Festival Hall
The Heart of the Festival
Three high-impact days where momentum lives.
What you’ll get:
- Faster discovery: Five themed neighborhoods guiding you to the right people and products.
- Real conversations: Lounges and stages designed for high-value chats.
- Immersive insight: Live demos, micro-talks, and interactive play spaces to learn by doing.
- Festival vibe, all day: Pop-up bites, meet-ups, and a steady rhythm of headline moments.
The Neighborhoods
Game Development
Your build zone. Get hands on with engines, tools, pipelines, and production craft. Home to the Festival Hall Theater (with GDC Pitch) and the brand-new, interactive Game Development bar & lounge.
Future Tech
What’s next for the industry? Explore AI/ML, cloud, infrastructure, and emerging platforms. Stage & lounge for quick hits and deeper dives.
Indie & Education
Where future classics are born. Discover the IGF Pavilion, GDC Play, and alt.ctrl.GDC, plus a dedicated stage & lounge with tips & tricks geared towards Indies.
International
Global dealmaking in one place. Country pavilions, export agencies, and studios from around the world, with a stage & lounge for regional spotlights.
Monetization & Player Engagement
Retention, revenue, and community. See how teams grow games responsibly. Stage & lounge for playbook shares and demos.
Who You'll Meet
Marquee Experiences
GDC Play
Discover tomorrow’s breakout titles from independent developers worldwide. Hands-on demos, real feedback, and conversations that lead to what’s next.
alt.ctrl.GDC
An experimental playground for imaginative controllers and boundary-pushing interaction. Meet the makers redefining how we play.
IGF Pavilion
Celebrate creativity at the source. Play selections from the Independent Games Festival and meet the developers shaping the medium.
Festival Hall Theater
The Hall’s main stage. Fast-cut microtalks, spotlights, and live moments that draw the entire floor. Plus, the home of GDC Pitch!
Community Play
A living room for the industry. Topic-based meet-ups with comfy seating, light bites, and whiteboards. Find your people, swap notes, and spin up new ideas.
GDC Pitch
Indie teams pitch live to publishers and investors under the lights. Watch bold ideas take shape or step up and put your vision in front of decision-makers.
Neighborhood Stages
Micro-talks, Q&As, and demos exactly where discovery happens, plus complimentary pop-up lite bites and lounge seating
Buyer Tours
Guided routes for decision-makers. See the most relevant demos for your goals and meet the teams behind them.
Podcast Studio
Catch live shows from your favorite podcasts with community hosts, audience Q&As, and surprise guests. Grab a seat, you might end up in an episode.
Faces of the Festival
