gamescom Germany 2026 will take place from August 26 to 30, 2026, at Koelnmesse in Cologne. The annual event brings together the international video game industry, technology companies, developers, publishers, media professionals, content creators and gaming communities within a combined business and consumer format. Its exhibition scope covers PC and console games, mobile gaming, hardware, peripherals, game development, publishing, esports, indie titles, streaming technologies and related digital entertainment. August 26 is designated primarily as the trade visitor and media day, while the public entertainment areas continue through August 30.
The event is divided into specialised areas serving different parts of the gaming ecosystem. The business area provides a B2B environment for publishers, developers, investors, service providers and media representatives, while the entertainment area presents new games and interactive experiences to the wider gaming audience. Additional sections include the indie area, cosplay village, retro & family area and cards & boards area. The wider gamescom week also incorporates gamescom dev and industry-focused networking activities, connecting game development, commercial partnerships and consumer-facing entertainment within Cologne.
The 2026 programme begins with gamescom Opening Night Live on August 25, one day before the main exhibition opens, followed by presentations, game showcases, stage programmes, competitions and community events throughout the week. The previous 2025 edition attracted 357,000 visitors from 128 countries, more than 34,000 trade visitors and 1,568 exhibitors from 72 countries, illustrating the international scale of the event. For companies and professionals, gamescom functions as both a product-launch platform and a meeting point for distribution, publishing, development and business partnerships across the global games industry.
