After cinema, the video game could in turn claim its own major cultural event in France... Emmanuel Macron has announced plans to create an international festival aimed at bringing together creators, players, professionals and innovators, with Montpellier named as the likely host for a first edition in the summer of 2027. The head of state unveiled the project at the Lumière Summit, held in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, on September 7, 2026. The stated objective is to establish a globally oriented event and to strengthen the place of video games within France's cultural industries.
For the moment, the project remains a statement of intent. During his remarks, Emmanuel Macron said: "Because video games are part of our culture, we will create an international video game festival." He added that he intends to make it "a major global showcase for creativity, innovation, players and the industry," while integrating the sector more deeply into France’s cultural exception. The announcement came at the Lumière Summit, dedicated to the future of cinema and moving images, and co-chaired with South Korean president Lee Jae-myung.
According to information from BFM Tech, Montpellier is among the cities being considered to host the inaugural edition. This option has not yet received official confirmation from the Élysée. The exact venue, dates, duration, budget, and program are still to be decided. It remains unclear whether the festival will take the form of a broad public event, a professional gathering, or a hybrid that combines both aspects.
The upcoming festival will finally have to carve out its place in a calendar already crowded with Paris Games Week, Summer Game Fest and Gamescom. Its positioning relative to these events will help define its mandate and its audience. The next announcements should lay out the organizer, the international partners, and access procedures before giving a concrete shape to this new project.
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