Steam Next Fest returns on October 19, 2026. For one week, you can play free demos of upcoming PC games, watch developer streams and build your wishlist before the big end-of-year sales.
The June edition featured more than 4,000 demos, so there is plenty to dig through. Here are the exact dates, the start time in your region and a few tips for finding the demos worth your time.
When Steam Next Fest Starts and Ends
The event runs from Monday, October 19, to Monday, October 26. As usual, it starts and ends at 10:00 AM Pacific time.
Watch out for one small trap. Europe switches to winter time on October 25, while the US changes a week later. As a result, Next Fest ends one hour earlier on European clocks than it starts.
| Region | Starts (Oct 19) | Ends (Oct 26) |
|---|---|---|
| US Pacific | 10:00 AM | 10:00 AM |
| UK | 6:00 PM | 5:00 PM |
| Central Europe | 7:00 PM | 6:00 PM |
What You Can Do During Next Fest
The main draw is free demos. You download them like any other Steam game, play as long as you like and uninstall them when you’re done.
On top of that, many developers stream gameplay on their store pages and answer questions in the discussions during the week. It’s a good chance to ask about release dates, Steam Deck support or pricing directly.
Keep in mind that some developers pull their demos once the event ends. So if a game catches your eye, play it during the week rather than saving it for later.
How to Find the Best Demos
With thousands of demos, the front page only shows a small slice. These habits help you find the good ones faster:
- Browse the Next Fest hub by genre instead of scrolling the main list.
- Check the most-played chart a day or two in, once early players have tested things.
- Wishlist anything you enjoy, so Steam alerts you when it launches or goes on sale.
- Try at least one game from a genre you don’t usually play. Next Fest is the cheapest way to experiment.
What Comes After Next Fest
Next Fest hands straight over to Steam Scream Fest, which runs from October 26 to November 2 and focuses on horror games, many of them discounted. After that, the big one is the Steam Winter Sale, from December 17 to January 4.
So the wishlist you build this month will pay off soon. If Steam won’t accept your payment method in your country, our guide on how to top up a gaming account when your country isn’t supported covers the workarounds before the sales start.
