Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024: start time, how to watch and what to expect

The summer gaming show lineup continues in August with Gamescom, and the event itself will kick off with a show called Gamescom Opening Night Live. Geoff Keighley, who also runs Summer Game Fest, is returning to host Opening Night Live this year, and there are game announcements and new trailers in the pipeline. In this post, we’re rounding up everything you need to know about Opening Night Live, including how to watch, what to expect, how much publishers pay to be on the show, and more.

When is Gamescom Opening Night live?

Opening Night Live takes place on Tuesday, August 20th, with the show starting at 8pm CET. It is expected to last around two hours, ending around 10pm CET. In the US, the show starts at 11am PT / 2pm ET. The event itself will take place at the Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany, but will of course also be streamed live around the world.

The main event will be preceded by a pre-show that will begin 30 minutes before kick-off. This is a pre-recorded show that will only be streamed online; people physically present at the event will not see it.

How to Watch Gamescom Opening Night Live

Opening Night Live will be streamed on YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Steam, Bilibili, X, and Facebook. These platforms are subject to change.

What to Expect from Gamescom Opening Night Live

Viewers can expect new game announcements, along with new trailers and gameplay reveals. Additionally, the event will offer a “first look” at events to come during Gamescom 2024. The show itself, which is among the largest in the world for games, runs from August 21 to 25.

Keighley has made a series of announcements so far, including what could be the next Dying Light project. Below, you can check out a hype video personally edited by Keighley to get a glimpse of what to expect from the showcase.

2023’s Opening Night Live was packed with news and reveals, including new trailers for Starfield and Alan Wake, while the show also showed off new footage from Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III.

How much do companies pay to promote their games?

Opening Night Live is a big, big show, and in order to promote a game, publishers usually have to pay, although this isn’t always the case. Published rates start at €115,000 ($125,000 USD) for a 30-second spot and go up to €265,000 ($288,000 USD) for two minutes. Publishers must also have a booth at the show itself or some other type of qualifying “activation” with a minimum spend of €60,000 ($65,000 USD) in order to have their games featured during Opening Night Live.

Stay tuned to GameSpot for the latest news. We’ll be updating this post in the coming days and weeks leading up to the August show.