TwitchCon

TwitchCon
Logo used for TwitchCon 2025, commemorating their 10th Anniversary
Status	Active
Genre	Livestreaming, entertainment, esports, internet culture
Frequency	Annual
Location	San Diego (North America) (Until 2028) Rotterdam (Europe) (Until 2026)
Inaugurated	September 25, 2015 San Francisco (10 years ago)
Most recent	October 17, 2025; 4 months ago (2025-10-17) (San Diego, 2025)
Attendance	23,000 (San Diego, 2024), 11,500 (Rotterdam, 2024)
Organized by	Twitch Interactive
Sponsors	Rotterdam 2025 - Elden Ring Nightreign, Nubia Technology, Philips OneBlade, Streamlabs
Website	www.twitchcon.com

TwitchCon is an annual convention for the video livestreaming service Twitch. It is organized by Twitch Interactive and focuses on the culture of livestreaming, entertainment, esports and internet culture. TwitchCon is open to industry professionals, streamers, and fans; the convention allows community members to meet streamers, discover new products, and try out upcoming games.^[1]

The first convention was held in 2015 in San Francisco at the Moscone Center. In 2019, the first European convention was held in Berlin at the CityCube. TwitchCon is hosted twice a year, in North America for three days and in Europe for two days.^[2] All North American conventions are held in California, except for 2023, in which the event was held in Las Vegas, Nevada. The North American convention is most frequently hosted in San Diego at the San Diego Convention Center. The European conventions have been held in Berlin, Paris, and most commonly the Netherlands.

The inaugural TwitchCon was held at the Moscone Center in San Francisco on September 25 and 26, 2015. The event was organized by Twitch, and featured a keynote by Twitch CEO Emmett Shear. All of the convention's panels were livestreamed on Twitch.^[3]

In 2016, the convention was moved to the San Diego Convention Center and expanded to a three-day annual event, taking place from September 30 to October 2. This TwitchCon introduced sponsors such as Xbox, Truth, and Amazon Game Studios.^[4]

In 2017, TwitchCon took place at the Long Beach Convention Center in Long Beach, California from October 20–22. This included the first esports tournaments to be held at TwitchCon included H1Z1 Arena, Lineage 2: Revolution 30 vs 30 Fortress Siege Showcase, and Power Rangers: Legacy Wars Showdown.^[5]

TwitchCon 2018 took place at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California from October 26–28, 2018. The main presentation was held on the first day of the event by djWHEAT, director of Twitch studios, who made numerous statements about forthcoming features for the platform.^[6] Twitch Speaks, a speaking series first presented at TwitchCon 2018, featured Tony Hawk, Kevin Smith, Felicia Day, Emmett Shear, and Ninja.^[7] The Fall Skirmish final, a competitive Fortnite tournament final, was held at TwitchCon 2018, at the time making it the second largest Fortnite LAN event held.^[8][9]

TwitchCon North America returned to San Diego, taking place from September 27–29, 2019. It introduced the debut of an updated Twitch logo, TwitchCon logo, and brand design. This was the second time the event had been held in San Diego, with the first being held in 2016. This was also the first time a TwitchCon event was held at a venue more than one time.^[10][11]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, TwitchCon North America, which was scheduled to occur at the San Diego Convention Center between September 25 and 27, 2020, as well as TwitchCon 2021, was canceled. On November 14, 2020, in lieu of TwitchCon, Twitch held a 12-hour virtual convention named "GlitchCon".^[12] Over 425 streamers participated in the event. Notable activities included Twitch Rivals tournaments for Fortnite and Fall Guys, the Austin Talent Show featuring judges T-Pain and Andy Milonakis, and a US$1 million donation being made to the AbleGamers Foundation.^[13]

TwitchCon North America 2022 took place at the San Diego Convention Center from October 7-9.^[14] This was the third time the event has been held in San Diego. The events required face coverings and had numerous COVID-19 prevention protocols in place.

The TwitchCon San Diego party was held at Petco Park, and featured the artists Meet Me at The Altar, Kim Petras, and Megan Thee Stallion. The party gained significant media attention when an attendee cosplaying as Master Chief from the Halo series of video games was allowed on stage during a performance with Megan Thee Stallion.

However, many people were critical of the San Diego event. One of the more notable criticisms of the event was the lack of security protocols in place for exhibitors, resulting in overcrowded venues and reported stalking incidents. Legion by Lenovo and Intel hosted an interactive exhibit that involved attendees dueling in an arena using large padded instruments and landing in a pit of foam cubes. However, the arena was not padded properly, with two feet of foam cubes resting on a concrete floor, causing people to land with significant force, resulting in various injuries.^[15]

Actress and Twitch Streamer Adriana Chechik reported that she had broken her back in several places after landing, and she had to undergo surgery to set the fracture with a rod implant, as well as terminate her newly discovered pregnancy.^[16] Lenovo and Intel both remained silent on the matter. Chechik posted on social media that neither Intel, Lenovo, or Twitch had contacted her directly about the incident.^[17]

At TwitchCon 2022, Twitch did not announce a location for the next TwitchCon event during the closing ceremony, breaking the years-old tradition.

