From the 29th to the 31st of March, gamers and esports enthusiasts from the United Kingdom and beyond will be attending Insomnia 72. It’s the leading gaming and esports expo in the country, and every year it welcomes tens of thousands of fans, industry professionals, and content creators. This iteration will be a special event – it’s the 25th anniversary of Insomnia. There’s plenty on the plate for Insomnia 72, and this could be the best event the UK has seen since pre-COVID days.
Insomnia has been going from strength to strength since the pandemic led to a global (but temporary) shutdown of these events. I’ve been attending Insomnia for ten years (so it’s a big anniversary for me as well) and I love what the expo offers now. From live esports tournaments to thought-provoking panels, and from trials of unreleased games to a massive merchandise market bursting at the seams with pop culture goodies and gaming-branded memorabilia, there’s so much to see and do.
What’s On At Insomnia 72?
There are stacks of games to play at Insomnia, but leading the charge this year is Escape from Tarkov Arena. The all-new session-based shooter from Battlestate Games is the perfect accompaniment to Escape from Tarkov, and it’s appearing at Insomnia for gamers to try out. There will be esports events hosted by Hunt, allowing fans to test their mettle live and in person at Insomnia.
Wales Interactive is also appearing with Sker Ritual, a highly energetic (and at times terrifying) round-based survival game that’s reminiscent of Call of Duty Zombies. There will be a huge array of esports-focused titles for gamers to enjoy as well, ranging from Halo to Call of Duty and from Fortnite to VALORANT. Many of these games will have tournaments that offer substantial prizes, and there are countless opportunities to compete against your friends around the show floor.
There’s a dedicated esports section at Insomnia 72 that will play host to the iSeries Open and the VALORANT Women’s Cup, among other things. Insomnia’s ‘Battle Royale Bunker’ makes a return, as does a wide variety of esports and gaming-themed exhibitors fleshing out the show floor. There are creator meet and greets, cosplay parades, evening entertainment, racing sim rigs, VR arenas, and much more. It’s such a diverse event, there are countless things to do.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a retro gamer, a Nintendo fan, or if you’re a die-hard esports enthusiast, there really is something for everyone at the Insomnia Gaming Festival.
