MAGWest is a music and gaming festival featuring a 24-hour gaming hall, at least three stages of planned concerts, video game community guests/VIPs, and community-run panels. The festival runs from Friday, August 14 to Sunday, August 16. Buy your badge today!
***The schedule is subject to change!*** Make sure you check back to get the most accurate info!
PLEASE PLAN AHEAD FOR PARKING - NON-HOTEL GUESTS SHOULD PURCHASE PARKING AT PARKWHIZ PRIOR TO COMING TO THE EVENT.
Safety Issues, stop by Event Safety in the Silicon Valley Room or contact 1-833-FEST-SEC or [email protected]. Don’t forget to review our Code of Conduct.
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Have you ever wanted to get REALLY good at your creative hobby? To the point of getting 100k downloads or having publishers reach out to you?
I've achieved that level of skill in multiple fields as a professionally published author and successful Minecraft mod and modpack developer with projects each reaching over 100k downloads.
I've realized there's a lot of carry-over in skills, and I want to teach you how you can get to this level in your hobby as well!
Panelists: Vnator [Software Engineer]
Friday August 14, 2026 3:00pm - 4:00pm PDT Panels 2San Juan / San Carlos
Spurred by a conversation in 2024, I became curious what food (and drink)-sponsored video games existed in the world. There's better-known ones, like Burger King's Xbox games and McDonald's M.C. Kids, but there were MANY more to be found. I explored everything I could, leading 100+ games with endorsements or whole games devoted to the brand. Many went beyond anything I expected, and far beyond U.S. soil. Come hungry for gaming that looks like a snack.
We're going after that little white dog, Toby Fox. This panel will focus on the history of his incredible discography, and why it so effectively reaches our hearts. We love the worlds he creates, and we love his characters, but they all become inseparable from their themes. These melodies can be both simplistically and expertly composed at the same time. We aim to examine how Toby Fox has made an art-form out of the concept of the leitmotif.
We will travel chronologically through Toby's influences which defined his style leading up to Deltarune, and even touch upon why he chose to leave certain musical pieces behind. This panel will be conducted by two musicians who have a deep love for the many projects from Toby Fox, and is mainly dedicated to the fan-base who also shares this passion. Maybe we'll play you a little something at the end!
Panelists: Light MetaS [Musician] | Bardometer
Friday August 14, 2026 5:30pm - 6:30pm PDT Panels 2San Juan / San Carlos
From the host of Double NintenDare, CurtDogg brings you a game show where you need to "press your luck" on a rotating game board to win fabulous prizes and digital store credit! But watch out for that rascal, Buckley McVideogames, 'cause he's out to take all your winnings if you land on one of his spaces!
Friday August 14, 2026 8:00pm - 9:00pm PDT Panels 2San Juan / San Carlos
Strudel?! Like the pastry? Yes but, more like making sweet beats with code! Strudel is a coding language for making live coding music, based on Tidal Cycles & Javascript. No coding experience required. Bring your laptops and let's make some bops!
Panelists: FirahFabe [https://fihra.github.io/]
Friday August 14, 2026 9:15pm - 10:15pm PDT Panels 2San Juan / San Carlos
CurtDogg, aka the host of Double NintenDare, double-dips his toe into classic 80s and 90s television with some cheesy cartoons and tapes from his childhood, while riffing on them with friends. Hop in your PJs and grab a bowl of cereal and be ready to be taken back to a simpler time... for better or worse.
Saturday August 15, 2026 10:00am - 12:00pm PDT Panels 2San Juan / San Carlos
Bring your writing! Charles Barouch is a writer and developmental editor, he's had decades working with experienced and new writers. You read, he'll offer specific feedback and guide the audience to do the same. Sign-ups will be handled in the room. We'll get to as many of you as possible.
Come try your hand at voice acting with Preston Yeung local voice actor. It's a safe room to come out and just have some fun reading lines from some of your favorite anime and games.
Panelists: CINEPRESTO [Voice Actor]
Saturday August 15, 2026 2:45pm - 3:45pm PDT Panels 2San Juan / San Carlos
Every wanted to know the secrets behind odd time signatures? The hidden realities of metric modulation? Or just how to make a sick drum beat? In this panel we'll be going over everything rhythm related from beginner to advanced!
On your mark... get set... GO!! Double NintenDare is a Nintendo-themed throwback to the classic kids' game show of a similar name. Put your knowledge and skill of classic and current Nintendo games to the test by answering tricky trivia questions or taking on our special 'Digital Challenges' and finishing the dreaded Mario Maker Obstacle Course! Each player will receive fabulous prizes whether you win or lose, and we'll take you back in time with classic commercials in between rounds.
Saturday August 15, 2026 5:15pm - 6:45pm PDT Panels 2San Juan / San Carlos
We know ocarinas from gaming and anime, but they're a real instrument with extensive history! Learn more about ocarinas, their history, their status today, and how you can start playing one.
Panelists: Andy Cormier [YouTube Creator / Musician / (not relevant) Public Health Data Analyst, https://www.youtube.com/c/AndyCormierYT]
Sunday August 16, 2026 11:00am - 12:00pm PDT Panels 2San Juan / San Carlos
A crash course from a marketing specialist on how indie studios and publishers can market themselves with limited resources. A look at utilizing every avenue, from digital media to networking and active community engagement.
Panelists: Stan Rezaee
Sunday August 16, 2026 12:15pm - 1:15pm PDT Panels 2San Juan / San Carlos
Dwelling of Duels is a monthly video game remix competition where participants arrange, record, and mix covers that fit the contest's theme. Join us for a special MAGWest Contest Listening Party!
