Insomnia Gaming Festival Returns To The NEC Birmingham This April
The Insomnia Gaming Festival is back at the NEC Birmingham once again this April, with lots of guests, eSports, games, and of course, their massive Bring Your Own Computer LAN party!
If you’re a fan of video gaming, there is no better place to be than the NEC from Friday 7th – Sunday 9th April, as Insomnia returns for their first event of 2023. Established over 20 years ago Insomnia the Gaming Festival offers a weekend jammed to the rafters with non-stop gaming. Meet fellow players and celebrity guests, hang out with your favourite creators, attend panels, and compete in tournaments for prizes.
From curious first-timers to die-hard fans, from family groups to friends looking for a great day or weekend out, the festival offers something for everyone. Players can choose between a selection of gaming areas: tackle classic titles on a range of familiar consoles in the retro area, jump into the world of VR and explore the latest tech in the immersion area or give the screens a rest and take things analogue with an unrivalled collection of dice, trading card and TTRPG titles in the tabletop area.
Gaming
Fans of retro titles, modern franchises and battle royale games can choose from a massive selection to play and compete at. With its own dedicated area at the show, get creative and catch up with friends playing Minecraft. Face off against friends or family in the Battle Royale Bunker; board the battle bus in Fortnite or race to the crown and become the ultimate bean in Fall Guys.
Test your metal in a daily tournament by choosing from a specular selection that includes VALORANT, Call of Duty Modern Warfare II, Tekken 7, Overwatch 2, FIFA 23, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Smash Brothers Ultimate. Daily tournaments will run all weekend with signups available on the day. Get there early to avoid disappointment.
If you prefer your games a little more indie, we’ve got you covered. Spend your days honing your skills with titles like Pandora Chains of Chaos, Screaming Loaf, Tactical Bandits, Galactic Pioneer, Eight Dragons 2, Two Strikes and Duck Race.
Counterbalance your screen time by relaxing in the tabletop area. Enjoy taking on your friends at games like Magic: The Gathering, One Night Ultimate Werewolf, Risk, Codename, Pandemic and Catan. If you fancy more a challenge, join one of the board game tournaments taking place throughout the weekend. All board, card and dice games will be available to buy on-site, for those who don’t want the fun to end.
eSport & BYOC LAN Party
Take a trip back to the festival’s roots with Insomnia’s BYOC (bring your own computer), the UK’s biggest LAN party. Compete in tournaments, battle your friends in multiplayer mode or just relax in the social gaming area. Kicking off at midday Friday 7th April, LAN players can test their puzzling skills and compete to save humanity and win prizes in the i70 iHunt.
Live finals will take place on the Esports Stage, where you watch the finals of the BYOC open tournaments or show matches between creators and pro esports teams. Watch the best of the best battle it out for the £10,000 prize in the VALORANT iSERIES CHALLENGE or witness the excitement of the iSERIES OPEN FINALS as players compete at titles like CS:GO, Rocket League, League of Legends and Overwatch 2.
Guests
Insomnia has a number of guests at the event this time, with festival goers having the chance to meet and greet American actor and director Doug Cockle, unmistakable for his work as Geralt of Rivia in the Witcher video game series. If Resident Evil’s your bag, you won’t want to miss this year’s festival, as four famous voices of the game will be appearing over the weekend. Stephanie Panisello, known for voicing Claire Redfield, Nicole Tompkins, who stars as Jill Valentine, Maggie Robertson, who voices Lady Dimitrescu and Nick Apostolides, known for portraying Leon S Kennedy will all be meeting and greeting fans for photos and autographs.
Cosplay & Other Things To Do
In addition to all of that, there will be stands where you can learn how to create cosplays, show off your creations or even participate in massive cosplay competitions with cash prizes. There are stages, which will host panels and fun events for you to watch, and sometimes participate in. There is also a multitude of stalls selling lots of gaming and other geeky stuff for you to enjoy.
Tickets
Insomnia day tickets start from £27 and weekend passes kick off at £79, with a host of add-ons and goodies available, including weekend camping with early festival access. Insomnia has a range of ticket options designed especially for LAN gamers ranging from standard passes priced from £110 for the weekend, to VIP tickets from £290.
For more information on show content, guest announcements and ticket options visit www.insomniagamingfestival.com
