| TwitchCon | |
| Status: | Active |
| Genre: | Livestreaming, entertainment, esports, internet culture |
| Frequency: | Semi-annual |
| First: | September 25, 2015 San Francisco (9 years ago) |
| Last: | (San Diego, 2024) |
| Next: | (Rotterdam, 2025) |
| Attendance: | 23,000 (San Diego, 2024), 11,500 (Rotterdam, 2024) |
| Organizer: | Twitch Interactive |
| Sponsors: | Rotterdam 2025 - TBA |
TwitchCon is a semi-annual convention for the video live-streaming service Twitch. It is organized by Twitch Interactive and focuses on the culture of live-streaming, entertainment, esports and internet culture. TwitchCon is open to industry professionals, streamers, and fans; the convention allows community members to meet streamers, discover new products, and trial upcoming games.[1]
The first convention was held in 2015 in San Francisco. In 2019, the first European convention was held in Berlin. TwitchCon is hosted twice a year, in North America for three days and in Europe for two days.[2] All North American conventions were held in California until 2023, in which an event in Las Vegas took place. The North American convention is most frequently hosted in San Diego. The European conventions have been held in Berlin, Paris, and most commonly the Netherlands.
The inaugural TwitchCon was held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco on September 25 and 26, 2015. The event was organized by Twitch, and featured a keynote by Twitch CEO Emmett Shear. All of the convention's panels were livestreamed on Twitch.[3]
In 2016, the convention was moved to the San Diego Convention Center and expanded to a three-day annual event. This TwitchCon introduced sponsors such as Xbox, Truth, and Amazon Game Studios.[4]
In 2017, TwitchCon took place at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California. This included the first esports tournaments to be held at TwitchCon included H1Z1 Arena, Lineage 2: Revolution 30 vs 30 Fortress Siege Showcase, and Power Rangers: Legacy Wars Showdown.[5]
TwitchCon 2018 took place at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California. The main presentation was held on the first day of the event by djWHEAT, director of Twitch studios, who made numerous statements about forthcoming features for the platform.[6] Twitch Speaks, a speaking series first presented at TwitchCon 2018, featured Tony Hawk, Kevin Smith, Felicia Day, Emmett Shear, and Ninja.[7] The Fall Skirmish final, a competitive Fortnite tournament final, was held at TwitchCon 2018, at the time making it the second largest Fortnite LAN event held.[8] [9]
TwitchCon North America returned to San Diego, taking place from September 27–29, 2019. It introduced the debut of an updated Twitch logo, TwitchCon logo, and brand design. This was the second time the event had been held in San Diego, with the first being held in 2016. This was also the first time a TwitchCon event was held at a venue more than one time.[10] [11]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, TwitchCon North America, which was scheduled to occur at the San Diego Convention Center between September 25 and 27, 2020 was cancelled. On November 14, 2020, in lieu of TwitchCon, Twitch held a 12-hour virtual convention named "GlitchCon."[12] Over 425 streamers participated in the event. Notable activities included Twitch Rivals tournaments for Fortnite and Fall Guys, the Austin Talent Show featuring judges T-Pain and Andy Milonakis, and a US$1 million donation being made to the AbleGamers Foundation.[13]
Neither a GlitchCon or TwitchCon event occurred in 2021. The next North American event would be held in San Diego in 2022.
TwitchCon North America took place at the San Diego Convention Center in October 2022.[14] This was the third time the event has been held in San Diego. The events required face coverings and had numerous COVID-19 prevention protocols in place.
The TwitchCon San Diego party was held at Petco Park, and featured the artists Meet Me at The Altar, Kim Petras, and Megan Thee Stallion. The party gained significant media attention when an attendee cosplaying as Master Chief from the Halo series of video games was allowed on stage during a performance with Megan Thee Stallion.
However, many people were critical of the San Diego event. One of the more notable criticisms of the event was the lack of security protocols in place for exhibitors, resulting in overcrowded venues and reported stalking incidents. Legion by Lenovo and Intel hosted an interactive exhibit that involved attendees dueling in an arena using large padded instruments and landing in a pit of foam cubes. However, the arena was not padded properly, causing people to land on hard ground, resulting in various injuries.[15] Of the two injured, streamer Adriana Chechik reported that she had broken her back after landing, and had to undergo surgery to set the fracture with a rod implant. Lenovo and Intel both remained silent on the matter. Chechik posted on social media that neither Intel, Lenovo, or Twitch had contacted her directly about the incident.[16]
At TwitchCon San Diego, Twitch did not announce a location for the next TwitchCon event during the closing ceremony, breaking years-old tradition.
