Norwich Games Festival Returns 23-30 May for Eight Free Days

Norwich Games Festival is back at The Forum from 23 to 30 May 2026, and as always it is free. Eight days of board games, video games, RPG sessions, retro arcades and game design workshops, all running out of one of Norwich's biggest public spaces. If you are within reach of Norfolk, this is one of the best UK gaming events you do not have to pay for.

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The Festival has been running in some form since 2012, when it started life as Retro Arcade. It became Norwich Games Festival in 2019, took a pandemic-shaped break, and returned for three days in May 2024. This year is the longest version yet, with the gaming tournament on 23-24 May, a trader and collector day on 25 May, a sensory-friendly relaxed day on 26 May, and the main festival running 27-30 May from 10am.

A few tabletop highlights worth planning around. On Wednesday 27 May, designer James Wallis is running a Game Design Masterclass on prototyping and playtesting, 2pm to 4:30pm. On Friday 29 May there is a Plan and Make a Game workshop where you walk out with a paper-based game you designed in an hour. And on Saturday 30 May, YouTuber and pound shop tat connoisseur Ashens is doing a talk called Dead Player Walking from 5 to 6pm.

Looking for board gamers near you? Browse local communities and find your next game night.

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The festival is presented by The Forum with Norwich University of the Arts as lead partner, which means the indie game design talent on display tends to be much stronger than at a typical convention. Most events are free, with a few ticketed or pay-what-you-can.

If your community is going, organise a meetup at the Festival so you can find each other in the crowd. The Forum is a 10-minute walk from Norwich rail station, and the relaxed Tuesday and trader Monday are the quieter days for anyone bringing kids or a fragile hangover.

Sources: Norwich Games Festival | Plan Your Visit | The Forum Norwich