UK's biggest gaming festival Insomnia returning to Birmingham

From old school arcade games to cutting-edge VR technology, all things gaming will be at the NEC Birmingham for the Easter weekend extravaganza, with organisers expecting over 50,000 people to join in the action.

During the bumper four-day festival, gamers will be able to test-drive the latest releases, meet and greet their favourite YouTubers, and even take part in BYOC (also known as Bring Your Own Computer), the UK’s biggest LAN party where over 2,500 attendees can play against each other live.

Insomnia features multiple themed zones, including an indie zone exhibiting the games of the future being developed by independent studios, and a retro zone featuring favourites like pinball, table top games, and arcade all-stars like PacMan and Donkey Kong.

Sarah Whittaker, one of the organisers behind the scenes, is excited to be bringing Insomnia back to Birmingham.

“Insomnia gives the community a place to get out and do more in a way that no other events in the country do," she said.

"The e-game industry is only getting bigger and better each year, with over 3.24million gamers in the UK alone, and we’re proud that Insomnia continues to serve as a place to play, learn, and meet new people for this huge portion of the population.

“We’re so excited for Insomnia 2019, which is sure to have more than ever before. This will be our 64th show and we hope to see both familiar and new faces for this year."

Last year saw two Insomnia festivals take place, with almost 120,000 people attending in total. Famous faces in attendance included Ali-A, Alfie Deyes, and Caspar Lee, who demonstrated their skills, as well as greeting fans, signing autographs and snapping selfies.

2019 brings even more interactive Q and A panels, discounted hardware and accessories, live e-sport tournaments and stage shows.

Insomnia will take place from April 19 to 22.

For more information and to buy tickets, click here.