Gamescom Opening Night Live 2024: Start Time, How To Watch, And What To Expect

The summer gaming show lineup continues in August with Gamescom, and the event itself begins with a show called Gamescom Opening Night Live. Geoff Keighley, who also heads up Summer Game Fest, returns to host Opening Night Live this year, and there are game announcements and new trailers in store. In this post, we're rounding up everything you need to know about Opening Night Live, including how to watch, what to expect, how much publishers pay to be featured in the show, and more. [Update: The show is now over, and you can rewatch it below or check out all the news in our recap of the biggest Opening Night Live announcements.]

When is Gamescom Opening Night Live?

Opening Night Live takes place on Tuesday, August 20, with the show beginning at 8 PM CET. It's expected to run for about two hours, wrapping up around 10 PM CET. In the US, the show airs beginning at 11 AM PT / 2 PM ET. The event itself takes place at the Koelnmesse in Cologne, Germany, but of course, it will be streamed live around the world as well.

The main event will be preceded by a pre-show that starts 30 minutes before kickoff. This is a pre-taped show and will only stream online; people physically in attendance at the event won't see it.

How to watch Gamescom Opening Night Live

Opening Night Live will stream on YouTube, Twitch, TikTok, Steam, Bilibili, X, and Facebook. These platforms are subject to change. You can also catch it live on GameSpot's YouTube channel through the embed below.

What to expect from Gamescom Opening Night Live

Viewers can expect new game announcements, along with new trailers and gameplay reveals. Additionally, the event will provide a "first look" at the events to come during Gamescom 2024. The show itself, which is among the largest on the planet for games, runs August 21-25.

So far, Keighley has teased a range of announcements, including potentially the next Dying Light project. You can see a full rundown of the games confirmed for Gamescom Opening Night Live below.

2023's Opening Night Live was packed with news and reveals, including new trailers for Starfield and Alan Wake, while the show also debuted new footage of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III.

How much do companies pay to show off their games?

Opening Night Live is a big, big show, and to have a game featured, publishers usually have to pay up, though this might not be the case in every instance. The published rates start at €115,000 ($125,000 USD) for a 30-second spot and scale up to €265,000 ($288,000 USD) for two minutes. Publishers are also required to have a booth at the show itself or another type of qualifying "activation" with a minimum spend of €60,000 ($65,000 USD) to be able to show their games during Opening Night Live.

Keep checking back with GameSpot for the latest, as we will update this post in the days and weeks to come before the show in August.