We’re very excited about this year’s London Games Festival, which is going to the biggest and best yet when it arrives in the city next month from 5 April to 15 April.
The London Games Festival is organised by Games London, a partnership between Ukie and the capital’s screen industries agency Film London, supported by the Mayor of London’s London Economic Action Partnership (LEAP).
This year’s festival will champion the diverse people who make, sell and play games, provide investment opportunities for games businesses and be a true celebration of the huge economic and cultural contribution made by the games industry to London and the wider UK.
Highlights include:
· Almost 400 games represented across the capital during 5 April to 15 April London Games Festival
· Mix of consumer and business events to drive over 50,000 people to events all over the city
· Festival is making London a global destination of the games industry with investors in town ready to spend £500m on potential deals
The festival is expected to attract over 50,000 people across a mix of 40 public events for consumers and industry professionals in a programme that covers mobile, PC and indie games, VR and AR, esports, and fun and fascinating new forms of interactive entertainment.
The London Games Festival will also provide a huge boost to the city’s fast-growing games development industry, with investors with spending power of over £500m between them in town to hear pitches and do deals.
In all, nearly 400 games will be represented across the 10 days, making the London Games Festival the world’s biggest celebration of video games and interactive entertainment.
Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I am proud to support the London Games Festival, the world’s largest celebration of video games and interactive entertainment. The London Games Festival brings together creative and cutting-edge tech entrepreneurs and attracts the world’s top developers and innovators to the capital, keeping London firmly on the map as a global gaming centre.”
Headline activity during the London Games Festival includes:
Now Play This, Friday
6 April to Sunday, 8 April: This three-day festival at Somerset House showcases an array of installations, games, drawings
and experiments that provoke thought and challenge what games can be.
Ensemble, starting Monday, 9 April: An exhibition highlighting the work done by games industry creatives from BAME (Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic) backgrounds, focusing on eight individuals.
LGF HUB, Monday,
9 April & Tuesday, 10 April: Brand new for 2018 this business-to-business event houses a series of agenda-setting summits and keynotes plus an exhibition Demo Zone of new and upcoming games.
Games Finance Market, Tuesday
10 April to Thursday 12 April: Where investors meet developers making the next big hit, the Finance Market will connect 60 creators with 60 funders that have over £500m ready to invest in new games.
Games Character Parade, Saturday
14 April: Running in the City of London, this parade of cosplay and costumed characters is open to all, supported by a family day of fun activities.
Major partner events are also taking place during the London Games Festival:
Future Tech Now & Virtual Reality Show London, Thursday 5 April to Saturday 7 April: Not a traditional trade show, focusing on cutting edge tech across different industries - including a AR & VR Gaming Arcade
BAFTA Games Awards, Thursday 12 April: The British Academy Games Awards is BAFTA’s annual celebration of excellence in games, shining a spotlight on the very best titles of the past year and the talented individuals behind them.
EGX Rezzed, Friday
13 April to Sunday 15 April: Rezzed is the biggest single games event in London, featuring hundreds of screens featuring
the very best console and PC games weeks or months before they're released.
All of that is underpinned by the London Games Festival Fringe, a series of 20+ alternative and community-organised events including classic retro game nights and board game clubs, museum treasure hunts, games themed comedy nights, and a games jam to support Women's Aid.
The full programme can be found here
The London Games Festival is backed by a host of supporters and sponsors who share Games London’s vision to make the city the games capital of the world – these include Events DC, the British Council, Moneycorp, Moore Stephens and Starling Bank.
For more information on the London Games Festival visit www.games.london. Follow @londongamesfest on Twitter or Instagram for more updates.