TwitchCon North America took place at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 20-22, [17] marking the first time the event was hosted outside of California. With over 30,000 attendees, the event featured key platform updates, including new collaboration tools, expanded emote slots, and enhanced safety measures like chat warnings and policies against doxxing and swatting. Panels, meet-and-greets, and product demos from brands like Elgato and Corsair added to the interactive experience, making it a memorable event for the streaming community. [18]
TwitchCon North America made its return to the San Diego Convention Center in California from September 20–22, 2024, marking its first time back in San Diego since 2022, after being held in Las Vegas in 2023. During the opening ceremony of TwitchCon NA 2024, Mary Kish, Twitch's Director of Community Marketing, kicked off the event. As part of the ceremony, Twitch announced a $100,000 donation to Alveus Sanctuary, which was received by its founder, Maya Higa. [19] [20] [21] [22] Additionally, Twitch revealed the dates for the following year’s event, reviving the tradition of announcing future TwitchCon dates during the convention for the first time since 2022.The event also featured popular shows and activities, including The Table ft. QTCinderella, Name Your Price LIVE! ft. AustinShow & WillNeff, and the classic Twitch Rivals Ultimate Challenge, among many others. [23]
TwitchCon San Diego 2024 was also the first year in which Twitch did not offer a concert event. In place, Twitch offered attendees a "Block Party" add-on to the TwitchCon pass. The Block Party allowed attendees access to a blocked-off section of the Gaslamp Quarter, San Diego, from 7 to 10 PM on Saturday, September 21, 2024. Twitch partnered with local businesses to offer free food, drinks, and alcoholic beverages to attendees of the event, as well as live music, karaoke sessions, and lounge areas.
TwitchCon is set to return to San Diego October 17th-19th 2025. This also marks 10 years of TwitchCon.
The inaugural TwitchCon Europe took place at CityCube Berlin in Germany on April 13–14, 2019.[24] This was the first TwitchCon event held in Europe. It featured panels, workshops, and competitions like Twitch Rivals. Notable announcements included Twitch Sings, improved search features, and expanded monetization for creators. American actor David Hasselhoff appeared as a motivational speaker. Attendees had to be over 18 to enter the event.[25] [26]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, TwitchCon Europe, which was scheduled to occur at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre May 2 and 3, 2020 was cancelled. On November 14, 2020, in lieu of TwitchCon, Twitch held a 12-hour virtual convention named "GlitchCon." Over 425 streamers participated in the event. Notable activities included Twitch Rivals tournaments for Fortnite and Fall Guys, the Austin Talent Show featuring judges T-Pain and Andy Milonakis, and a US$1 million donation being made to the AbleGamers foundation.[27]
Neither a GlitchCon or TwitchCon event occurred in 2021. The next Europe event would be held in Amsterdam in 2022.
TwitchCon Amsterdam 2022 took place from July 16 to 17 at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre, attracting over 14,500 attendees. It was the first TwitchCon since the COVID-19 pandemic forced a three-year hiatus. The event featured various activities, including an opening ceremony with former Twitch CEO Emmett Shear, the inaugural TwitchCon Drag Showcase, and the "Fems Presents Monkey Cage" obstacle course inspired by a classic Dutch game. A cosplay contest showcased European talent, while the interactive challenge "Don't Wake Nanny" had teams competing to build the tallest toy tower without waking a lurking nanny. The event concluded with a ceremony celebrating the weekend's highlights.[28]
TwitchCon Paris 2023, held on July 8-9 at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, brought together streamers, fans, and industry professionals for an exciting weekend of panels, workshops, and cosplay competitions. Highlights included discussions on content creation, mental health, and VTubers, while the cosplay contest wowed attendees with intricate costumes from video games and anime. The event also offered ample networking opportunities, allowing fans to meet their favorite streamers and connect with others in the Twitch community. Overall, the event celebrated Twitch's global culture and showcased the platform's diverse community.
TwitchCon Europe made its return to Europe at the Rotterdam Ahoy in Rotterdam, Netherlands, with over 11,500 attendees on June 29–30, 2024. This marks the second time the event has been hosted in the Netherlands, previously being held in Amsterdam in 2022. At TwitchCon Europe 2024's opening ceremony, Director of Community Marketing Mary Kish And CEO Dan Clancy introduced three 'bleed purple' themed trophies awarded for achieving 5 million, 50 million, and 250 million hours of watchtime. The first trophy, for 5 million hours, was presented to /LittleBigWhale at the event, marking a new way to celebrate streamer milestones. An afterparty hosted by the Twitch music community raised over $2,500 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.Twitch CEO Dan Clancy joined the festivities, making the event a great way to end TwitchCon Europe.
TwitchCon is set to return to Rotterdam 31st May & June 1st 2025. This also marks 10 years of TwitchCon.
| No. | Dates | Venue | City | Attendance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | September 25–26, 2015 | San Francisco, California[29] | 20,000 | ||
| 2 | September 30 – October 2, 2016 | 35,000 | |||
| 3 | October 20–22, 2017 | Long Beach, California | 50,000[30] | ||
| 4 | October 26–28, 2018 | San Jose, California[31] | 30,000[32] | ||
| 5 | September 27–29, 2019 | San Diego, California | 28,000[33] | ||
| 6 | September 25–27, 2020 | - | Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. GlitchCon takes place instead. | ||
| October 7–9, 2022 | 30,000[34] | ||||
| 7 | October 20–22, 2023 | 30,000 | |||
| 8 | September 20–22, 2024 | San Diego Convention Center | San Diego, California | 23,000 | |
| 9 | October 17–19, 2025 | Upcoming |
| No. | Dates | Venue | Country & City | Attendance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | April 13–14, 2019 | CityCube Berlin | 9,500 | ||
| 2 | May 2–3, 2020 | - | Canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. GlitchCon takes place instead. | ||
| July 16–17, 2022 | 14,500[35] | ||||
| 3 | July 8–9, 2023 | Paris, France | 10,000 | ||
| 4 | June 29–30, 2024 | Rotterdam Ahoy | Rotterdam, Netherlands | 11,500 | |
| 5 | May 31-June 1st 2025 | Upcoming |