UK Games Expo (UKGE) is a tabletop-game convention and trade fair held at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) and the Hilton Birmingham Metropole.
UK Games Expo (UKGE) is the largest Hobby Games Convention in the UK First held in 2007, the event is now held annually at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham and currently hosts over 51,196 unique guests.
UKGE features a range of exhibitors, events, open games, demos, and tournaments including the UK Carcassonne Championship, and the UK Agricola Championship.
All forms of tabletop games are represented at the event including board games, role-playing games, card games and war games. Organisers each year also hold the UKGE Awards with two categories, the People's Choice Awards as voted on by attendees of the event and the Judges Choice Awards.
Cosplay has played an increasing part at the event over the past few years with several cosplay groups regularly entertaining event-goers across the three-day event.
History
The UK Games Expo was first held in 2007, organised by Richard J. Denning and Tony Hyams. Apart from 2020 the event has grown year on year and in 2026 had over 87,837 daily participations, making it the largest tabletop games event in the UK and the third largest in the world. In 2020 the event was held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event returned in person in 2021 with additional COVID-19 guidelines. In 2022 the event removed the COVID-19 guidelines introduced the prior year. In 2024 it broke exhibitor and attendance records from 2023.
In 2025, the show grew again to establish itself at the top table of worldwide tabletop game conventions. Trade was now in halls 2, 3, 3a and 4. In 2026, which was the 20th anniversary of UK Games Expo, they saw attendance hit record levels with 87,837 visitors across the weekend, showing the industry is thriving in the current climate.
In 2008, the expo hosted the official launch of Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition in the UK.
Show features at UK Games Expo:
The world's largest bring & buy. More than 900 exhibitors. Live entertainment. Tournaments and national events in a variety of game systems. Seminars. 4000+ Open gaming seats. Cosplay and living history village. Dedicated family zone.
Special Guests at previous UK Games Expo include: Luke Gygax Sir Ian Livingstone No Rolls Barred The Dice Tower Shut Up and Sit Down No Pun Included Alex Kammer Tim Hutchings Simon Fisher-Becker Ben Aaronovitch Alex Yeager Chris Barrie John Robertson Hugo Myatt Kenny Baker Colin Baker
Attendance
Attendance figures released by the organizers are published each year in their exhibitor pack.
In 2026 the Expo broke the single-day NEC attendance record
Year Uniques Attendance 2007 900 1,200 2008 1,200 2,000 2009 1,800 2,500 2010 2,000 2,700 2011 2,455 3,585 2012 2,879 4,046 2013 3,538 5,805 2014 5,805 9,919 2015 7,162 13,971 2016 12,636 25,149 2017 16,500 30,698 2018 21,700 39,000 2019 25,704 45,097 2020 (online) N/A N/A 2021 10,671 18,430 2022 23,163 39,527 2023 31,117 52,888 2024 39,306 65,281 2025 42,000 72,000202651,19687,837
UK Games Expo Awards
Each year the show awards the UKGE Awards which are split into two broad categories: The People’s Choice, which are voted on by expo attendees, and the Judge’s Choice, which are voted on by invited judges or delegates. UKGE rewards different game styles, including abstract games, strategic games, party games and more, as well as expansions, accessories, role-playing games, novelties, etc.
People’s Choice Award Roleplaying GameStrategy FamilyGeneral2026Ryokos Guide to the Yokai Realms - Loot Tavern PublishingLuthier: The Art of the Instrument - Paverson GamesDisney Villainous Treacherous Tides - RavensburgerBattle of Hoth - Days of Wonder2025The One Ring - Moria - Through the Doors of During - Free League PublishingSETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence - CGEHarmonies - LibelludAustralis - Kosmos Year Best Board Game (Euro) Best Board Game (Strategic) Best Card Game Best Strategic Card Game Best Roleplaying Game2024Windmill Valley - Board & Dice.Voidfall - Mindclash Games.Skullduggery - Cheatwell GamesPioneer Rails - Dranda GamesSalvage Union - Leyline Press. 2023 Earth - Inside Up Games Frostpunk: The Board Game - Glass Cannon Unplugged Viking Raiders - Neowulf Games Isle of Trains: All Aboard - Dranda Games Be Like a Crow - Critical Kit 2022 Lost Ruins of Arnak - Czech Games Edition Get On Board - iello Dungeon Decorators - Slugfest Lord Of The Rings LCG Revised Core - Fantasy Flight Games Shiver Core - Parable Games 2021 Excavation Earth - Might Boards Undaunted: North Africa - Osprey Games Village Green: A Game of Pretty Gardens - Osprey Games Imperium: Classics - Osprey Games Vaesen - Free League Publishing 2020 (online) Tapestry - Stonemaier Games Dune - Game Force Nine Solar Storm - Dranda Games Marvel Champions - Fantasy Flight Games The Alien RPG - Free League Publishing 2019 Quacks of Quedlinberg Root The Mind Arboretum Forbidden Lands 2018 Photosynthesis - Blue Orange Warhammer Underworlds - Games Workshop Legend of the Five Rings - Fantasy Flight Games category began in 2019 SINS - First Falling Leaf 2017 SubTerra - Inside the Box Board Games The Colonists Statecraft - Inside the Box Board Games Category began in 2019 Adventures in Middle Earth
Judges Choice Award Year Best Board Game (Euro) Best Board Game (Strategic) Best Card Game Best Strategic Card Game Best Roleplaying Game2026Luthier: The Art of the Instrument by Paverson GamesEpochs: Course of Cultures by Ice Makes LimitedDuel for Cardia by Hans im GluckPondscape - Pink TroubadourTales of the Old West by Effekt Publishing Ltd2025SETI: Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence - CGECyclades: Legendary Edition by Studio HLOTR Trick Taking by Office DogStar Wars Unlimited: Twilight of the Republic 2 - Fantasy Flight GamesThe Magnus Archives Roleplaying Game. by Monte Cook Games LLC2024Pampero - Ape GamesCangaceiros - Ares GamesTrio - Cocktail GamesPioneer Rails - Dranda GamesOld Gods of Appalachia - Monte Cook Games 2023 Earth - Inside Up Games New Eden - Schmidt Viking Raiders - Neowulf Games Vita Mors - Play With Us Design Critical Foundation - Gigamic 2022 Bitoku - Devir The Thing - Ares Games CULTivate - Pops & Bejou Lord Of The Rings LCG Revised Core - Fantasy Flight Games Twilight: 2000 - Free League Publishing 2021 Excavation Earth - Might Boards Prisma Arena - Hub Games A Game of Pretty Gardens - Osprey Games Schotten Totten 2 - Iello The Dee Sanction - All Rolled Up 2020 (online) Tapestry - Stonemaier Games Ishtar - Iello Solar Storm - Dranda Games Origlamme - Studio H Paladin - Chaosium 2019 Architects of the West Kingdom Root The Mind Ruthless Forbidden Lands 2018 Great Western Trail - Stronghold Civilisation - Gibsons Pikoko - Brain Games N/A - category began in 2019 Adventures in an Age Undreamed - Modiphius
See also Festival International des Jeux Gen Con Hellana Games - Festival of Games and History Lucca Comics & Games Origins Game Fair Spiel
External links Official website
References