Popkulturist's Festival Dispatch pieces, newest first. Filed from and about the showcases, expos and festivals that have replaced the one big event everyone used to fly to.

Games

The Game Industry Solved the E3 Problem by Having Eighteen E3s

The games industry replaced E3 with eighteen separate showcases in eight days, all of them running on Los Angeles time. A note on what the new arrangement fixed, and the one thing it quietly broke.

A figure slumped over a coffee at night, watching a row of glowing screens that all show the same clock reading five to midnight, a European skyline behind them
Games

Five Indies From London Games Festival 2026 That the Tube Ride Didn't Erase

You learn a games show by its handouts. London Games Festival's Pocket Guide was folded into thirds: a venue map of Level 1, a numbered key to ninety-six games, and the Playlist Rewards card. It fit in a back pocket.

Featured image: London Games Festival 2026 Pocket Guide