Free planning page for indie Steam launches

Steam festival dates for indie devs who don't want to miss the next wishlist spike.

Track Steam Next Fest, themed fests, and other Steam-relevant showcases in one place. See deadlines, live dates, and the next deadline or start date worth planning around before you lock your demo plan and outreach list.

Browse festival dates How to plan around these dates

Upcoming

21

events you can still plan around

Live now

1

visibility windows happening right now

This quarter

8

festival windows landing this quarter

What to plan next

Closest upcoming event

Updated Mar 24, 2026, 12:00 AM

Soonest event start

Hidden Object Fest

Event start: Apr 9, 2026

Upcoming pick 01

House & Home Fest

Live

Steam themed fest for games focused on homes and home-related activities such as decorating, cleaning, organizing, power-washing, or renovating.

Themed Fest Mar 30-Apr 6, 2026

Upcoming pick 02

Hidden Object Fest

Upcoming

Steam themed fest focused on hidden object games.

Themed Fest Apr 9-13, 2026

Upcoming pick 03

Medieval Fest

Upcoming

Steam themed fest focused on medieval settings.

Themed Fest Apr 20-27, 2026
Verified calendar data Last updated Mar 24, 2026, 12:00 AM 1 verified source 6 reminder options available

Find the right window

See which festivals fit your demo, timeline, and launch plan.

Use the table to compare dates fast, or switch to month view when you are planning milestones and outreach.

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21 events

21 events

Steam themed fest for games focused on homes and home-related activities such as decorating, cleaning, organizing, power-washing, or renovating.

Live

Organizer

Valve

Type

Themed Fest

Start

Mar 30, 2026

End

Apr 6, 2026

Next: Event end: Apr 6, 2026

Steam Upcoming Events ↗

Steam themed fest focused on hidden object games.

Upcoming

Organizer

Valve

Type

Themed Fest

Start

Apr 9, 2026

End

Apr 13, 2026

Next: Event start: Apr 9, 2026

Steam Upcoming Events ↗

Steam themed fest focused on medieval settings.

Upcoming

Organizer

Valve

Type

Themed Fest

Start

Apr 20, 2026

End

Apr 27, 2026

Next: Event start: Apr 20, 2026

Steam Upcoming Events ↗

Multi-day Steam Next Fest edition where players can try demos, chat with developers, watch livestreams, and discover upcoming games.

Registration Open

Organizer

Valve

Type

Next Fest

Start

Jun 15, 2026

End

Jun 22, 2026

Next: Registration deadline: Apr 27, 2026

Steam Upcoming Events ↗

Steam themed fest focused on deckbuilding games.

Upcoming

Organizer

Valve

Type

Themed Fest

Start

May 4, 2026

End

May 11, 2026

Next: Event start: May 4, 2026

Steam Upcoming Events ↗

Steam themed fest focused on ocean-related games.

Upcoming

Organizer

Valve

Type

Themed Fest

Start

May 18, 2026

End

May 25, 2026

Next: Event start: May 18, 2026

Steam Upcoming Events ↗

Steam themed fest focused on bullet-heavy action games.

Upcoming

Organizer

Valve

Type

Themed Fest

Start

Jun 8, 2026

End

Jun 15, 2026

Next: Event start: Jun 8, 2026

Steam Upcoming Events ↗

Steam-wide seasonal sale event for discounted games.

Upcoming

Organizer

Valve

Type

Seasonal Sale

Start

Jun 25, 2026

End

Jul 9, 2026

Next: Event start: Jun 25, 2026

Steam Upcoming Events ↗

Steam themed fest focused on social deduction games.

Upcoming

Organizer

Valve

Type

Themed Fest

Start

Jul 13, 2026

End

Jul 16, 2026

Next: Event start: Jul 13, 2026

Steam Upcoming Events ↗

Steam themed fest focused on train and railway games.

Upcoming

Organizer

Valve

Type

Themed Fest

Start

Jul 20, 2026

End

Jul 27, 2026

Next: Event start: Jul 20, 2026

Steam Upcoming Events ↗

Steam themed fest focused on cyberpunk settings.

Upcoming

Organizer

Valve

Type

Themed Fest

Start

Aug 3, 2026

End

Aug 10, 2026

Next: Event start: Aug 3, 2026

Steam Upcoming Events ↗

Steam themed fest focused on games involving pins or pegs.

Upcoming

Organizer

Valve

Type

Themed Fest

Start

Aug 17, 2026

End

Aug 20, 2026

Next: Event start: Aug 17, 2026

Steam Upcoming Events ↗

Steam themed fest focused on PvE survival crafting games.

Upcoming

Organizer

Valve

Type

Themed Fest

Start

Aug 31, 2026

End

Sep 7, 2026

Next: Event start: Aug 31, 2026

Steam Upcoming Events ↗

Multi-day Steam Next Fest edition where players can try demos, chat with developers, watch livestreams, and discover upcoming games.

Registration Open

Organizer

Valve

Type

Next Fest

Start

Oct 19, 2026

End

Oct 26, 2026

Next: Registration deadline: Aug 31, 2026

Steam Upcoming Events ↗

Steam themed fest focused on programming and logic challenge games.

