• The Open World Now festival, which will take place from 3 to 5 July at Feria València, will bring together some of the sector’s leading international companies, such as Nintendo, PlayStation, Ubisoft, Riot Games and Supercell
• More than 20 projects launched by València Game City will take part in an event that reinforces the city’s position as a leading centre for the video game industry and digital culture

This weekend, the city of Valencia will once again take centre stage in the video game industry and digital culture with the staging of Open World Now 2026, Spain’s largest festival of video games, e-sports and digital culture, which will take place from 3 to 5 July at Feria València. The event is supported by the City Council, through València Innovation Capital, as part of its València Game City strategy, an initiative aimed at establishing the city as one of Europe’s leading hubs for the video game industry, immersive technologies and digital talent.

Paula Llobet, Councillor for Tourism, Innovation and Investment Attraction at Valencia City Council, emphasised that “OWN perfectly embodies the strategy we are promoting through València Game City: to make Valencia an international leader in video games, digital talent and the creative industries. “We are talking about an industry that generates skilled jobs, drives innovation and connects with fields as diverse as education, health, culture and technology.”

Llobet announced on Wednesday that this year’s event is expected to surpass last year’s figures, with an estimated increase in attendance of between 10% and 20%. The event will attract more than 20,000 unique visitors and generate more than 50,000 visits over its three days, cementing its position as one of the largest events for the general public held in the city.

One of the main highlights will be the LAN Party, which is the largest it has been since the pandemic, with around 2,000 participants and a 15 per cent increase on the previous edition. This makes the festival one of the few European events to maintain and expand this in-person format, considered one of the most iconic elements of ‘gamer’ culture.

València Game City, a showcase for local talent

This edition will also serve to showcase the growth of the Valencian ecosystem. Over the course of three days, more than 20 projects linked to València Game City will be featured in a space dedicated to local talent, where studios, developers and companies will present their projects to thousands of visitors. The event will also see the participation of universities, training centres, design firms and creative professionals, strengthening the link between education, entrepreneurship and industry.

The OWN event coincides with a particularly positive period for the sector in the city. València Game City continues to consolidate a network comprising companies, educational institutions, development studios, organisations and professionals who are contributing to the growth of an industry with enormous potential for job creation.

An event with an international reach

Open World Now will bring together participants from all over Spain and more than a dozen countries in Valencia, both in its international competitions and amongst the attending public. Among the main new features of this year’s event are the presence of Nintendo with an official 200-square-metre stand, PlayStation with its own gaming area, and Ubisoft, which will be taking part in Valencia for the first time with exclusive content. They will be joined by other leading companies such as Riot Games and Supercell.

As well as esports competitions, the programme will include activities linked to digital culture, cosplay, music, immersive experiences and interactive entertainment, creating a wide-ranging programme aimed at audiences of all ages.

Councillor Paula Llobet pointed out that “for the City Council, this event is an example of the digital economy’s potential to create opportunities, attract talent and raise the city’s profile internationally”. Hosting events such as OWN, alongside initiatives such as the València Digital Summit (VDS) and València Game City, reinforces the city council’s strategy aimed at establishing València as one of the most dynamic ecosystems for digital innovation and creativity in the Mediterranean.