Peoria, Illinois, to Host Collegiate Esports Competition

Discover Peoria, the city of Peoria, the Peoria Civic Center and the Illinois Office of Tourism have announced Future Play in Peoria — a citywide entertainment, gaming and tech festival that will head to the Illinois city September 18–20, 2026. The event, produced by Cinematic, will be staged at the Civic Center Convention Center and additional parts of downtown.

The National Collegiate Esports Showdown will serve as the culminating event with 512 teams competing for $50,000 in cash and prizes in a Collegiate Challenge Competition. The schedule will include live gameplay streamed across social as well as activations for attendees such as a retro arcade gaming lounge, a creator studio, airsoft target range and RC rocketing racing.

“I’m thrilled that Cinematic will be producing the Future Play Festival in Peoria in 2026,” said Dylan Marer, executive producer at Cinematic. “Peoria is ideally located and the perfect, forward-thinking city to showcase what’s next in interactive entertainment and gaming tech, as we bring 40,000+ fans together for an unforgettable weekend of esports, celebrity gaming exhibitions, immersive activations, and live music.”

The event will be partially made possible through the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) Tourism Incentive Grant Program. “DCEO is proud to invest $370,000 in bringing this innovative esports event to Peoria,” said Catie Sheehan, deputy director of tourism for the State of Illinois. “This grant was created to attract and host new out-of-state events — bringing fresh energy, new visitors, and boosting both business and leisure travel to the state. Since competitive gaming is such a growing sector, we are excited to see the major economic and cultural impact of this event.”

The Peoria Civic Center unveiled renovations in 2024 that included parking lot resurfacing, updated roofing and cooling towers, new digital LED boards, new carpet and the addition of a CxT Coffee Cafe as well as upcoming renovations to the glass arcade.

“Bringing Future Play 2026 to the Peoria Civic Center reinforces our commitment to hosting dynamic, cutting-edge events,” said Beau Sutherland, assistant general manager at Peoria Civic Center. “We’re excited to welcome the collegiate esports community and give fans in Greater Peoria a chance to experience this electrifying competition firsthand.”