Gamathon 2026 is on. Africacomicade’s long-running games and interactive media festival returns to Lagos from 26 to 31 October for its seventh year, followed by a Nairobi edition from 26 to 28 November, under the theme “Back to our Roots”.
The comeback is a surprise. At the close of last year’s edition, Africacomicade announced a new biennial format, with the next edition scheduled for 2027. Instead, Africacomicade has confirmed Gamathon 2026 as the return of what it calls its “flagship annual event”, billed as Africa’s premier convention for animation, video games, comics and extended reality (AVGC-XR).
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What’s on at Gamathon 2026
According to the published programme, the week runs as follows:
- 26 October: invite-only industry dinner
- 26–28 October: online sessions running alongside the in-person events
- 28 October: Women in Games Workshop and Mixer (by invitation)
- 29–30 October: technical workshops and masterclasses with Unity
- 31 October: Industry Day, with panels, exhibitions and the full premiere of the documentary made during last year’s tour
Industry Day is the public-facing part of Gamathon 2026. Called “The Zone”, it brings together panels, game showcases, a gaming tournament, Gamathon’s first-ever RC tournament, and an after-party. Africacomicade describes it as “more than an expo”: a chance for the public to get immersed in games, animation and comics, and to meet the brands and studios shaping digital entertainment on the continent.
Most of the industry sessions are invite-only, and the deadline for studios and brands to apply to exhibit has already passed (11 October). Organisations interested in sponsorship can contact Africacomicade at [email protected].
From the 2025 tour to “Back to our Roots”
Last year, Gamathon went on its first pan-African tour. It started in Nairobi, Kenya, stopped in Ghana and South Africa, and ended at its home base in Nigeria.
The Ghana edition included the Meridian Meetup, partnerships with ALX, an Industry Dinner with MEST Africa, and an Industry Day with Nerd Con, the local comic and anime event. Stakeholders there pushed for a shift from relying on grants to generating revenue, a point NubianVR stressed, and Ghanaian studio Animax FYB secured a significant deal with Amazon Prime.
The tour closed with a five-day finale in Nigeria that marked Africacomicade’s fifth anniversary. It brought together developers, global tech companies and investors, received official endorsements from Nigerian government ministries for the first time, and featured the ARK Pitch Competition, technology showcases from MSI, Snapchat and Rack Center, and AI workshops.
That tour urged the industry to strengthen its own structures before looking beyond the continent. According to Africacomicade, “Back to our Roots” builds on that message: the 2026 edition is meant to “re-align with the realities of the sector” and chart a way forward through an uncertain future.
What it means for Ghana
Ghana isn’t on the Gamathon 2026 itinerary, but the festival remains one of the few events connecting game developers across West Africa. For Ghanaian studios, it is a place to meet Nigerian peers, publishers and platform partners like Unity. That matters as Ghana’s own scene builds momentum through events such as the MTN Gaming Conference and initiatives like the MTN Game Developer Contest.
About Africacomicade
Africacomicade describes itself as a launchpad for Africa’s video games, immersive and interactive media industry. Through annual conventions, developer accelerators and pitch competitions, it supports African game developers, artists and XR creators, connecting them with global markets, platforms and investment networks.
Event details and tickets for Gamathon 2026 are on the official Gamathon page and Tix Africa. Africacomicade is on Instagram, X, TikTok and LinkedIn, using #Gamathon2026 and #BackToOurRoots.
GasBros Gaming Network has followed Gamathon since its early editions, and we’ll be watching for highlights from Industry Day on 31 October.
Source: Africacomicade (Gamathon 2026 press release and press kit).
