Dubai All Set To Host The Region's Largest Gaming Festival, Insomnia Dubai

Government of Dubai Media Office : Dubai is all set to host the region’s largest gaming festival, Insomnia Dubai, from Thursday, 17 October to Saturday, 19 October at the Meydan Grandstand.  The mega event, which mirrors the Insomnia Gaming Festival, the UK’s largest event for gamers, features a spectacular three-day gaming extravaganza that is expected to attract a total audience of 45,000.  

Insomnia Dubai’s launch is part of the expansion of the IMSOMNIA Gaming Festival’s global footprint in the Middle East. INSOMNIA started off 20 years ago in the UK as a large LAN event, where gamers came together to play their favorite games. INSOMNIA Dubai will be hosting 14 of the most popular games for gaming enthusiasts to ‘Turn Up & Play’, apart from mobile gaming, VR, tabletop games, cosplay, esports finals, and diverse stage shows. The mega event was launched in Dubai as part of a multi-year partnership with Dubai-based events company, Global Event Management (GEM).

Her Excellency Mona Al Marri, Director General of the Government of Dubai Media Office said: “Hosting Insomnia Dubai is part of our commitment to the 10X vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, which has inspired us to develop projects positioning Dubai as a key player in shaping the world’s future industries. Holding the event is also aligned with our strategy of enhancing Dubai’s status as a major hub for the global eSports industry. Dubai and the UAE are at the centre of the Middle East’s fast-growing eSports community, with the city attracting some of the world’s best eSports tournaments, teams and leagues. In the years ahead, Dubai will continue to host more world-class eSports events, bringing together players and fans from across the world.”

Abdulla Al Mansouri, Team Leader of Dubai 10X Media said: “Dubai continues to identify opportunities to grow the market for eSports as part of its commitment to develop future sectors. The hosting of Insomnia Dubai in the emirate fits well with our objective of supporting the development of sectors where technology, entertainment and media are converging. Sectors like eSports where youth are playing a critical role are among our key focuses. The organisation of Insomnia Dubai also reflects the city’s emergence as a platform for next-generation innovation and technology communities to collaborate in creating value for the economy and society.”

Insomnia Dubai is being held at a time when the gaming industry in the Middle East and North Africa region is showing the fastest annual growth globally of 25%. With gamers constituting six out of ten of the online population in the region, prospects for the industry are bright. Women in the region are avid followers of gaming. In Saudi Arabia, women game on the go more than men. 

The global industry as a whole is expected to generate another $1.5 billion in annual revenues by 2020.  There are now more than 2.5 billion gamers across the world. Combined, they will spend $152.1 billion on games in 2019, representing an increase of 9.6% year on year.

Insomnia Dubai will feature a glittering array of the world’s biggest gaming stars. Josh, Ethan and Tobi of YouTube gaming superstars The Sidemen, original Pokémon theme singer Jason Paige, industry icon Tommy Tallarico, and YouTube gaming sensation Fasoleyya have been confirmed as special guests at the Festival.

Josh (@zerkaahd), Ethan (@behzinga) and Tobi (@tobjizzle) of The Sidemen will be taking part in meet & greets, 1v1 video games, main stage appearances, and after-party events, giving fans opportunities for selfies and autographs. The group of gamers and content creators, who have a combined 53 million followers, have plenty of surprises for fans at the event.

Joining The Sidemen will be the singer of the generation-defining, original Pokémon theme song – Jason Paige. Jason’s vocal talents are known the world over thanks to an illustrious career that has seen him tour for a year as the lead singer of legendary band Blood, Sweat & Tears, as well as singing and rapping with Michael Jackson, Aerosmith, Meatloaf, Enrique Iglesias, Ray Charles, and many more. For the first time in the Middle East, he will perform LIVE on the Main Stage each day of the event.

Another icon of the gaming industry – Tommy Tallarico – is also set to appear at Insomnia Dubai. A videogame-industry icon, Tommy has worked on the most videogames in history. As one of the most successful videogame composers in history, he has helped revolutionise the gaming world, creating unique audio landscapes that enhance the videogaming experience.

Saudi Arabia-based YouTube gaming influencer Fasoleyya is another star who will be appearing at Insomnia Dubai as part of the Fortnite feature area, where he will take part in 1v1s and meet & greets over the course of the three-day gaming festival. With 1.47 million YouTube subscribers and more than 255 million channel views, Fasoleyya (real name: Faisal Omri) is a gaming sensation, not only in the Middle East, but all over the world.

World-famous Minecraft star Seapeekay will also be present the Middle East’s biggest gaming festival. The YouTube superstar, with half a million followers, is a world record holder for ‘Fastest Time for Building a House in Minecraft’. He will be meeting and greeting fans, while taking part in fan-favourite activities and 1v1 challenges throughout the Insomnia weekend.

Furthermore, The S3 Freestyle Team, featuring the best street players of the moment, will be coming all the way from Paris to take part in Insomnia Dubai.

All ticket holders, whether VIP or not, have access to meet & greets on a first come first served basis. Meet & greets will take place on all three days of the gaming festival for 1-2 hours, between 2.00 – 9.00 pm. Tickets are available from Virgin and Platinumlist.

Insomnia Dubai will be a single-use plastic free event. Everyone who attends Insomnia Dubai Gaming Festival will be given fabric wristbands, instead of plastic ones, when gaining entry to the event. Additionally, all food and beverages will be served in eco-friendly containers, with eco-friendly cutlery.