Upcoming

Organizer

Valve

Type

Themed Fest

Start

Sep 10, 2026

End

Sep 14, 2026

Next: Event start: Sep 10, 2026

Steam Upcoming Events ↗

Steam themed fest focused on party-based RPGs.

Upcoming

Organizer

Valve

Type

Themed Fest

Start

Sep 14, 2026

End

Sep 21, 2026

Next: Event start: Sep 14, 2026

Steam Upcoming Events ↗

Steam-wide seasonal sale event for discounted games.

Upcoming

Organizer

Valve

Type

Seasonal Sale

Start

Oct 1, 2026

End

Oct 8, 2026

Next: Event start: Oct 1, 2026

Steam Upcoming Events ↗

Steam themed fest focused on cooking games.

Upcoming

Organizer

Valve

Type

Themed Fest

Start

Oct 12, 2026

End

Oct 19, 2026

Next: Event start: Oct 12, 2026

Steam Upcoming Events ↗

Steam themed fest focused on horror and Halloween-centric games.

Upcoming

Organizer

Valve

Type

Themed Fest

Start

Oct 26, 2026

End

Nov 2, 2026

Next: Event start: Oct 26, 2026

Steam Upcoming Events ↗

Steam themed fest focused on auto-battler RPG games.

Upcoming

Organizer

Valve

Type

Themed Fest

Start

Nov 16, 2026

End

Nov 23, 2026

Next: Event start: Nov 16, 2026

Steam Upcoming Events ↗

Steam-wide seasonal sale event for discounted games.

Upcoming

Organizer

Valve

Type

Seasonal Sale

Start

Dec 17, 2026

End

Jan 4, 2027

Next: Event start: Dec 17, 2026

Steam Upcoming Events ↗

Why indie devs track this

A festival date is not just a calendar entry. It changes when your demo, store page, and outreach need to be ready.

For most indie teams, a fest or showcase is one of the few chances to get a real burst of wishlists and coverage. Miss the wrong deadline and you don't just miss a date. You miss a launch window your game could have used.

This page is built for the practical side of launch planning. It separates deadlines from live visibility windows, shows the next date worth caring about, and keeps the source attached so you can verify details before you commit demo work, submission time, or outreach.

Which date matters most?

Deadline first. Visibility window second.

Registration and submission deadlines tell you when your build, assets, and application materials need to be ready. Event start and end dates tell you when players can actually see your game. You need both if you're planning your demo rollout and creator outreach around it.

What makes an event worth listing?

Relevant to Steam launches. Easy to verify.

Outside events only belong here when they can realistically help an indie Steam game, come from a trustworthy organizer source, and can be checked manually. If a deadline is not public yet, the page says that instead of making one up.

FAQ

Questions indie teams ask before they plan around a festival.

What is the difference between a Steam festival deadline and the event start date?

A Steam festival deadline is the cutoff date for submitting your game demo, store page, or application materials to be included in the event. The event start date is when the festival goes live and players can browse, wishlist, and play participating demos. For example, Steam Next Fest typically sets its submission deadline several weeks before the public event window opens. Indie developers need to track both: the deadline determines when your build must be ready, and the start date determines when you gain visibility with players.

What Steam events are included in this calendar?

This calendar lists official Valve-run Steam events including Steam Next Fest, seasonal Steam sales, and themed Steam festivals. Every listing is sourced directly from Valve announcements and verified before publishing. When a date has not been officially confirmed yet, the calendar shows what is known along with the last-verified date instead of estimating.

When are Steam festival submission deadlines announced?

Steam festival submission deadlines are typically announced by Valve weeks to months before the event start date, but the exact timing varies by event. Some festivals confirm their event window before publishing a public deadline for demo submissions or applications. When a deadline has not been officially announced yet, this calendar shows the confirmed event dates along with the last-verified date so developers know what has been confirmed and what is still pending.

How do indie game developers prepare for Steam Next Fest?

Indie developers typically prepare for Steam Next Fest by having a playable demo, a published Steam store page, and promotional assets ready before the submission deadline. Key preparation steps include building a demo that represents your game well, setting up your store page with screenshots, trailers, and a capsule image, and planning outreach to YouTubers and streamers who cover similar games. Most developers also schedule social media posts and press outreach to coincide with the festival's live window, when player traffic peaks. Tracking the exact deadline and event dates is critical because late submissions are not accepted.

What is the best time to do YouTuber outreach for a Steam festival?

The best time to start YouTuber outreach for a Steam festival is two to four weeks before the event goes live. This gives creators enough time to receive a key or demo access, play your game, and publish a video that coincides with the festival traffic spike. Reaching out too late means most creators already have their schedules filled. To find relevant YouTubers, search for channels that have covered games similar to yours — these creators are more likely to respond because your game fits their audience.

Once your dates are locked

Find YouTubers who already cover games like yours before the festival traffic hits.

After you pick the right festival window, use GameOutreach to build your outreach list faster. Search by similar game, find relevant channels, and get contact emails without doing the YouTube spreadsheet grind by hand.

Start free and find YouTubers Keep browsing dates