TwitchCon North America 2023 took place at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on October 20–22,^[18] marking the first time the event was hosted outside of California. With over 30,000 attendees, the event featured key platform updates, including new collaboration tools, expanded emote slots, and enhanced safety measures like chat warnings and policies against doxxing and swatting. Panels, meet-and-greets, and product demos from brands like Elgato and Corsair added to the interactive experience, making it a memorable event for the streaming community.^[19]

TwitchCon North America made its return to the San Diego Convention Center in California from September 20–22, 2024, marking its first time back in San Diego since 2022. The opening ceremony was kicked off by Mary Kish, Twitch's Director of Community Marketing. As part of the ceremony, Twitch announced a $100,000 donation to Alveus Sanctuary, which was received by its founder, Twitch Streamer Maya Higa.^{[20][21][22][23]} Additionally, Twitch revealed the dates for the following year's event, reviving the tradition of announcing future TwitchCon dates during the convention for the first time since 2022.

The event also featured popular shows and activities, including The Table ft. QTCinderella, Name Your Price LIVE! ft. AustinShow & WillNeff, and the classic Twitch Rivals Ultimate Challenge, among many others.^[24]

TwitchCon 2024 was also the first year in which Twitch did not offer a concert event. In place, Twitch offered attendees a "Block Party" add-on to the TwitchCon pass. The Block Party allowed attendees access to a blocked-off section of the Gaslamp Quarter in San Diego from 7 to 10 PM on September 21. Twitch partnered with local businesses to offer free food, drinks, and alcoholic beverages to attendees of the event, as well as live music, karaoke sessions, and lounge areas.

TwitchCon North America returned to the San Diego Convention Center on October 17–19, 2025. The event marked 10 years of TwitchCon.

Prior to the event, several major creators publicly opted out of attending the event, citing safety concerns.^[25] During the event, Twitch streamer Emiru was assaulted by a fan, who grabbed her and attempted to kiss her before her personal security intervened.^[26] Twitch responded by stating that the company "immediately blocked this individual from returning to the TwitchCon premises",^[27] which Emiru denied, calling the statement a "blatant lie".^[26] Twitch initially planned to suspend the person from the platform for 30 days, and then indefinitely only after Emiru pushed back.^[28] She stated that the fan was allowed to walk away after his attempted assault and was only caught hours after the incident.^[27] Furthermore, she commented that she felt TwitchCon staff did not take the assault seriously and noted that Twitch had banned her preferred bodyguard in a previous TwitchCon for "holding a stalker’s arm to bring him to police".^[26]

The inaugural TwitchCon Europe took place at CityCube Berlin in Germany on April 13 and 14, 2019.^[29] It featured panels, workshops, and competitions like Twitch Rivals. Notable announcements included Twitch Sings, improved search features, and expanded monetization for creators. American actor David Hasselhoff appeared as a motivational speaker. Attendees had to be over 18 to enter the event.^[30][31]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, TwitchCon Europe, which was scheduled to occur at RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre May 2 and 3, 2020, as well as TwitchCon Europe 2021, was cancelled.^[2] On November 14, 2020, in lieu of TwitchCon, Twitch held a 12-hour virtual convention named "GlitchCon".^[12] Over 425 streamers participated in the event. Notable activities included Twitch Rivals tournaments for Fortnite and Fall Guys, the Austin Talent Show featuring judges T-Pain and Andy Milonakis, and a US$1 million donation being made to the AbleGamers foundation.^[32][13]

TwitchCon Europe 2022 took place on July 16 and 17 in Amsterdam at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre, attracting over 14,500 attendees. It was the first TwitchCon since the COVID-19 pandemic forced a two-year hiatus. The event featured various activities, including an opening ceremony with former Twitch CEO Emmett Shear, the inaugural TwitchCon Drag Showcase, and the "Fems Presents Monkey Cage" obstacle course inspired by a classic Dutch game. A cosplay contest showcased European talent, while the interactive challenge "Don't Wake Nanny" had teams competing to build the tallest toy tower without waking a lurking nanny. The event concluded with a ceremony celebrating the weekend's highlights.^[33]

TwitchCon Europe 2023 was held on July 8 and 9 at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles in Paris. The event brought together streamers, fans, and industry professionals for an array of panels, workshops, and cosplay competitions. Multiple booths included subjects such as content creation, mental health, and VTubers, while the cosplay contest was a big success with cosplayers showcasing their costumes. from video games and anime. The event also offered networking opportunities, allowing fans to meet their favorite streamers and connect with others in the Twitch community.^[18]

TwitchCon Europe 2024 was the first held at the Rotterdam Ahoy in Rotterdam, Netherlands, with over 11,500 attendees on June 29 and 30, 2024. The event marked the second time the event has been hosted in the Netherlands, previously being held in Amsterdam in 2022. At TwitchCon Europe 2024's opening ceremony, Director of Community Marketing Mary Kish and CEO Dan Clancy introduced three 'bleed purple' themed trophies awarded for achieving 5 million, 50 million, and 250 million hours of watchtime. The first trophy, for 5 million hours, was presented to /LittleBigWhale at the event, marking a new way to celebrate streamer milestones. An afterparty, featuring Clancy, hosted by the Twitch music community raised over $2,500 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

TwitchCon Europe 2025 returned to the Rotterdam Ahoy on May 31 and June 1. The event was sponsored by popular companies like Streamlabs and Nubia.^[34] It's opening ceremony was again opened by Mary Kish and Dan Clancy.^[35]

• VidCon

• Official website