Join Us!

The Music and Gaming Festival
4 Days of Non-Stop Games and Concerts
Hilton Alexandria Mark Center | 5000 Seminary Road, Alexandria, Virginia, 22311 (Near DC)
Jan 13 - 16, 2011 (Thu - Sun)

What is MAGFest?
MAGFest is a video and computer gaming festival run by fans, for fans. It's similar to an anime or scifi convention, but aims to be more of a laid-back video game party. Nearly everything is open 24-hours. The show floors aren't crowded but still filled with lots of fan art, film and music. Our special guests fit right in and socialize with everyone. Game movies and cartoons are shown all weekend. In addition to our 10,000 square foot game room, lots of attendees set up games in their rooms and invite others inside.

Perhaps most importantly, MAGFest has a huge focus on game music -- multiple concerts' worth -- filled with video game music tributes, some even with the original composers! On Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, multiple bands will perform on our main stage, and our JamSpace room is open 24 hours for collaborative music and special treats alike.

Interested?
You can learn more about MAGFest, check out who goes to MAGFest, read about our 24-hour events, or peruse our list of special events held at MAGFest. If you are certain you want to join, save money and be awesome by registering for a badge and reserving your room ahead of time. If you are interested in helping us out, sign up to be a volunteer at MAGFest. By volunteering, you'll help make MAGFest possible, and get free perks while doing it!

If you have any questions or you're looking for a car or room share, check out our forums. Feel free to come hang out with us on IRC, too.

  • so i herd u leik vidoe game music

    Sun, 08/29/2010 - 13:21 — Nick The Newbie

    You know what the "M" stands for in MAGFest, right? If you guessed "malt liquor", you'd be technically right, but it's actually MUSIC. Specifically that of the video game variety. Since MAGFest is all about the appreciation of the music that raised us, we'll be joined this year by some of the people responsible for the soundtracks of some classic games that we all know and love .

    Hiroki Kikuta - Best known for being the composer of Secret of Mana.
    Alexander Brandon - Epic Games veteran composer responsible for Deus Ex, Unreal Tournament, Tyrian, and more.
    Dan Froelich - Classic PC composer and fellow Epic vet who is known for Jill of the Jungle, Solar Winds, and a bunch more.

    Not gung ho about video game composers? Thas coo, yo. We have some great personalities from THE INTERNET joining us to make the party just that much bigger.

    Scott Ramsoomair - Creator of the hit webcomic VG Cats. He's Canadian, but then again, nobody's perfect.
    Ashley Davis - She's the driving force behind Once Upon a Pixel, a web video series that retells the stories of video games as if they were children's books.

    Check out more information about them and the other guests coming to MAGFest at our guests, filmmakers, and musicians pages.

    We have to cap registration at 3000 this year, so hurry up and pregister before it's too late!
    Don't forget to get your hotel room!
    And please, for the love of god, we need HELP HELP HELP! So, volunteer to staff!

    A quick reminder to those going to Penny-Arcade Expo (September 3 -5, Seattle, WA) - Just like at PAX East, we'll be throwing a full fledged jamspace, and also hosting chiptune concerts. If you don't stop by, it probably means you're sick or dying, so let us know and we'll call an ambulance for you.

  • HOLY CRAP MAGFEST 9

    Sat, 07/03/2010 - 15:32 — Nick The Newbie

    Hey kids, did you miss us? Planning for MAGFest 9 is well underway, and this year is looking to be friggin huge. We'll be returning to the Hilton Mark Center once again to rock it until it crumbles crumbles crumbles to the ground. It's going to be Jan 13-16, 2011, so MARK YOUR CALENDARS. Recent studies have shown that not going to MAGFest is the leading cause of H1N1. Just check out these awesome guests that are going to be at MAGFest 9:

    Ashly Burch and Anthony Burch - Creators of the web video series "Hey Ash Whatcha Playin?"
    Grant Kirkhope - Video game music composer famed for Goldeneye 64, Perfect Dark, Banjo Kazooie, and more.
    Wes Johnson - Voice actor featured in Morrowind, Oblivion, Fallout 3, and others.
    Dr. Chris J. Hazard PhD III esq. - Creator of the game Achron, and full of ideas that will make you a better person just from listening to them.

    Also, making his triumphant return is the one, the only, the magnificent, the well hung, the voice of duke nukem...

    JON ST. JOHN

    He liked you guys so much that he wanted to come back and see you again. Don't let him down! Make sure you do everything you need to do to come to MAGFest!

    Pregister!
    Get your hotel room!
    Volunteer to staff!

    Also, we'll be participating in a bunch of cool events coming up. Come check us out!

    Artscape (July 16-18, Baltimore, MD) - MAGFest is providing classic arcade machines and gaming at BETASCAPE, Artscape's new tech/gaming section. Artscape is a MASSIVE free music/arts festival that takes over several blocks of Baltimore City. MAGFest is also providing videogame cover bands Entertainment System, Rare Candy, and The X-Hunters for Geek Chic, a late-night party taking place from 10pm-4am on Saturday, July 17th. Don't miss it.

    Otakon (July 30 - August 1, Balitmore, MD) - Come jam out with a bunch of the MAGFest crew at a JAMSPACE that we're hosting at Otakon. You'll even see a few MAGFest bands performing there.

    Final Fantasy Distant Worlds (July 30, Vienna, VA) - This is an orchestral tribute to the final fantasy series that you absolutely cannot miss.

    Bit Gen Gamer Fest 5 (August 14, Baltimore, MD) - HUGE GAMER ROCK SHOW at Sonar in Baltimore. Do not miss this HUGE vgmusic rock showcase of 10+ bands including Powerglove, The Protomen, and The OneUps. MAGFest is providing Arcade Machines, Gaming Consoles, and tons of other insanity there. If you like MAGFest, you NEED to be at this event.

    Penny-Arcade Expo (September 3 -5, Seattle, WA) - Just like at PAX East, we'll be throwing a full fledged jamspace, and also hosting chip tune concerts. There will be a few more surprises, too!

  • Magfest running Jamspace at PAX East

    Wed, 03/24/2010 - 11:56 — binary1230

    With 9 months to go until Magfest 9 (which is January 13 - 16 2011, Thu - Sun), you're very likely thinking to yourself: "Hey! Those hardworking and extremely attractive Magfest guys are probably taking a well deserved break from convention activities after the epicness of Magfest 8."

    And while I'm the first to admit that we're an unrivaled group of lazy slackers, we've got a news flash for you, Katie Couric: Penny Arcade Expo is this weekend in Boston. Did you hear those rumors from your old classmate, Nancy, that the Magfest crew is not just attending PAX East, but in fact running some videogame music events out there?

    WELL, NANCY WAS RIGHT!

    The Magfest crew will be out in full force at PAX and running a full-blown, legit Jamspace. We'll have keyboards, guitars, bass, drums, and lights to play with. In addition, in association with BOSTON8BIT, Boston's new chiptune scene, we're throwing down TWO legit chiptune concerts at PAX East, featuring our very own ZenAlbatross, A_Rival, Boston's own ActiveKnowledge, and a slew of other chip artists.

    Check out more details in this thread on the PAX forums. See you guys there!

    -Dom

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