Vice-Chancellor Lars Klingbeil and Federal Games Minister Dorothee Bär to open gamescom 2026

gamescom 2026 will officially open on 26 August. Among those attending this year will be Vice-Chancellor and Federal Minister of Finance Lars Klingbeil, alongside Federal Minister of Research Dorothee Bär, who is responsible for games at federal level. The announcement was made today by gamescom organisers Koelnmesse and game – The German Games Industry Association. Hendrik Wüst, Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia, has also already been confirmed for the opening. Following the political opening ceremony, the guests of honour will tour gamescom to see the latest developments and trends in the games industry for themselves.

About gamescom

gamescom is the world’s biggest event for computer and video games. It will take place from August 26 to 30, 2026. For trade visitors, gamescom begins on August 24 with the developer conference gamescom dev; for everyone else, it begins on August 25 with gamescom Opening Night Live. It is complemented throughout the year by gamescom latam in São Paulo and gamescom asia x Thailand Game Show in Bangkok. gamescom is jointly organized by Koelnmesse and game – The German Games Industry Association.

game – The German Games Industry Association

We are the association of the German games industry. Our members represent the entire video game ecosystem, from development studios and publishers to esports event organisers, educational institutions and other related entities. We are co-organisers of gamescom, the world’s biggest event for video games. We are a shareholder in the Entertainment Software Self-Regulation Body (USK), the Foundation for Digital Games Culture, the esports player foundation, game events and the collecting society VHG, as well as co-host of the German Computer Game Awards. Serving as a central point of contact for media, as well as political and social institutions, we provide comprehensive expertise in areas including market development, game culture and media literacy, and address any inquiries or concerns. Together we are making Germany the heart of gaming worldwide. With games, we enrich the lives of all people.

Koelnmesse – industry trade fairs for the gaming industry

Koelnmesse is an international leader in organising trade fairs in the gaming and entertainment segments. Hosted at the trade fairgrounds in Cologne, Germany, gamescom is the world’s largest event for computer and video games and Europe’s largest business platform for the games industry. gamescom brings together passionate gamers, business visitors, and exhibitors from across the world with a highly effective approach – in person at the venue and digitally from anywhere in the world. This makes gamescom the premier B2C, B2B, and B2G gaming event. In addition to the event at its Cologne headquarters, Koelnmesse is strategically expanding its portfolio internationally: In Southeast Asia, gamescom asia x Thailand Game Show provides an additional powerful industry platform for the rapidly growing Asia-Pacific games market, comprehensively combining supply and demand. For Brazil and Latin America, gamescom latam is a major event designed to stimulate dynamic growth in this market.