Esports and gaming competition DreamHack will head to the UK with a three-day occasion in Birmingham alongside Dota 2’s ESL One in March 2026.
DreamHack Birmingham 2026 will mark the primary time a DreamHack competition has been held on UK soil in its 20-year historical past. ESL One Birmingham, alternatively, will return for its fourth iteration, that includes 16 of the world’s prime Dota 2 groups competing for the occasion’s $1m (~£732,000) prize pool.
While this marks the primary time DreamHack is arriving within the UK beneath its new ‘competition’ format, the model did beforehand host an occasion within the nation a decade in the past. DreamHack Open 2015 happened on the Copper Field Area in London as a multi-title esports match that includes Extremely Avenue Fighter IV, CS:GO, Name of Responsibility: Superior Warfare and Tremendous Smash Bros. Melee.
DreamHack Birmingham 2026 and ESL One will run throughout two venues operated by the NEC Group. DreamHack Birmingham takes place from March twenty seventh to twenty ninth, 2026, on the NEC. In the meantime, ESL One Birmingham is scheduled for March twenty second to twenty ninth, 2026, at bp pulse LIVE.
“Esports has exploded into one of many fastest-growing elements of our financial system. Our arenas are buzzing with world followers and gamers for occasions like DreamHack and ESL One,” commented Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands.
“For us, it’s way more than leisure. Our faculties and universities are stuffed with younger expertise studying the abilities to reach this multi-billion-pound business.”
The 2 occasions come after ESL One Birmingham 2024 obtained £145,000 in funding from the West Midlands Mixed Authority (WMCA) and the UK Authorities. DreamHack’s mother or father firm, ESL FACEIT Group, hasn’t revealed if it has secured an analogous deal for 2026.
Tickets for each occasions go on sale from September twenty third at 15:00 BST. DreamHack’s three-day passes will begin at £39.00 in the course of the first two weeks, growing to £59.00 thereafter. ESL One assured seating tickets begin from £89.00, with add-ons out there.
DreamHack Birmingham 2026 will function a variety of esports tournaments, cosplay, stay music, creator activations, tabletop video games, and extra. Moreover, the Name of Responsibility League might additionally return to the UK on the competition, in keeping with a Dexerto report.
ESL One Birmingham Returns
Final 12 months’s version of the ESL One Birmingham recorded a peak viewership of 328,345, per Esports Charts. ESL FACEIT Group famous in a launch that the competitors drew 18,000 attendees throughout its three days.
PARIVISION was topped the champions, defeating Staff Spirit within the grand ultimate and securing back-to-back ESL One trophies.
