DreamHack Melbourne is officially set to return in 2024, with tickets on sale tomorrow. The event is set to run from April 26-28th, with an impressive array of panels, competitions, creator opportunities, art and – of course – esports.
The gaming and lifestyle festival will include the return of ESL Challenger and Artist’s Alley, plus a live broadcast of the League of Legends Circuit Oceania grand final, direct from the stage.
One of the biggest new attractions for DreamHack is that the cosplay competition will offer qualification to the Extreme Cosplay Gathering in Europe – a first for Australian cosplay. With Canadian cosplay star Kinpatsu Cosplay acting as one of the official judges, it adds a sense of legitimacy to the competition.
In a conversation with GamesHub, Senior Product Manager at ESL FACEIT Group Ben Green touched on how thrilling it is for the team to be able to offer this qualification.
“It’s super exciting for us,” he said. “We’re doing all this work around cosplay … the goal is [that] if you want to be in cosplay, DreamHack Melbourne’s the show you want to come to – [we want to] build it out and give them everything that they want for cosplay.”
After a successful cosplay run at last year’s DreamHack Melbourne 2023, where over $16,000 was awarded in prizes, it seems clear that the DreamHack team’s interest in supporting cosplay is reaching new heights.
Read: Everything to expect at DreamHack Melbourne 2023
The date and ticketing announcement also served as confirmation that the festival will remain in Melbourne for another five years, thanks to a continued partnership between Visit Victoria and event promoters TEG Group. In a press release, Nick Vanzetti (SVP & MD of ESL FACEIT Group Asia-Pacific Japan) said:
“We’re thrilled with the support of the Victorian Government, through Visit Victoria, that has been vital in securing another 5 years of DreamHack Melbourne … The scale and duration of this long-term partnership illustrates the Victorian Government’s commitment to support our growing industry, and cements Melbourne as the premier destination for international gaming & esports events in Australia for years to come.”
Steve Dimopoulos (Victorian Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events) said, “We’re thrilled to secure DreamHack in Melbourne for the next five years because it brings tens of thousands of gaming and esports fans from around the world into the city to enjoy our unique hospitality, energy and atmosphere.”
With this sizeable commitment, it’s safe to say that DreamHack will remain a fixture in the calendars of gamers for years to come – and for serious local cosplayers, it may very well have just become unmissable.
Tickets for DreamHack Melbourne are set to become available tomorrow, March 14, at 4pm AEDT via Ticketek. A three-day pass will cost $99, though a limited amount of early-bird 3-Day tickets will be available for $50.
