Gran Canaria makes history: the ‘Gaming Experience’ festival receives more than 87,000 visitors in its first edition

For three days, Las Palmas became the capital of video games, urban culture and digital creation. According to data recorded by the Footfall counting system installed in the Alisios Shopping Center, 87,069 people visited Gaming Experience Gran Canaria (GXGC).

Free of charge, users were able to participate in one of the over 163 programmed activitiesThe festival’s catalog included, among other experiences, 25 tournaments, 57 workshops and professional talksThe event also included a series of workshops, performances, concerts, K-Pop contests and exclusive content developed in the Canary Islands. In total, more than 210 hours of digital content within this event, which had a structure designed to offer more than 70,000 gaming experiences to all attendees.

What was born as the prelude to a plan to place Gran Canaria on the national map of gaming, exceeded all expectations and is consolidated as one of the most important events of the year. new reference with internationalization forecastby uniquely combining entertainment, economic development and consumption.

An engaged community and a growing ecosystem.

Despite having no precedents on the island, the reception from the public has been resounding, according to the producer A1M Entertainment. Gaming Experience Gran Canaria became a meeting point for all profiles: from the most loyal gamers to those who simply strolled through the mall and ended up joining the experience. Entire families were also caught by a program designed for all ages.

The event brought together 61 cosplayerswith a final catwalk image that marked one of the most exciting moments of the festival; just as the K-Pop also shone, with the participation of 15 groups and a delivery that demonstrated the power of this young and creative community.

In addition to a space for leisure, Gaming Experience Gran Canaria stands out for being a visibility platform for more than 36 local artists. and a business opportunity for 30 brands, advertisers and exhibitors.. The participation of professionals, specialized media and national and foreign players, reinforces its international projection and consolidates its potential for future larger editions.

A strategic bet for the video game industry in the Canary Islands.

Beyond the experience enjoyed by the visitors, Gaming Experience Gran Canaria has been an integral bet for the development of the sector.not only as a cultural event, but also as a lever to boost the video game industry in the archipelago. This edition gave visibility to 30 video game studios and 45 titles currently under development in the Canary Islands, highlighting local emerging talent and promoting networking and collaboration opportunities. A space for cooperation and promotion that the Canary Islands lacked until now.

In addition, the festival hosted the first national congress of Unreal Engine developers.a key event that brought together professionals and studios from all over Spain to discuss technological innovation, training and the future of development with one of the most widely used engines in the world.

Canary Islands on the map

With a solid technological infrastructure, tax incentives, local talent and a mindset open to innovation, Gran Canaria proves to have all the conditions to become a key place in the video game and modern entertainment industry.. This festival is a clear example that the island can lead a new economic model, based on creativity, innovation and digital culture. Pillars within an industry of which the Canary Islands is a national engine.

Although the screens of Gaming Experience Gran Canaria have been turned off, something has been left on: a collective spark that wants to transform the island into a major player in the sector..

Funding and sponsorship

Gaming Experience Gran Canariais part of the project PLAN GAMING GC 24-25 executed by the entity A1M GAMESPORTS S.L., has been financed in the amount of 300.00,00 €, by the Department of Government of the First Vice-Presidency of the Cabildo Insular de Gran Canaria.

With the support of the Dirección General de Juventud, of the Consejería de Bienestar Social, Igualdad, Juventud, Infancia y Familias del Gobierno de Canarias and of the Fundación Canaria de Juventud IDEO, of the Fundación Canaria de Juventud IDEO.

Produced and directed by A1M Entertainment, GXGC has counted in turn with the collaboration of Centro Comercial Alisios, Asociación Canaria de Desarrolladores de Videojuegos (ACADEVI), Escuelas Artísticas de los Realejos, Asociación Ludens, Fundación de la Unión Deportiva Las Palmas, Fundación Club Deportivo Tenerife, Marca Gaming and Inexus. It has also been sponsored by the Directorate General of Youth of the Government of the Canary Islands, Cajasiete, Universidad del Atlántico Medio, Playseat, Fred Olsen Express, Cocacola, Base: Deportes, B2 Urban, Mediamarkt Alisios and RedBull.

Gaming Experience Gran Canaria is positioned as one of the main festivals associated with the gaming industry and urban culture in Spain.