Five Days, Four Clocks
GDC Festival of Gaming runs Monday 1 March to Friday 5 March 2027 at Moscone Center, 747 Howard Street. The organiser publishes four clocks that set the week. Badge pickup opens at 7:30am on Monday. Festival Hall opens at 10:00am on Tuesday. Festival Hall closes at 6:00pm on Thursday. Career Day takes Friday.
Sunday 28 February: Arrive Before the Desk Opens
Badge pickup runs at the main registration desk in South Hall, Street Level. Enter from Howard Street. Monday's window runs 7:30am to 8:00pm. A delegate who wants the Monday program needs a badge first, so the arrival belongs on Sunday.
Moscone publishes more than 20,000 hotel rooms within walking distance of the building. A room inside that radius puts the desk within a short walk on Monday morning.
Monday 1 March: Badge, Business Hall, Program
Collect the badge first. The desk runs 7:30am to 8:00pm. The Business Hall opens Monday and runs Monday to Friday at Moscone West, and GDC introduces it as new for 2027. It carries reservable meeting spaces subject to availability. Festival Hall stays shut until Tuesday.
The program runs across four groups the organiser publishes: Design, Build, Launch and Lead. Design covers Design, Narrative & Performance, and Visual Art. Build covers Audio, Programming, and Production & Team Leadership. Launch covers Business Strategy and Marketing. Lead covers Career, and Culture & Sustainability. The week carries 700-plus sessions, workshops and Summits.
Tuesday 2 March: Festival Hall Opens at 10:00am
The badge desk runs 8:00am to 6:00pm. Festival Hall opens at 10:00am and closes at 6:00pm. The 2027 floor runs Tuesday to Thursday. It carries five themed neighborhoods, the Festival Hall Theater, GDC Commons, the IGF Pavilion, alt.ctrl.GDC and GDC Play.
Tuesday night carries the Game Developers Choice Awards. A Game Changer, Festival, Indie, Start-Up, Academic or Festival Hall Only pass carries the ceremony. A Business Hall Only pass leaves it out.
Wednesday 3 March: The Middle Day
The desk runs 8:00am to 6:00pm. The floor runs 10:00am to 6:00pm. Wednesday night carries the Independent Games Festival Awards on the same pass terms. The IGF finalists play all week in the IGF Pavilion.
Thursday 4 March: The Last Floor Day
Festival Hall runs 10:00am to 6:00pm for the third and last time. The desk runs 8:00am to 6:00pm. Session programming continues in the meeting rooms through the day.
Friday 5 March: Career Day
Career Day runs Friday and carries three things: a Career Faire with studio recruiters and hiring managers, portfolio and resume review sessions, and career-focused workshops. The 1-Day Career pass costs $125 at the Early Rate. It covers Friday only, with the Career Faire and the career sessions in West Hall plus the Business Hall lobby.
The badge desk runs 8:30am to 3:00pm on Friday. A delegate who books an evening flight works the full day first.
Where to Eat and Rest Between Sessions
The floor carries its own rest stops. Neighborhood Stages hold lounge seating beside complimentary pop-up lite bites. GDC Commons sets out seating, indie games and a live interview stage. The Game Changer Lounge serves light bites and daily lunch, and the $1,249 Game Changer pass carries that room.
All Moscone lobbies carry complimentary WiFi suitable for email and casual browsing. The center holds no on-site parking, so a delegate with a car uses a nearby garage or hotel valet.
The building sits in the SOMA/Yerba Buena district. The venue's neighborhood page links Yerba Buena Gardens and San Francisco Travel's SOMA/Yerba Buena guide. The 6:00pm hall close leaves the evening open, and both award nights sit inside it.
What to Book Before 11 December
The Early Rate holds to 11 December 2026 at 11:59pm PT. Festival costs $549, Game Changer $1,249, Festival Hall Only $175, Business Hall Only $125 and 1-Day Career $125. Changes and cancellations must reach the registration team on or before 5 February 2027. A Festival or Game Changer cancellation carries a $250 fee. A Festival Hall Only, Business Hall Only or 1-Day Career cancellation carries a $75 fee.
The hotel side runs through onPeak, the organiser's housing partner. GDC's FAQ says 2027 hotel blocks will open soon. A party that needs 12 or more rooms needs a sub-block agreement, reached at GDC@onpeaksupport.com or (888) 998-2784.
Badges run Monday to Friday. The floor runs Tuesday to Thursday. Career Day takes Friday.