Andalucía Play Fest Cements Malaga's Leadership as a National Benchmark of the Video Game Industry

The first edition of Andalucía Play Fest, to be held from July 3 to 5 at FYCMA (Trade Fairs and Congress Center of Malaga), will bring together under one platform the Iris Games Awards, Guadalindie and RetroPixel Málaga, three of the city's main video game ecosystem events. The new event is born to connect initiatives, join forces and create a common platform capable of strengthening the video game ecosystem from a shared vision between industry, institutions and community, helping to consolidate Malaga's national projection as a strategic gaming hub. Over three days, attendees will enjoy a large shared exhibition area, a program of conferences and specialized content, demo spaces to try out games, and a professional networking area; Friday, July 3 will be geared toward industry professionals, while Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 will open to the general and family public. The Iris Games Awards gala — the national competition recognizing the talent, innovation and creative excellence of game studios — will increase its capacity to 900 people, the largest to date, with a dynamic production, live performances and free registration, hosted by gaming specialist Maya Pixelskaya and TV presenter Rodrigo Vázquez. Guadalindie, the professional indie game fair promoted by MálagaJam, will hold its third edition featuring experts such as Karla Zimonja (The Fullbright Company) and composer Chipzel, while RetroPixel Málaga, coordinated by the ALTAIR association, will review 40 years of video game evolution through exhibitions and conferences on digital heritage. The initiative is promoted by the Malaga City Council through the National Digital Content Hub, the Television Academy, MálagaJam and ALTAIR, with the collaboration of the Andalusian Regional Government.