Big Festival
Big Festival is the indie game competition and festival arm of gamescom latam, Latin America's largest B2B gaming industry event held annually in São Paulo, Brazil. It serves indie developers, publishers, and B2B gaming professionals through juried awards, structured networking, and tiered sponsorship programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersBrasil, Brazil
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Big Festival does
Big Festival is the indie game festival and competition program operating inside gamescom latam, the largest B2B gaming industry event in Latin America. Per firmographic data it was founded in 2012, with its current structure as an initiative within gamescom latam dating to 2021. The program is co-organized by Koelnmesse (a German trade fair organizer) and Game (the German Games Industry Association), with Omelete Company as the local producer. The annual event is held at the Anhembi District in São Paulo, Brazil, and the 2026 edition was scheduled for April 29 – May 3. Reported scale figures for the broader gamescom latam event include 154,000+ visitors, 175 exhibitors, 13,000 facilitated business meetings, 500 speakers, and representation from 59 countries.
The product surface spans three core sub-brands — BIG Starter (for emerging indie developers), BIG Highlight (for notable indie titles), and the BIG Festival Awards (annual juried recognition across categories including Best Game, Best Gameplay, Best Art, Best Sound, Best Narrative, Innovation, and BIG Impact), complemented by an official mobile app, a B2B Meetings scheduling platform, and an integrated online store. Revenue is generated through four streams: B2B ticket and package sales, tiered sponsorships (Diamond, Master, Gold, Silver), exhibitor fees, and merchandise/digital service sales. Major exhibitors and supporters include Electronic Arts, Nintendo, Xbox, Riot Games, Roblox, Supercell, Warner Bros. Games, Square Enix, Remedy Entertainment, Devolver, Kepler Interactive, Skybound Games, 11Bit Studios, Whitethorn Games, and Shueisha Games. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed.
Big Festival is not a standalone legal entity but a branded program within gamescom latam; organizational headcount is reported at 11–50 employees. Distribution is event-based and regionally focused on Latin America, supported by multi-channel social media (Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, YouTube) and content marketing through the gamescom latam website. Strategic partnerships with Abra Games (Brazilian games industry association), Roblox, Xsolla, FastSpring, IGDA, 80.lv, Discord, Apex Brasil, and CONMEBOL eLibertadores provide local industry connectivity, payment and commerce infrastructure, media reach, and an esports extension. Pre-sale registration for the 2027 edition is already open, signaling forward event continuity.
Big Festival firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Big Festival
- Legal name
- BIG Festival
- Website
- https://bigfestival.com.br
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Big Festival is the indie game competition and festival arm of gamescom latam, Latin America's largest B2B gaming industry event held annually in São Paulo, Brazil. It serves indie developers, publishers, and B2B gaming professionals through juried awards, structured networking, and tiered sponsorship programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Big Festival industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Trade Show and B2B Gaming Events
- NAICS
- Convention and Trade Show Organizers (56192), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- General Consumer Expos & Trade Shows (MPAGAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Consumer & Public Shows (B2C) Organizers (THAHABAC)
Keywords
Where Big Festival is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brasil
- HQ country
- Brazil
- HQ region
- Latin America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Big Festival business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- B2B Tickets and Packages: Sale of business area tickets and B2B packages for industry professionals attending the event
- Sponsorship: Sponsorship tiers including Diamond, Master, Gold, and Silver support levels, with various branding and visibility benefits
- Exhibitor Fees: Fees collected from exhibitors including publishers and game developers showcasing products at the event
- Online Store: Integrated e-commerce platform offering exclusive products, services, and merchandise related to the festival
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Pre-sale registration for 2027 |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Big Festival product offering
Product offeringCore offering
BIG Festival is an indie game competition and festival program within gamescom latam, Latin America's largest B2B gaming event held in São Paulo, Brazil. It connects independent game developers with publishers, investors, and industry professionals through dedicated programs (BIG Starter for emerging developers, BIG Highlight for notable titles) and the annual BIG Festival Awards. It also operates a B2B Meetings Platform for business networking and an e-commerce online store for merchandise and exclusive products.
Product overview
Big Festival operates as the indie game competition and festival component within the larger gamescom latam B2B gaming event in Latin America. The main product is BIG Festival, which encompasses sub-programs including BIG Starter (for emerging indie developers) and BIG Highlight (for notable indie game recognition). BIG Festival Awards provides jury-based recognition for winning games. The broader gamescom latam platform offers complementary services including an Official App for event navigation, a B2B Meetings Platform for business networking, and an integrated e-commerce Online Store. The event attracts industry giants and indie developers alike, positioning BIG Festival as a gateway for independent developers to gain visibility within the Latin American gaming industry.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- BIG Starter: A program within BIG Festival aimed at supporting emerging independent game developers in Latin America.
- BIG Highlight
- BIG Festival Awards
Products and services
- BIG Festival Annual indie game festival and competition held within the gamescom latam event, featuring programs BIG Starter and BIG Highlight to showcase and support indie game development in Latin America. Targeted at independent game developers, publishers, and gaming industry professionals.
- BIG Starter Program within BIG Festival aimed at emerging independent game developers in Latin America, providing visibility and support opportunities for new indie talent through the gamescom latam event platform.
- BIG Highlight Program within BIG Festival showcasing notable independent game titles selected for special recognition, designed to amplify selected indie games' visibility to publishers, investors, and gaming media.
