Gaming & Esports
In 2019, Insomnia Gaming Festival, the UK’s largest gaming festival, made its Middle East debut. Founded in 1999, Insomnia attracts over 100,000 attendees at each event and has grown into an international phenomenon, with festivals in Dublin, Scotland, and Egypt. This year, GEM Events proudly brought the iconic Insomnia Gaming Festival to Dubai and Saudi Arabia for the first time ever.
As the premier event management company, GEM Events was thrilled to bring Insomnia to the Middle East, delivering an unforgettable experience filled with esports tournaments, cosplay competitions, and much more. This groundbreaking event marked a pivotal moment in the global gaming industry, showcasing GEM’s expertise in curating large-scale, international events.
In 2019, Insomnia Gaming Festival followed its classic format to produce an extremely successful event, featuring esports tournaments, cosplay competitions, PC gaming, console gaming, retro gaming, tabletop games, virtual reality, and main stage shows. GEM Events added its signature flair with strolling entertainment, choreographed shows replicating popular games, and even exciting flash mobs!
Held from 17-19 October 2019 at the Meydan Grandstand, the Insomnia Dubai Gaming Festival boasted a combined prize pool of AED 1/4 million for 12 esports tournaments, organized by Gamers Hub Middle East. This was a key highlight, setting the foundation for the entire festival’s success. The cosplay competitions also featured a massive $10,000 prize pool, one of the largest in the region!
Special guests included the legendary Sidemen, with a combined 20 million followers on YouTube, and Pokémon singer Jason Paige, who gave his first-ever live performance in the Middle East, exclusively at Insomnia Dubai. The event also received extensive coverage on CNN, amplifying its global reach and significance.
Our Insomnia Saudi Gaming Festival was an incredible success, held as part of Riyadh Season from November 27-30, 2019, for a thrilling 4-day spectacular. The event sold out by the 3rd day, a true testament to its popularity!
Huge influencers such as Multicreators (including Banderita, MrFifaSA, and S3Gaming), along with three members of FaZe Clan, the world’s largest esports team, were in attendance for meet and greets, main stage appearances, and even 1v1 video game battles with fans!
