MAGFest, The Music And Gaming Festival, is an annual event in the Washington D.C./Virginia/Maryland area dedicated to the celebration of video games and video game music. Each year, MAGFest offers 24-hour console, arcade, and PC game rooms, over twelve live video game cover bands, a vendors area, and guest speakers from the video game industry and fan scene. It also features a "JamSpace" available to all attendees for impromptu music performances. Numerous other events are scheduled each day. The 10th annual MAGFest, or MAGFest X for short, is scheduled for January 5-8 2012.

What makes MAGFest unique is that it's an event run by fans for fans. There are no corporate sponsors, no over-crowded showfloors, and no top-secret-behind-closed-doors showings. MAGFest is built from the ground up to be a party-like atmosphere with focus on community and fan creations, which creates an environment that no other expo or convention can ever recreate.

For historical reference, previous press releases for MAGFest are here:
http://magfest.org/M9PressRelease
http://magfest.org/M8PressRelease

MAGFest facts:

• Owners: Brendan Becker, Paul Good, Eli Courtwright, Dom Cerquetti
• Attendance: 3000 (max venue capacity) in 2011 (MAGFest 9), 4000-6000 expected in 2012 (MAGFest X)
• Year started: 2002
• MAGFest X Dates: January 5-8, 2012
• MAGFest X Location: Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center, 201 Waterfront Street, National Harbor, MD 20745
• MAGFest X notable guests: Nobuo Uematsu (Final Fantasy series composer), Ellen McLain (Voice of GLaDOS), Jon St. John (Voice of Duke Nukem), Angry Video Game Nerd, Arin "Egoraptor" Hanson, More to be announced...
• MAGFest X notable bands: EARTHBOUND PAPAS (Nobuo Uematsu's band), The Megas, Metroid Metal, More to be announced...
• Notable past guests: Hiroki Kikuta (Secret of Mana composer), Sid Meier, Grant Kirkhope (Rareware music composer), Howard Drossin (Sega music composer), Tommy Tallarico (Video Games Live)
• Notable past bands: The OneUps, Metroid Metal, The Minibosses, Powerglove, The Advantage, NESKimos

Coverage of MAGFest:

Press:
Piki Geek preview of MAGFest X - "If you’ve got an ounce of geek blood in you, MAGFest is your jam."

Default Prime preview of MAGFest X - "It’s a genuinely exciting atmosphere that is made of the stuff gamers love."

King of the Nerds MAGFest 9 Coverage - "Gaming fans take note MAGfest is a damned fun party that is definitely worth the price of admission."

The Game Effect MAGFest 9 Coverage - "The event was well beyond anything that I had expected, with everything running incredibly smoothly given how immense the entire convention was."

Destructoid MAGFest 8 Coverage - "MAGfest was an absolute blast, and if you missed it, don't make the same mistake next time."

Elder Geek MAGFest 8 Coverage - "I’m going back again next year. There’s no doubt in my mind. Wild horses couldn’t keep me away from [the next MAGFest] when it comes around."

Videos:
Metroid Metal playing the NES Metroid theme

The OneUps playing the Chrono Trigger theme

Beating up Kroze to raise money during our Child's Play charity auction.

The Game Heroes MAGFest 9 coverage

Brental Floss's MAGFest 8 highlights

OCReMix members jamming together in the Jamspace

Downloadable press media kit

Available HERE.

For more details regarding MAGFest, contact Nick Marinelli, MAGFest Public Relations, press@magfest.org.