London Games Festival moves to central venue for 2027 showcase

Games London has announced that the London Games Festival will move to a central venue in 2027.

The event will now be held at the Business Design Centre to provide a more accessible showcase and bigger professional programme.

The New Game Plus public showcase, B2B Games Finance Market event, and several industry conferences and networking opportunities will be hosted at the venue.

Games London’s Ensemble exhibition and Screen Play conference will take place at other venues, with the BAFTA Game Awards returning to Queen Elizabeth Hall at Southbank.

A Friday Late event focused on games will be held at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

The festival’s Official Selection will return, offering a curated line-up of games both in-person and online for international audiences.

The full London Games Festival programme will run from April 12 to April 19, 2027. Events at the Business Design Centre will run from April 15 to April 17.

“We’re excited to be taking a bigger combined suite of events to one single venue next year, making key parts of the festival easier to access and enabling them to grow – while also maintaining a spread of fantastic cultural events across the capital during the festival week thanks to partnerships with BAFTA, V&A and BFI,” said director of London Games Festival Michael French.

“The Business Design Centre specifically is a historically important site for the UK games industry – it’s the home to the very first UK video games trade shows nearly 40 years ago. We look forward to showing what a modern, creative and curated spin on a major international games showcase looks like in this iconic venue.”

Deputy Mayor for Culture and the Creative Industries Justine Simons added: “London is one of the world’s leading cities for games makers, and the London Games Festival has played a major role in that success.

“Over the last decade, the festival has gone from strength to strength attracting thousands of gamers, developers and industry leaders to the capital. The move to the Business Design Centre reflects this success, allowing the festival to expand even further and welcome more visitors.

“It is another important step in cementing London’s position as a global gaming capital, as we continue to build a better London for everyone.”

Keynote speaker announcements will be released later this year once ticket sales commence.

In October, applications will open for the Games Finance Market, Official Selection, and Ensemble 2027, alongside broader calls for speakers.

Earlier this year, London Games Festival hosted 30 events across the city, attracting over 100,000 visitors from 61 countries.

Attendance included 36% from Greater London, 49% from the rest of the UK, and 15% international visitors, with more than 8,000 B2B delegates.