Steam Next Fest runs from October 19 at 10:00 PT (17:00 UTC) to October 26 at 10:00 PT (17:00 UTC), 2026. It is the October edition of Valve's free demo festival and the last Next Fest of the year. Download demos from each participating game's Steam store page during the festival. The next event is Steam Scream V Fest, starting October 26.
What Next Fest is
Next Fest is Valve's weeklong demo festival, held three times a year in February, June and October. Developers of unreleased games put a playable demo on their store page. Valve says players can try the demos, chat with developers, watch livestreams and learn about upcoming games on Steam.
The rules keep the lineup to games that have not launched. Valve's October page says an entry needs a public demo by the time the festival begins and must release after the festival ends on October 26. A game can join only one Next Fest in its life, so every title you see is making its single appearance. Early Access and free games qualify as long as they are still unreleased.
Steam Next Fest: October 2026 EditionValve's store page for the event. As of October 3 it is a Coming Soon page with a reminder button and no game list.↗Valve's October trailer is not out yet. The video below is the trailer for the previous edition, in June 2026, and shows the format rather than the October lineup. Valve's general timeline has the festival trailer launching about four days before the start.
Exact times
Steamworks gives the October 2026 festival as October 19 at 10:00 PDT (UTC-7) to October 26 at 10:00 PDT. In New York that is 13:00 on both days. In the UK the start is 18:00 on October 19, but Europe's clocks go back on the night of October 25, so the end is 17:00 in London and 18:00 in central Europe. In Tokyo the festival opens at 02:00 on October 20 and closes at 02:00 on October 27.
The Steamworks page also has a Press Preview opening on October 8 at 10:00 PT (17:00 UTC), and a demo that goes live before that date is playable by everyone on Steam, not just press. Some demos may therefore be available well before the 19th, and some coverage may appear early.
The calendar around it
Valve's Steamworks events page lists the rest of the autumn and winter. These are planned dates, and Valve can still change them.
- Autumn Sale
- Cooking Fest, a themed event for games about cooking
- Steam Next Fest, October edition
- Steam Scream V Fest, the horror event
- Auto-Battler RPG Fest
- Winter Sale
- Next Fest, February 2027
- Next Fest, June 2027
Valve's Steamworks account posted the second-half schedule in January.
How to get the most from the week
Next Fest demos vary a lot in size and polish, and many are unfinished builds.
- Wishlist while you browse and play later. The event page lists a lot of games, and it is easy to lose one you liked.
- Check the demo size before downloading, and uninstall as you go.
- Use the livestream tab if you cannot try everything. Valve says livestreams are optional for developers, so not every game has one.
- Expect rough edges. Saves may not carry over, and a demo is not a promise of the final game.
Valve randomizes the placement of games on the festival page for the first few days. After that, logged-in players see carousels personalized from what similar players have been playing. If you want an unbiased sweep, early in the week is the time for it.
When the festival ends, Valve publishes a Wrap-up page of the games with the most played demos. Steamworks lists it as launching on October 26. It is a quick way to see which demos drew crowds if you missed the week.
Why it matters for budget gamers
Demos cost nothing, so Next Fest is the cheapest way to decide what to buy next year. Play first, wishlist what holds up, and buy at launch or on a later sale. The Winter Sale starts on December 17, per Valve's schedule, and the next Next Fest is planned for February 22 to March 1, 2027.
Frequently asked questions
When is Steam Next Fest in October 2026?
October 19 to October 26, 2026. Steamworks lists the start as 10:00 PDT on October 19 and the end as 10:00 PDT on October 26, which is 17:00 UTC both days.
Are Next Fest demos free?
Yes. The festival is built around demos that players can try without buying anything.
How many Next Fest events are there each year?
Three: February, June and October. Valve lists the next two as February 22 to March 1, 2027 and June 14 to 21, 2027.
What comes right after Next Fest?
Steam Scream V Fest, a horror and Halloween event, is scheduled for October 26 to November 2, 2026.
