GDC Festival of Gaming 2027 moves to four-day format to "create a higher quality, more focused and valuable experience" - GamesIndustry.biz
"We're concentrating programming and opportunities during the days when the community is most active," say organisers GDC Festival of Gaming will shift to a four-day format for its 2027 edition, taking place Monday through Thursday, March 1 to March 4. "We're always looking at how GDC can better serve the game industry, and listening to our community is a crucial part of that," GDC VP of content strategy Mark DeLoura previously explained to GamesIndustry.biz. "After introducing the Festival of Gaming and making significant changes to the GDC experience in 2026, it was especially important that we listen closely to what worked, what could work better, and how people want to participate in GDC going forward." DeLoura added: "GDC 2027 is about giving people more choices in how they participate at the show, making the week work better for the way the industry uses GDC today.
"We're concentrating programming and opportunities during the days when the community is most active," say organisers
GDC Festival of Gaming will shift to a four-day format for its 2027 edition, taking place Monday through Thursday, March 1 to March 4.
Organisers stated that this change is "a deliberate step toward creating a higher quality, more focused and valuable experience" for attendees.
"Having explored the data and listened to our community, we're concentrating programming and opportunities during the days when the community is most active, while making it easier for attendees to balance their time at GDC with their professional and personal commitments."
"In 2027, expect robust conference programming, larger session rooms, more hands-on workshops, interactive experiences, and expanded networking over the four days."
The new Business Hall at Moscone West and all conference programming will be available throughout the four days. Festival Hall at Moscone South will operate from Tuesday to Thursday.
The addition of the Business Hall was announced earlier this year, along with new passes, enhancements to established programming such as the GDC Summit, and other schedule updates for 2027.
"We're always looking at how GDC can better serve the game industry, and listening to our community is a crucial part of that," GDC VP of content strategy Mark DeLoura previously explained to GamesIndustry.biz.
"After introducing the Festival of Gaming and making significant changes to the GDC experience in 2026, it was especially important that we listen closely to what worked, what could work better, and how people want to participate in GDC going forward."
DeLoura added: "GDC 2027 is about giving people more choices in how they participate at the show, making the week work better for the way the industry uses GDC today. The changes are about making the event more accessible, making it easier to make meaningful connections and accomplish what you came to GDC to do."
Yesterday, the Game Developers Choice Awards (GDCA) announced it will be accepting submissions from publishers and developers for the first time.
The GDCA previously used a nomination-based voting system through the International Choice Awards Network.
Games released on PC or console between January 1 and December 31, 2026 are eligible. The submission deadline is November 1, 2026.