The greatest video game music concert and expo in the world, MAGFest, is making an offline comeback early next year.

After a year-plus of dealing with the pandemic, certain countries are slowly allowing outdoor expos and festivals to operate. Super MAGFest will occur on 6th January through the 9th (PST) in 2022 at the Gaylord National Resort in National Harbor in Washington, USA. The theme this time around is focused on Doom.

Originally there was supposed to be a virtual concert last year, but due to organisational politics and radical shifts from within, that’s been postponed indefinitely. While announcing the offline event is rad and all, the new organizers in MAGFest are aware about COVID-19 still being a thing, but they are prioritizing attendance safety and closely follow CDC guidelines. You can fill up a COVID safety survey here to make your voice heard.

Why focus on MAGFest? Because it’s a 24/7 video game expo that focuses on musical acts that cover video game music (and original music focused on games & pop culture), retro gaming, and everything else you expect from a video game expo minus the corporate shilling and sponsors obnoxiously plastered all over the venue. The Gaylord National Resort itself is massive, meaning there’s a LOT going on in-between panels and main concert staging areas; there are even people who set up their own jam areas & sessions.

Simply put, it’s 4 days of non-stop gaming, partying, positive energy, and culture celebrating which you cannot find anywhere else.

That’s Great, But…

While some parts of the world are slowly going back to normalcy, other places like Malaysia are still sorting things out while instilling travel bans and lockdowns until things go back to near-normalcy. There’s also the bit where travelling to the US is going to cost you an arm and a leg, even if you’re going on a budget.

Given the quality of most video game expos in Asia, I personally say it’s best to save up and plan a trip for one incredibly transcendent experience instead of going to a few mediocre ones nearby.

Thankfully, the MAGFest organizers are considering a virtual experience for many folks who are still wary about going out. I’ve seen the MAGWest livestream last year and while it doesn’t have the same energy as an offline concert, it still is pretty good to tune into and jive to. You may want to voice out your request for a virtual showcase here.

dav