We are looking forward to welcoming you to GDC Festival of Gaming 2026! Coinciding with the event’s 40th edition, GDC transforms into an exciting new festival celebrating games and their development, alongside expanded networking opportunities, onsite activities, nightly social lineup, special executive-level speaking program, and more. Every year, we look forward to connecting with the community we love and bringing the world together through games. Your experience is my priority, so I wanted to take a moment to share what you can expect at GDC this year, as we take over the city of San Francisco during the biggest week on the game industry’s calendar.

We’re committed to the safety and comfort of our attendees and the community. To make it easy to recognize our team of staffers who can assist you, the Festival Crew (FC), formerly known as Conference Associates, can be found wearing brightly colored t-shirts that say “Need help? Ask me!” To demonstrate GDC’s partnership with the city of San Francisco, our local SF Travel, Union Square Alliance, and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts Welcome Ambassadors can also be easily found thanks to their colorful shirts with the word “Ambassador” written on the back.

Prioritizing Your Safety

• The GDC Festival of Gaming celebrates diversity among its global community, and we're dedicated to creating a safe, inclusive space for all attendees. Offensive comments or behaviors related to (but not limited to) race, gender, gender identity and expression, national origin, religion, disability, marital status, age, sexual orientation, military or veteran status, or other protected category are prohibited. As such, we require all of our attendees to abide by the GDC Festival of Gaming Code of Conduct, which dictates what behavior is and is not permitted at GDC. We take all reports and concerns seriously. Please report any unacceptable behaviors to me or my colleague Erin Vomocil directly: stephenie.hawkins@informa.com and erin.vomocil@informa.com.
• Anyone who is found to have violated our Code of Conduct or engages in any type of objectionable behavior will be subject to immediate and decisive response from festival organizers. If someone's behavior is unacceptable and they're asked to stop, they're expected to comply immediately. Otherwise, they risk further action, including expulsion from the festival without warning or refund.
• Our Safety Hotline will be staffed 24/7 from March 5 until April 3. If you see or experience behavior you feel is unacceptable, you can call +1-925-852-4361 to report it to our staff, who will take appropriate action. This phone number will be printed on the back of every attendee badge, as well as posted around the Moscone Center. Any reports can be submitted anonymously.
• There are other ways to report unacceptable behavior. You can flag any security personnel. You can also come to our Show Office at Room 105, in South Hall, where you will always find staff members who are there to help you.
• There will be San Francisco police officers and Welcome Ambassadors stationed around the Moscone Center region and throughout the city.
• San Francisco Safety Welcome Ambassadors can be easily found, wearing bright orange jackets marked “Welcome Ambassador.” These staff are stationed around Moscone to help with directions, transit questions, and are there to help resolve any safety concerns.The Union Square Alliance provides walking escorts for GDC Festival of Gaming attendees staying near the convention center. You can call member services at +1-415-781-4456 to request a walking escort. Please allow 30 minutes.
• In the event that attendees feel uncomfortable or unsafe within the Moscone Center, security escorts are available. This can be coordinated by reaching out to myself or Erin Vomocil.

Taking GDC Nights to New Heights

• The GDC Festival of Gaming kicks off on Monday night, March 9, with a landmark opening event at Oracle Park. The evening transforms the ballpark into an immersive playground designed to bring the community together from the very start of the week. This marks the first time that GDC expands across the city of San Francisco, with a full-stadium experience featuring tabletop gaming, game trailers, a fan-voted movie screening of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, an opportunity to meet our community partners, photo ops, and stadium concessions available for purchase.
• On Tuesday, March 10, the Developers Concert returns, and is a prime-time evening performance produced by Austin Wintory (Grammy Award-winning composer behind Journey, The Banner Saga, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate), bringing iconic game music to life in new and unique ways. Expect masterful performances, special guests, and a few surprises.
• The Independent Games Festival (IGF) awards ceremony, the longest-running festival, summit, and showcase celebrating independent games and their creators, returns on Wednesday, March 11. The IGF celebrates boundary-pushing indie teams and student creators with major recognition and cash prizes across 8 categories. Expect bold design, new voices, and the kind of creative risk that pushes the medium forward.
• On Thursday, March 12, the Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA), the premier, globally recognized accolades for peer-recognition in the video game industry, will take place on its own evening. This is where the work that moved the medium this year earns its moment. This year’s Game of the Year nominees are Blue Prince, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Donkey Kong Bananza, Ghost of Yōtei, Hollow Knight: Silksong, and Split Fiction.

The GDC Festival of Gaming is more than an event: it's a global community, where we come together to share ideas, inspire innovation, and shape the future of the game industry. We can't wait to see you in San Francisco!