GAMING festivals are officially overtaking music as the first big cultural milestone outing for Britain’s youth. According to a new study by ESL FACEIT Group, 79% of Welsh teens say they are more likely to attend a gaming festival, such as DreamHack, before ever setting foot at a traditional music festival like Glastonbury, with 83% of 13-19 year olds actively preferring the prospect of going to a gaming festival experience over a musical one with their friends.
With 94% of Gen Alpha regularly playing video games, up 4% from Gen Z, gaming has become a central social and cultural outlet for young people worldwide. This new research reveals that it now even surpasses music, with 83% of Welsh respondents saying gaming plays a bigger part in their young lives. The survey of 2,000 UK teens aged 13-19 was commissioned to celebrate the announcement of DreamHack Birmingham 2026, taking place in March next year at the prestigious NEC Birmingham venue.
With 49% of young people not allowed to attend their first music festival until the age of 18, more Welsh teenagers are experiencing their first ‘festival moment’ at a gaming event than ever before. On average, the study highlighted that Welsh teens are allowed to go to a gaming festival at just 14, with nearly half (49%) permitted before their 16th birthday. It’s no surprise then that 87% see attending a gaming festival with friends as a modern rite of passage, and 86% say they want to take part.
The phenomenal rise in interest in these gaming events is linked to the perception of safety: 97% of Welsh teens say they feel safer at a gaming festival, and their parents agree – as the same percentage say they’d be more comfortable, and would even prefer taking their children to a gaming festival over a music one.
Gaming stars are the new pop icons: 81% of Welsh teenagers say that famous gaming creators and professional esports players are just as important – if not more so – than top music artists. Over half (57%) believe they hold equal status among their peers, while 24% place them above pop stars entirely. Their devotion runs deep too, with Welsh teens willing to travel up to 146 miles just to meet or watch their favourite pro gamer or streamer.
Top 10 ‘festival’ experiences Welsh young people look forward to:
- Hands-on gaming and participating in community tournaments – 54%
- Seeing celebrities and creators up close and meet & greets – 43%
- Watching favourite esports pros compete on stage – 30%
- Meeting / making new friends with people from across the country / world – 30%
- Sense of community / Finding communities – 27%
- Playtesting new and upcoming indie games – 19%
- Spending quality time with friends / creating memories with friends – 29%
- Being away from home – 10%
- Meeting online friends for the first time – 3%
- Discovering new talent – 3%
The research also uncovered why Welsh teens are turning to gaming festivals as their go-to social experiences, with music festivals increasingly out of reach. A striking 100% of Welsh teens believe music festivals are unaffordable for the average teen, who typically has just £142 of their own money (£50 less than the national average), or £130 from their parents (£70 less than the national average), to spend on tickets. As a result, Welsh teenagers report attending fewer than one music festival on average.
DreamHack Birmingham tickets start at £39.00 for a 3-day ticket during the first two weeks (will be priced from £59.00 thereafter) compared to over £373 for a single Glastonbury ticket.
Shahin Zarrabi, VP Festivals at ESL FACEIT Group said: “Gaming isn’t part of the culture; it is the culture. DreamHack Birmingham 2026 will be where the UK gaming community comes alive: safe, authentic, unforgettable.
“No mud-fields, no chasing influencers, no £300 wristbands. Just pure gaming.”
DreamHack Birmingham (March 27 – 29, 2026) will mark the festival’s first time in Birmingham, uniting gaming communities for three days of hands-on gaming, creator meet-ups, esports, cosplay, live entertainment, and playable moments. DreamHack is the world’s leading gaming lifestyle festival, bringing together all gaming communities to celebrate games and internet pop culture.
Tickets for DreamHack Birmingham 2026 are already on sale.
Find out more at DreamHack’s website and ESL’s website.
