2022 was the first time Australians have been treated to the DreamHack gaming festival, with the event taking place in Melbourne last September and garnering a lot of positivity on social media for its modern take on what a gaming-focused event can be. With the wind of 2022’s festival behind their back, the team at DreamHack are stoked to be bringing its unique gaming festival back to Melbourne on April 28–30 and are looking to build on the fun and excitement for a bigger and better 2023 DreamHack experience.
Taking place at Melbourne’s famed Melbourne Park precinct at Rod Laver Arena, Margaret Court Arena, and Centrepiece, DreamHack Melbourne is a three-day gaming festival that offers an array of activities and attractions for the gaming community to check out in one location.
Feel the rush behind the wheel
Image credit: DreamHack/Caitlin Middleton
As in 2022, DreamHack Melbourne offers attendees a chance to see their favourite content creators and cosplayers in person, which for many people can be a dream-come-true moment. Punters were also treated to some of the best action in esports going around, with people packing out arenas to watch the CS:GO and League of Legends tournaments, as well as the Halo Championship Series.
Even if you’re not a fan of any particular team or follow specific content creators, you’ll still get to witness some of the best players and creators in the world in their field, and perhaps pick up a tip or two in the process.
But DreamHack is more than just esports and content creators, with attendees able to go hands-on with a bunch of games and participate in contests for prize money, such as the tournaments for several fighting games that featured last year, including Street Fighter V and Super Smash Bros. When not getting sweaty behind the controls, those who want to shop around on the show floor can check out the multitude of booths, with a wide range of vendors that would put the Resident Evil 4 merchant to shame, and those who wanted to get their groove on can hit the dance floor could do so after the days’ festivities finished.
Take part in the fun, take home bragging rights
Image credit: DreamHack/Caleb Smith
For those who aren’t aware, the DreamHack festival is synonymous with LAN parties, and the festival is credited with hosting the world’s biggest LAN party by the Guinness Book of Records. Last year’s DreamHack Melbourne’s Bring Your Own Computer (BYOC) LAN Party was successful, with loads of enthusiastic gamers spending the three days enjoying the good old days of hanging with one another and playing games, with the benefit of those sweet, sweet low pings and latencies that only proximity to your fellow gamer can buy. There’s no reason you can’t bring your liquid nitrogen-cooled, LED-lit rig down to DreamHack this year and finally figure out if it was actually lag that was behind those unfortunate deaths in CS:GO.
What sets DreamHack Melbourne apart from other gaming events is the resources it offers people who are considering a future in the gaming industry, with panels designed to give people an insight into a variety of pathways into the industry. So if you’re weighing up undertaking study in the industry, DreamHack Melbourne’s Student Day (held on Friday, April 28) is worth looking at.
The panels are always a good time
Image credit: DreamHack/Caleb Smith
Most of all, DreamHack is about bringing the gaming community together to celebrate its collective love and passion for all things video games and having fun in the process. Whether you’re a casual gamer, someone who follows esports and content creators, or someone who just wants to check out something different, DreamHack Melbourne has something for everyone. If 2022 was any indication, DreamHack Melbourne 2023 is going to take the good times to another level. You can check out the complete list of activities on the DreamHack website.
Attending DreamHack is affordable too, with day passes priced at $55 for adults, $120 for a three-day pass, and $165 for those who want to bring their own rig for three days. Persons that are under the age of 15 will need a parent or guardian to accompany them. If you’re interested in checking out DreamHack Melbourne you can purchase tickets here.
Article image credit: DreamHack/Caitlin Middleton
This post is sponsored by ESL Gaming and DreamHack Festival.
