DreamHack, one of the largest gaming festivals globally, is coming to the UK for the first time with DreamHack Birmingham, taking place across the 27th - 29th March at the NEC Birmingham.
Tens of thousands of attendees are set to cross the entrance of the NEC this weekend for DreamHack Birmingham 2026, with a wide range of activities to participate in and huge names to interact with. Social media sensations the Sidemen and Angry Ginge’s Bov Boys are just a few of the star creators set to take the DreamHack Stage, hosting meetups and facing off with gamers in challenges. Over 40 local and national game developers and exhibitors such as Brum’s own Facepunch Studios and Samsung will also fill the Expo floor with engaging demos, challenges and freeplay opportunities to keep attendees active.
DreamHack is a huge gaming lifestyle event and tech expo, historically taking place across Atlanta, Stockholm, Bucharest, Valencia, Seville, Austin, Montreal and Dallas that brings gaming communities together for a celebration of all things great about the hobby and generates millions of pounds for local tourism. Today’s youth are some of the biggest audiences, with a recent survey by ESL FACEIT Group citing that 90% of UK teens are more likely to attend a gaming festival than a music festival. Attendees from across the world take part in DreamHack events every year, whether by roaming the Expo halls, catching up with their favourite creators, playing games with their friends, dressing up as their favourite characters or watching and playing in grand esports tournaments with some of the biggest competitive titles.
This year, DreamHack Birmingham marks the first UK-based DreamHack, breathing new life into the UK gaming event scene. On Friday, March 27, Angry Ginge, Heinz and Jakey of the UK’s most chaotic content group, the Bov Boys, are descending on DreamHack Birmingham for an energy-filled half-day. The Bov Boys will be taking over the DreamHack Stage with their signature banter, doing high-stakes challenges followed by a Meet & Greet for all registered attendees.
Social media sensations Simon (Miniminter), Josh (Zerkaa), and Tobi (TBJZL) of the Sidemen will be also hitting the floor on Saturday, 28th, for a day of fan interaction and high-stakes gaming. In a high-energy live game show titled Chat vs Champs, they will go head-to-head with the audience on the DreamHack Stage with live participation encouraged. The Sidemen will also be playing EAFC26 live, followed by a Meet & Greet for direct fan interaction.
DM Tommy Gofton will be bringing the celeb cast of Squad 20 to the DreamHack stage for a time-travelling, shenanigan-filled live show, featuring special voice actor guests Carolina Ravassa, Jason Spisak, Justine Huxley and Mela Lee, known for Arcane, Batman, Apex Legends and more iconic titles. DreamHack Birmingham will also host a huge collection of the UK’s favourite gaming and cosplay creators, with plenty of opportunities to interact, meet and support some of the biggest UK names across Twitch, YouTube, TikTok and more. There will be plenty of opportunities to face off or team up with attending creators in the Head2head and Couch Mode gaming experiences.
DreamHack Birmingham wouldn’t be a full DreamHack without the esports tournaments, which is why some of the biggest competitive titles will be hosting tournaments across the weekend, with players from across the world battling it out for a share of the £1.3 million collective prize pool split over the various events. British esports pro players will be taking the stage against some of the world’s top pros in Call of Duty, Dota 2, F1 Sim Racing and more.
- ESL One
- o ESL One Birmingham 2026 will bring 16 of the world’s top Dota 2 teams together at the bp pulse LIVE arena, marking Europe’s biggest Dota 2 celebration of the year with a $1,000,000 prize pool.
- Call of Duty League® Major II
- o Call of Duty® pro play heads to the UK at DreamHack Birmingham, with a $365,000 prize pool and 2 slots in the CDL Pro-Am Major III at DreamHack Atlanta up for grabs in this ten-team double-elimination tournament.
- Call of Duty® Challengers Open II
- o The next stop for the top Call of Duty® amateur scene will take place with a huge open bracket at DreamHack Birmingham. The Top 2 placing teams at will qualify for Call of Duty League® Major III to compete against the pros at DreamHack Atlanta.
- COD: WRS Birmingham
- o The Call of Duty®: Warzone Resurgence Series kicks off with its first event at DreamHack Birmingham, starting the circuit with a $100,000 prize pool and four qualification slots to the COD:WRS Championship at the Esports World Cup.
- DreamHack Open ft. Halo
- o The DreamHack Open ft. Halo features a range of tournaments in Halo Infinite, with the main event being a 4v4 tournament with an $86,000 prize pool spanning the weekend. Side events will also be taking place in different Halo games and formats, with registration open to attendees.
- F1® Sim Racing World Championship Season Opener
- o DreamHack Birmingham hosts the season opener for the F1® Sim Racing World Championship as nine teams - Alpine, Aston Martin, Williams, Ferrari, Haas, McLaren, Mercedes, Racing Bulls and Red Bull - battle for championship points.
- Road to EWC
- o For players looking to start their Road to EWC journey, Birmingham marks a pivotal stop with tournaments for Trackmania, FATAL FURY: City of the Wolves, and Street Fighter 6 taking place across the weekend.
For those looking to hop on a game with their friends or other attendees, the PC Freeplay zone is the go-to spot for instant gaming. No signup is needed, just jump onto one of 200+ PCs and get started in hit titles such as Fortnite, Minecraft, Overcooked 2, Rocket League, Valorant and more. The Challenges Area also features 2× 1v1 setups and 1×2v2 setups, letting anyone jump in, face off, and prove their skills across a variety of games.
For any attendees feeling retro, the Arcade Area is packed with old-school machines ready to play, whether to challenge a friend or relive some classic memories. The Indie Playground is packed with unique titles for attendees to discover, with the chance to directly speak to the teams behind them. The Indie community is well-loved at DreamHack Birmingham, with local and national developers, like 3 BAFTA Game Awards winners Secret Mode, bringing their games directly to the public with a personal touch.
Huge brands and studios from across the gaming and tech industries will be present as exhibitors in the Expo halls, with plenty of chances to get hands-on with the latest games, tech and experiences. Booths will be featuring cutting-edge gaming experiences, fun challenges and more, from big names to hidden gems. For those looking to dress up as or marvel at their favourite characters brought to life, DreamHack Birmingham is well-equipped with events, photo spots, a repair station, a dedicated lounge and guest cosplayers.
For casual cosplayers or the wider community, there are community tables to connect with groups and clubs, a walk-up catwalk to show off your costume without registration and a dedicated lounge to take a break in. Cosplay pros will also be present in the Cosplay Championship and as featured guests.