- BIG Festival Awards Annual awards program within BIG Festival recognizing the best games and developers, with jury-selected winners across categories including Best Game, Best Gameplay, Best Art, Best Sound, Best Narrative, Innovation, and BIG Impact (diversity, education, social matters).
- gamescom latam Official Online Store Integrated e-commerce platform offering exclusive products, services, and merchandise related to the gamescom latam event for global online buyers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 154,000+ visitors attended gamescom latam
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Big Festival
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Big Festival technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Big Festival partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- KoelnmessecoreGlobal trade fair organizer and co-organizer of gamescom latam. Provides event management expertise, international reach, and logistics infrastructure for the gaming exhibition.
- Abra GamescoreBrazilian games industry association and co-organizer of gamescom latam. Provides local industry connections, Brazilian developer network, and regional market expertise.
- Game (German Games Industry Association)coreGerman games industry association and brand owner of gamescom. Provides global brand licensing, international network, and industry credibility.
- Omelete CompanyminorBrazilian entertainment media company that performs/produces gamescom latam. Provides media production expertise and local entertainment industry connections.
- RobloxflagshipMajor gaming platform and Diamond supporter of gamescom latam 2026. Provides exhibitor presence, platform promotion, and cross-marketing opportunities.
- XsollaminorPayment platform partner providing payment solutions for game developers and publishers at the event.
- FastSpringminorE-commerce platform partner for digital product sales and merchant services.
- IGDA (International Game Developers Association)minorMedia partner providing coverage and support for game developers attending the event.
- 80.lvminorGame development media outlet and media partner for gamescom latam.
- Apex BrasilminorBrazilian trade and investment promotion agency, Diamond supporter. Promotes Brazilian exports and investment opportunities.
- CONMEBOL eLibertadoresminorEsports tournament partnership where CONMEBOL eLibertadores 2026 Finals were held at gamescom latam in São Paulo, featuring EA SPORTS FC Pro competition.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Big Festival competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- IndieCade: U.S.-focused international indie games festival with awards, juries, and showcases. Directly comparable as a curated indie game festival with awards programming, though smaller in consumer attendance.
- DreamHack: Global gaming festival brand combining esports, LAN, indie showcases, and B2B programming. Comparable in its multi-format festival structure and its acquisition/affiliation model within larger industry holding companies.
- PAX (Penny Arcade Expo): Major family of gaming expos (West, East, South, Unplugged) with a strong indie game focus and structured B2B/developer programs. Comparable in combining consumer reach, indie showcases, and industry programming.
- Game Developers Conference (GDC): Premier B2B event for the global games industry, organized by Informa. Comparable in delivering deal-making, conference programming, and a developer/jury ecosystem, though without a consumer-facing expo floor.
- Brasil Game Show (BGS): Brazil's largest gaming event, also held in São Paulo, targeting both consumers and industry. BGS is the most direct domestic competitor for LATAM gaming audiences and exhibitor spend, with overlap in date windows and target segments.
Regional players
- Tokyo Game Show: Asia's largest gaming event, run by CESA. Comparable in size, exhibitor mix (majors, indies, hardware), and structured business meeting area, but serves a different geography.
- ChinaJoy: Asia's largest gaming and digital entertainment expo, held in Shanghai. Comparable in scale, exhibitor mix, and B2B/consumer split, but serving a different regional market.
- Nordic Game: Regional B2B games industry conference in Malmö, Sweden. Comparable as a structured B2B games event with matchmaking, conference tracks, and indie support programs, though smaller in scale.
Broad incumbents
- gamescom (Koelnmesse / Game): Global flagship gaming event owned by Koelnmesse and Game, the same partners behind BIG Festival. BIG Festival is effectively the LATAM extension of the gamescom brand, making the Cologne event the closest global analog and the brand parent.
Others
- Omelete Company: Brazilian entertainment media company that produces gamescom latam. Included as an ecosystem partner rather than a competitor, illustrating the domestic media-production layer that anchors event execution in the region.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Big Festival social profiles
Digital presenceBig Festival financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Big Festival leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Big Festival funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Big Festival M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Big Festival
What does Big Festival do?
BIG Festival is an indie game competition and festival program within gamescom latam, Latin America's largest B2B gaming event held in São Paulo, Brazil. It connects independent game developers with publishers, investors, and industry professionals through dedicated programs (BIG Starter for emerging developers, BIG Highlight for notable titles) and the annual BIG Festival Awards. It also operates a B2B Meetings Platform for business networking and an e-commerce online store for merchandise and exclusive products.
Is Big Festival a public or private company?
Big Festival is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was Big Festival founded?
Big Festival was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Big Festival based?
Big Festival is headquartered in Brasil, Brazil, in the Latin America region.
How does Big Festival make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. B2B Tickets and Packages are the primary driver. The others are sponsorship, exhibitor Fees and online Store.
Who are Big Festival's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are IndieCade, DreamHack, PAX (Penny Arcade Expo), Game Developers Conference (GDC) and Brasil Game Show (BGS). Regional players are Tokyo Game Show, ChinaJoy and Nordic Game. gamescom (Koelnmesse / Game) is listed as a broad incumbent. Omelete Company is listed as an others.
Does Big Festival have an API?
No public API is recorded for Big Festival.
What industry is Big Festival in?
Big Festival's product category is Trade Show and B2B Gaming Events. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAFAA, General Consumer Expos & Trade Shows, with a secondary code of THAHABAC, Consumer & Public Shows (B2C) Organizers. Its NAICS code is 56192 and its SIC code is 7900.