfan Bundle (includes a ticket to gamescom Opening Night Live). Meanwhile, a new ticket category is being introduced for trade visitors this year: They will be granted admission with the gamescom Business Ticket. It gives trade visitors the flexibility to combine all of the available tickets for gamescom dev with admission to gamescom by purchasing a joint weekly package in the gamescom Ticket Shop. They can select from gamescom Business 5 Days (access to the entire gamescom business week, including gamescom dev and gamescom from Wednesday to Friday. The precise scope of access to gamescom dev depends on the package selected.), gamescom Business 3 Days (admission to gamescom from Wednesday to Friday), or gamescom Business 1 Day (single-day admission to gamescom from Wednesday to Friday). All gamescom Business Tickets include access to the gamescom business area, the gamescom entertainment area and gamescom biz, the official online B2B platform. Business 5 Days tickets include access to gamescom dev with the scope of access determined by the selected category (Basic, Content, Trade, VIP, or Student). Early-bird pricing is available until March 31, 2026. Verification as a trade visitor is required to purchase a Business Ticket. The verification process may take up to 48 hours to complete. Early registration is strongly recommended. Tickets for the gamescom congress, the world’s leading conference exploring the potential of computer and video games, on August 27, 2026 are also available as well.
Continued exhibitor growth and rising levels of international participation underscore gamescom’s global reach. Companies from more than 40 countries have already joined the lineup for gamescom 2026. Country pavilions from 23 countries have been confirmed including Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, Denmark, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Korea, Malta, Morocco, the Netherlands, Portugal, Qatar, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, and the United States. International participation in the event has grown steadily over the years. Beginning with the 2026 edition, gamescom will therefore discontinue the model of having a single official partner country in order to better reflect its global character, international significance, and broad partnerships. Going forward, gamescom will introduce new formats and programs to provide all international partners with enhanced exposure and greater networking opportunities. Further information on gamescom is available at https://www.gamescom.global.
