London Games Festival is back in March 2020

London Games Festival is back, this time running from March 26th to April 6th, 2020.

With the 2019 edition of the event attracting over 97,000 people across 40+ events, the organisers of the 2020 show anticipate over 100,000 guests this time around in the hope that, like last year, Games London’s wider programme will continue “to deliver for the capital with over £25m potential business generated in the last 12 months for businesses in London and across the UK”.

“The London Games Festival is increasingly renowned globally for the perception-changing spotlight it puts on interactive entertainment,” says a press release. “LGF has more games on show than any other global games event and boasts a more varied programme and diverse audience. This is boosted with events delivered or backed by supporters underpinning the festival such as the British Academy of Film and Television (BAFTA), British Council and Events DC.”

The event kicks off with EGX Rezzed, one of the biggest PC and indie games shows in the world, and then Ensemble, the festival’s yearly exhibition of BAME talent in games. The LGF HUB two-day conference and expo will run on March 30th and March 31st with a focus on the global games industry and key issues around games impact, interactive narratives and games culture, and then Games Finance Market will take place on April 1st and April 2nd.

Hollywood XP, a brand new forum of keynotes and panels, kicks off on April 1st exploring the connections between interactive entertainment and other screen media, and the BAFTA Games Awards take place on April 2nd. 

There’s also the return of the Trafalgar Square Games Festival, an “expanded to a two-day climax for the main festival on April 3rd and April 4th and including more free games experiences, cosplay, music and more”.

“It is fantastic to see the London Games Festival expanding its reach and ambition, building on the success of last year’s festival which created business worth over £25m for participating companies on top of a further £9m generated by the wider Games London programme over the past 12 months,” said Adrian Wootton, CEO of Film London and the British Film Commission. “By continuing to connect the best and brightest talent and set to enable major new business opportunities, this year’s festival seeks to cement its central position as the premier showcase for all aspects of games, reflecting the terrific success of the UK industry, which contributes nearly £3bn into the economy. We are thrilled to celebrate this success.”

“The London Games Festival continues to grow and is a fantastic opportunity for all ages to celebrate the creativity and innovation of the games and interactive entertainment industry,” added Dr Jo Twist OBE, CEO of Ukie. “London is one of the epicentres of games talent in the UK and continuing to attract international attention to these businesses is key.”

“London’s thriving games industry is a real success story, bringing significant investment and jobs to our capital,” said Justine Simons OBE, deputy mayor for Culture and Creative Industries. “The London Games Festival is a fantastic showcase for this cutting-edge sector, helping to drive business and share skills. I’m delighted that 2020’s event will be the biggest and best yet.”

Interested in participating? Applications are now open for developers and professionals looking to take part in London Games Festival and the wider Games London programme. The deadline for Games Finance Market is January 22nd, 2020, whilst the third phase of BAME exhibition Ensemble’s deadline is Friday December 6th, 2019. 

The team is also looking for experts for an ‘Office Hours’ programme of free advice for games companies run during the festival – email info@games.london for more.