New two-day interactive festival at Peoria Civic Center features a $50,000 Collegiate Esports Showdown, hands-on gaming and entertainment experiences, plus Future Play After Dark with Lil Jon and James Hype

PEORIA, Ill., Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — This October, the future of entertainment is coming to Peoria — and audiences won’t just watch it. They’ll play it.

Future Play Festival, an all-new interactive gaming, esports, entertainment and technology experience, takes over the Peoria Civic Center October 3–4, 2026, bringing together competitive gaming, immersive attractions, creators, music and hands-on experiences for one action-packed weekend.

Unlike a traditional convention where attendees spend the day walking past exhibits, Future Play is built to be experienced.

Fans can step inside interactive attractions, compete and play, experience new technology, watch some of the country’s top collegiate esports competitors battle live, meet creators, race RC cars, rediscover classic arcade games, experience live entertainment — and Saturday night, turn up with Lil Jon and James Hype at Future Play After Dark.

Tickets are on sale now, with festival admission starting at just $19.99.

“Future Play was created around a simple idea: don’t just come and watch — come and play, compete and experience it for yourself,” said Dylan Marer, Executive Producer at Cinematic, LLC., the producer of Future Play Festival. “We’re bringing gaming, esports, immersive entertainment, technology and live music together under one roof to create a completely different kind of weekend experience. We want people to walk through the doors and continually discover something new.”

$50,000 COLLEGIATE ESPORTS SHOWDOWN

At the center of Future Play will be the Future Play Collegiate Esports Showdown, where collegiate competitors will battle live for a $50,000 Rocket League prize pool.

The tournament brings the excitement of competitive collegiate esports out from behind the screen and onto the live stage, giving fans the opportunity to experience the speed, strategy and intensity of high-level Rocket League competition in person.

But the competition is only part of the experience.

THIS ISN’T JUST A SHOW. IT’S A PLAYGROUND.

Across the Peoria Civic Center, Future Play will give attendees an entire weekend of things to play, try, explore and experience, including:

• Airsoft Tactical Shoot House Experience
• EVIKE.com Airsoft Shooting Range
• ARRMA RC Racing Experiences
• Retro Arcade Gaming Lounge
• Creator Studio
• Immersive and emerging technology experiences
• Live DJs and entertainment
• Cosplay
• Celebrity gaming appearances
• Interactive gaming and brand activations
• Future Play Collegiate Esports Showdown
• And more experiences throughout the weekend

Whether you’re a serious gamer, college student, esports fan, creator, tech enthusiast, music fan, parent introducing your kids to the games you grew up playing — or simply looking for something completely different to do — Future Play is designed to offer an experience for you.

“Most events stay in one lane,” Marer said. “There are gaming conventions. There are esports tournaments. There are technology shows. And there are concerts. Future Play brings all of those worlds together and makes the audience part of the experience.“

WHEN THE SUN GOES DOWN, FUTURE PLAY GOES AFTER DARK

The experience gets even bigger Saturday night.

On Saturday, October 3, Future Play transforms for Future Play After Dark, an explosive live music experience featuring hip-hop icon Lil Jon and global electronic music star James Hype.

From 8:00–11:30 p.m., the energy moves from the gaming floor to the concert experience as two internationally recognized artists bring Future Play’s opening day to a high-energy finale.

Festival guests can choose from festival-only, concert-only and combination ticket options, making it possible to build their own Future Play weekend.

For fans looking for the complete experience, two-day festival + Future Play After Dark packages offer the best way to experience the entire weekend.

PEORIA BECOMES THE PLACE TO PLAY

Future Play is also part of a larger effort to establish Peoria as a Midwest destination for esports, emerging entertainment and next-generation live experiences.

“Peoria has been intentional in recruiting and investing in cutting-edge entertainment and event segments that bring world-class talent, new audiences and increased visitation to our region,” said JD Dalfonso, CEO of Discover Peoria.

“One way we are doing this is by bolstering our efforts in esports and the entertainment opportunities that come with this rapidly growing industry. Future Play represents an exciting next step in that work. It will bring visitors from across the country to experience Peoria, while showcasing our community as a destination willing to embrace new ideas, new audiences and new forms of entertainment.”

Dalfonso added, “We see this inaugural event as the beginning of something much bigger for esports, tourism and the region, and we are proud to be part of what comes next.”

EXPERIENCE WHAT’S NEXT — TICKETS ON SALE NOW

Future Play Festival takes place October 3–4, 2026 at the Peoria Civic Center in downtown Peoria, Illinois.

Festival tickets start at just $19.99, with single-day, two-day, Future Play After Dark concert and festival + concert combination options available.

Capacity for individual experiences and ticket categories may be limited.

Get your tickets, bring your friends and get ready to play.

Future Play Festival
October 3–4, 2026
Peoria Civic Center | Peoria, Illinois

Tickets and festival information:
FuturePlayFestival.com

PLAY. COMPETE. EXPERIENCE WHAT’S NEXT.

ABOUT FUTURE PLAY FESTIVAL

Future Play Festival is a next-generation interactive entertainment experience bringing together gaming, collegiate esports, immersive technology, music, creators and hands-on activations under one roof.

Taking place October 3–4, 2026 at the Peoria Civic Center in Peoria, Illinois, Future Play is designed to turn audiences into participants — giving fans the opportunity to play, compete, discover, connect and Experience What’s Next.

Future Play Festival
October 3–4, 2026
Peoria Civic Center
Peoria, Illinois
FuturePlayFestival.com

#FuturePlay | #ExperienceWhatsNext

IG: @futureplayfestival 

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/future-play-takes-over-peoria-october-34-with-gaming-esports-immersive-experiences-and-live-music-302874766.html

SOURCE Cinematic, LLC.