Gamescom 2025: Mega event in Cologne with City Festival and stars!

Gamescom 2025: Mega event in Cologne with City Festival and stars!

The anticipation in Cologne could hardly be greater: Gamescom 2025 is just around the corner and will bring the world's largest trade fair for computer games to the cathedral city from August 20th to 24th. The event begins on August 19th with the highly anticipated “Gamescom Opening Night Live”, which will be hosted by the well-known presenter Geoff Keighley at 8 p.m. Many world premieres and announcements are expected here, which are already causing feverish anticipation.

The first day of the trade fair, which takes place on August 20th, is reserved exclusively for trade visitors and the media. But don't worry: from 1 p.m., private visitors with a wildcard ticket will also have the opportunity to experience the latest trends and developments in the gaming world up close. The ticket prices are staggered differently for the different days. A wildcard ticket for Wednesday costs 64 euros, while day tickets for Thursday to Sunday are between 30.50 and 40 euros - depending on the day of the week. Attention: The Opening Night Live is already sold out, but tickets for the remaining days are available via the Gamescom ticket shop.

Arrival and supplies

It is recommended to use public transport to get there. The “Köln Messe/Deutz” train station is directly opposite the exhibition center and various KVB lines (1, 3, 4 and 9) stop nearby. Since the city will be particularly busy during the week of the trade fair, the use of Park+Ride offers and early planning are also recommended for drivers. However, there are also parking spaces and charging stations for electric vehicles on site.

For anyone planning a longer journey, it is advisable to book accommodation well in advance. In addition to more expensive hotels, Cologne also offers inexpensive alternatives such as the GamescomCamp or various youth hostels. Please remember that additional costs for meals and special tickets may apply.

Program highlights and the City Festival

Gamescom 2025 will once again offer numerous highlights. In addition to an exciting cosplay competition, there will be live stages and the prestigious Gamescom Awards. Major publishers such as EA, Ubisoft, Nintendo, Capcom and 2K are at the start and are showing a variety of new titles, including the hotly anticipated “Call of Duty: Black Ops 7” and the add-on “World of Warcraft: Midnight”. The Indie Arena will offer a platform for smaller development studios in Hall 10.2 and promises innovative games outside the mainstream.

Particularly worth mentioning is the free gamescom city festival, which takes place on August 23rd and 24th parallel to the trade fair in downtown Cologne. Concerts and DJ sessions are on the program at Hohenzollernring and Rudolfplatz, which also deal with socio-political issues. The Rudolfplatz and Friesenplatz tram stops are recommended for access. Traffic will be limited around the festival, so just take a leisurely walk!

Gamescom has been based in Cologne since 2009 and has established itself as the largest event of its kind. After the impressive result of 335,000 visitors in 2024, a large audience is expected this year too. In 2025, the number of exhibitors could even increase by 11% to over 1,400 companies, which is a further sign of the event's continued popularity. Nevertheless, it will also be important for all visitors to observe the safety measures: random checks and stricter rules for cosplayers are part of the program.

There's a fair amount of opportunity for all gaming fans to get involved in Cologne, and the time is approaching to decide where and when to get in on the action. It won't just be big names on stage, but also the innovative atmosphere that defines Gamescom!