Guides
Steam festivals 2026 and 2027: themed fests, sales and third-party festivals
DreamEp, founder of NextWishlist · Updated · 3 min read
On this page
Short answerValve runs themed fests all year and picks games from their tags, inviting them by email about 6 weeks ahead; you don't apply. They're open to upcoming games and demos, you can join several, and more than 200 third-party online festivals accept indie games on top.
Festivals are the first source of wishlists for most indie games. Steam Next Fest gets the attention, but Steam also runs themed fests all year, and more than 200 third-party online festivals accept indie games. Here is the calendar and how to get in.
01Upcoming Steam themed fests and sales
Recalculated every day from Valve's calendar:
| Event | Type | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Steam Scream V | Themed fest | – |
| Auto-Battler RPG Fest | Themed fest | – |
| Steam Winter Sale | Seasonal sale | – |
| Desktop Companion Fest | Themed fest | – |
| Shop Keeper Fest | Themed fest | – |
| Sheep Fest | Themed fest | – |
| Couch Co-Op Fest | Themed fest | – |
| Rhythm Fest | Themed fest | – |
| Steam Spring Sale | Seasonal sale | – |
| Dinos vs. Robots Fest | Themed fest | – |
| Racing Fest | Themed fest | – |
| Witch Fest | Themed fest | – |
| Fighting Fest | Themed fest | – |
| Real-Time Strategy Fest | Themed fest | – |
| Mountaineering Fest | Themed fest | – |
| Steam Summer Sale | Seasonal sale | – |
Next Fest dates and deadlines: Steam Next Fest 2027 dates.
02How Steam themed fests work
- Valve picks eligible games automatically from their tags and what their page shows, then invites them by email, usually 6 weeks or more before the event.
- They're open to unreleased games (an upcoming section) and to demos, unless an event says otherwise.
- No discount required, though discounted games get the most visibility.
- A game can join several themed fests, before and after release: unlike Next Fest, they don't use up your one chance.
Your tags decide which invitations you get: see Steam page optimization.
03Third-party festivals
Media, communities and curators run more than 200 online festivals and showcases, most of them free to apply. How To Market A Game keeps a public list with deadlines and prices.
- Apply to every one you're eligible for: results are very uneven and hard to predict.
- Like Next Fest, they multiply the wishlists you already have: with few wishlists, expect little.
- Use them to build up before your one Next Fest.
04The right festival for your genre
NextWishlist matches Valve's calendar to your game's genre, places the right themed fests and festivals in your plan, and measures what each one brought. Join the private beta.
05How to get into third-party festivals
Most third-party festivals are free to apply, and organizers pick games that will look good in their event. What they usually ask for:
- A public Steam page with a capsule and a gameplay trailer: organizers link to it, and it's where their visitors wishlist.
- A playable demo, often required for digital showcases and Steam-based festival pages.
- A short pitch: genre, hook, platforms, release window, and why your game fits their theme.
- A press kit with logos, key art, screenshots and the trailer as an MP4 (indie game press kit).
Apply early: many festivals close submissions weeks before the event. Keep a list with each deadline, and send the same core material, adapted to each theme.
06Make each festival count
- One tracked link per festival (Steam UTM links), so you know which event brought wishlists.
- A Steam event on your page during the festival, so new visitors see that the game is alive (Steam events and announcements).
- A demo that's ready: festivals send players who want to try something now (how to get people to play your demo).
- A post on your channels the day it starts, and one when it ends, with what you learned.
Afterwards, compare the wishlists each festival brought and keep applying to the ones that worked for your genre.
Steam festivals 2026 and 2027: quick answers
How do I join a Steam themed fest?
You don't apply: Valve picks eligible games from their tags and store page and invites them by email, usually 6 weeks or more before the event. Make sure your tags describe your game well.
Can an unreleased game join a Steam themed fest?
Yes. Themed fests are open to upcoming games and demos unless an event says otherwise, and a game can join several of them.
How many game festivals are there?
More than 200 third-party online festivals and showcases, most free to apply, on top of Steam Next Fest and Steam's themed fests.
How do I apply to indie game festivals?
Most are free: prepare a public Steam page with a trailer, a playable demo, a short pitch and a press kit, then apply before each festival's deadline, often weeks ahead.
Sources
Valve's rules can change: the official Steamworks page always wins. Practitioner benchmarks are surveys of developers, given as ranges.
- Valve, Upcoming events and sales (Steamworks) (read Oct 1, 2026)
- Valve, Themed sale events (Steamworks) (read Oct 4, 2026)
- How To Market A Game, list of game festivals (2026)
- Chris Zukowski, “How many wishlists can I get from Steam Next Fest” (February 2026 data, 182 developers)
Every Steam deadline, in your plan.
Next Fest, themed fests, sales and discount rules placed on your calendar, with what each event brought to your wishlists. NextWishlist is a Steam marketing tool for indie developers, in private beta.