French President Emmanuel Macron has announced the creation of a new international festival dedicated to video games. He stated this on September 7 during the Sommet Lumière in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, where France and South Korea held a joint summit focused on cultural and creative industries.
"Since video games are part of our culture, we will create an international video game festival."
According to Macron's vision, the new event is intended to become a major international platform for the industry, bringing together developers, players, and representatives of the gaming business. The French President also wants video games to firmly establish themselves as part of the French cultural heritage—on par with cinema and other creative industries.
For the French authorities, this is not just an entertainment sector. The French Ministry of Culture already officially considers video games a distinct art form and an important part of modern culture.
Macron stated that video games should become part of the so-called "French cultural exception"—a system of national culture support that traditionally encompasses cinema, music, television, and other creative fields.
This also aligns with France's broader strategy for developing creative industries. Earlier this year, the country was named Creative Country of the Year 2026 at Cannes Lions, and Macron himself emphasized the role of the French video game industry in attracting talent and investment.
So far, no specific date, venue, or format for the festival has been announced. Some French media report that the first event could take place as early as 2027, though there is currently no official confirmation of this date.
It is also unknown whether it will be a classic exhibition featuring new game demos, a large-scale cultural festival, a business conference, or a combination of all these formats.
However, Macron's ambitions are already clear: France wants to create its own global event for the video game industry and further cement its status as one of the major hubs of the global game development scene.
This is particularly interesting given that major studios and publishers operate in France, and the country already boasts a developed industry, a strong gaming community, and its own esports teams.
Now the main question is whether the future French festival can evolve into a major new international event on the level of Gamescom or Summer Game Fest.
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