INSOMNIA Gaming Festival Extends its International Footprint in the Middle East

It’s the news that gamers all around the Middle East have been waiting for: INSOMNIA Gaming Festival, the UK’s number one gaming event, is set to launch in Dubai as part of a multi-year partnership with Dubai-based events company, Global Event Management (GEM). The team is set to unleash a 3-day all-out gaming spectacular upon thousands of the region’s gamers, from Thursday, 17th October to Saturday, 19th October, right in the heart of the city at Meydan Grandstand.

“As the fastest growing gaming market in the world, there is a huge appetite for gaming across the Middle East, and we’re very excited to bring something unique to Dubai this October with content that is made for the gamers, by gamers,” commented Martyn Gibbs, CEO of Game Group UK (organisers of INSOMNIA UK), who are industry leaders throughout Europe when it comes to gaming.

IMSOMNIA started off 20 years ago as one big LAN event, where gamers came together to play their favorite games. Now, with INSOMNIA Dubai mirroring the UK’s festival-style format, they are hosting 14 of the most popular games for you to ‘Turn Up & Play’, as well as mobile gaming, VR, tabletop games, cosplay, esports finals, stage shows, international guests such as Minecraft Gaming Youtuber SeaPeeKay, and much more!

Road to INSOMNIA

For the more competitive gaming enthusiasts, you can get in on the action well ahead of the festival in the ‘Road To INSOMNIA’ – exciting online tournaments where teams and single-players can register for a chance to qualify and battle it out in the must-see INSOMNIA Dubai esports finals for an impressive combined prize pool of ½ million dirhams (AED 500,000)!

Online registrations for Rainbow 6, Apex Legends and CS:GO are already live via Gamers Hub Middle East with a lot more titles to be announced in the weeks to come.

All esports qualifiers can be watched live streamed on Twitch.

INSOMNIA Cosplay Competition

INSOMNIA Dubai will also feature another fan favorite, INSOMNIA Cosplay, with three categories already announced – The INSOMNIA Pro Cosplay Championship, The INSOMNIA Cosplay Competition and The INSOMNIA Kids Cosplay Competition. Cosplayers of all different levels, experience and ages can register themselves online here for a chance to win exciting cash prizes, gifts and awards at the finals, which will take place at the INSOMNIA Main Stage.

James Magee, CEO of Global Event Management in Dubai added, “We’re thrilled to be bringing the UK’s longest running gaming festival to the region and elevating the brand by introducing it to a new audience here in Dubai. From casual to seasoned gamers, families and thrill-seekers, everyone is welcome, whether they want to play, listen or just watch at INSOMNIA Dubai. An immersive gaming festival first and foremost, we are working around the clock to curate a show with a variety of dedicated gaming features across different age groups, ensuring there will be fun and entertainment for everyone to experience!”

With almost 65 INSOMNIA festivals over the past 20 years, INSOMNIA is poised to be a gamechanger in the Middle East as it expands into new territories, offering gaming enthusiasts and new fans a unique opportunity to explore the exciting world of gaming. In addition to Dubai, Saudi Arabia will also host its first ever INSOMNIA Gaming Festival in Riyadh (13th to 16th November).

Early bird tickets are available for a limited time only and are priced at just AED75 for a Single Day Ticket, AED200 for a Weekend Ticket (for all three days), plus groups of 4 can avail of a ‘friends and family’ discount price of AED 250 for a Day Ticket, or only AED700 for Weekend Tickets. All tickets can be purchased online through Virgin Megastore and Platinumlist.