Gaming festival Insomnia61 coming to Birmingham

The NEC event will feature special guests, a drone area, tournaments, the latest games, a ‘Retro Zone’, a ‘Fighting Games Zone’, a ‘Minecraft Zone, cosplay and more.

It will take place from August 25 to 28.

Guests set to attend the event include YouTube stars and British gamers Tom Cassell (better known as Syndicate), Ali-A, Yammy XOX, Bigbstatz, AshDubh and 8-BitGaming - plus many, many more.

YouTube fans of all ages will be able to come face-to-face with the stars in the Meet & Greet area to ask questions and get advice on vlogging.

The festival will also feature VR Zone, in which guests can test out the latest in virtual reality technology and games.

For competitive gamers of any level, there is the opportunity to play for fun, or join a tournament and win cash prizes in the BYOC (Bring Your Own Computer) Hall. Insomnia61 is also hosting finals of the UK Masters, BYOC Open and Developer talks on the BYOC Stage.

The Retro Zone, meanwhile, will give gamers the chance to relive the past with an array of old school games. Past games on display have included F-Zero, Donkey Kong, Taiko: Drum Master, PaRappa the Rapper, Excitebike, Frogger, Bubble Bobble, Double Dragon, Out Run, CastleVania, and much more.

For Cosplay fans, there will be a huge masquerade, as well as panel talks, workshops, merchandise and more.

There will also be a huge array of games to play for free. Challenge your friends, or other guests in the Head2Head Zone.

The Main Stage, meanwhile, will host an opening ceremony complete with giveaways, industry guests, exhibitors, and a rundown of everything you can expect to see at Insomnia61 - this is a great way to kickstart your day.

The Insomnia Show too will take place on the Main Stage, which will include a mix of special guests and gaming. It will feature challenges, audience participation, live music and bits from their resident chef Nick Haywood.

Nerds & Noobs will also be on the Main Stage, featuring challenges and a wheel of doom.

Tickets for the weekend event are priced from £73.19, while day tickets start at £26.14.