DreamHack Shatters Attendance Record With 60,000+ Fans — Confirms Return to Stockholm in 2026.
Another record-setting year brought Sweden’s Prime Minister, His Royal Highness Prince Daniel, thrilling esports action, star-studded creator showcases, interactive expo experiences, and more to Stockholmsmässan.
STOCKHOLM – November 30, 2025 – ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), the leading esports and gaming entertainment company, today announced that DreamHack Stockholm 2025 has concluded after three blockbuster days of competition, creator showcases, expo activities and music. Returning to Stockholmsmässan from November 28–30, the festival delivered its most diverse content slate to date—uniting elite esports, massive creator talent, and breakout community events under one arena-shaking roof, making it the biggest DreamHack festival ever with over 60 000 people coming from 70 countries around the world.
For the first time, DreamHack Stockholm welcomed both Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and His Royal Highness Prince Daniel, marking a monumental moment for the Swedish gaming landscape and celebrating the country’s influence on global gaming culture.
“DreamHack Stockholm 2025 represents everything this festival stands for—community, competition, culture and creativity,” said Shahin Zarrabi, VP Festivals ESL FACEIT Group.
Following this festival’s massive success, DreamHack now announces its return to Stockholm 2026, 27-29 November – the same venue: Stockholmsmässan in Älvsjö.
“Seeing Swedish leadership join tens of thousands of players, families, and fans only reinforces what we’ve always known: gaming is one of the most powerful cultural forces in the world. Stockholm proved that again this weekend, and will do it again next year,” said Zarrabi.
The festival showcased a slate of world-class tournaments, all-star content creators, and entertainment experiences across three jam-packed days—solidifying DreamHack Stockholm as one of Europe’s must-attend gaming gatherings.
An Historic Overwatch Champions Series Title for EMEA
Last year’s finalists, Team Falcons and Crazy Raccoon—both part of the historic Korean domination in Overwatch Esports—were knocked out in the Lower Bracket, making the Overwatch Champions Series (OWCS) 2025 World Finals historic as the Grand Final became an all-EMEA battle between Al Qadsiah and Twisted Minds, where the latter triumphed 3–1 to become the OWCS 2025 World Champions.
On their way to the title, Twisted Minds defeated last year’s champions Team Falcons in the Upper Bracket semifinal with an impressive 3–0, followed by a 1–3 loss to Al Qadsiah in the UB final. The team rallied, entering the Grand Final after a comfortable 3–1 win over Crazy Raccoon in the Lower Bracket final to take revenge and secure the championship title.
NTMR Gaming Claims the Grand Major 2025 Championship Title for THE FINALS
NTMR Gaming — competing under their rallying cry “Fear the Nightmare” — captured the Grand Major 2025 title, becoming the first team to reach 5 match points in THE FINALS’ signature Heat System. After a commanding Day 1 that earned them top seed, the North American trio of Uni, Lasagna, and Gremliners fought through a tense Day 2, eliminating fan favorites ENVY and rising stars TSM before securing victory over challengers Team Secret, FNATIC, and SSG. Uni delivered standout performances throughout the weekend, though NTMR’s coordinated play was key to their championship run.
The event marked a milestone for THE FINALS esports, peaking at over 30,000 concurrent English-language viewers, with additional audiences in Chinese and Korean. DreamHack’s 700-seat arena remained packed across both days, with fans filling aisles during Day 2 to stay close to the action.
“We consider this year 0 of THE FINALS esports — this is just the beginning,” said Oscar Lundberg, Community Lead. “To start off with such an amazing, high-stakes, high-energy event feels absolutely incredible. We’ll be back for more in 2026 — we’re just getting started.”
Crazy Arena, Crazy Crowd, and Crazy Raccoon Lit Up The Brawl Stars World Finals in Stockholm
The Brawl Stars World Finals brought massive energy to Stockholm as 16 international teams competed for a $1,000,000 prize pool. Fans packed the venue throughout the weekend to witness pro-level competition and a ceremony performance of The Good Randoms.
The Grand Finals match ended with Crazy Raccoon taking down HMBLE in a 3-0 sweep, getting revenge for last year’s World Finals matchup in Helsinki, where HMBLE reigned victorious.
Congratulations to Crazy Raccoon, who on their way to the title, took down world class teams such as STMN Esports and SK Gaming.
BIG EQUIPA and Emmsan Get To Lift ESL Impact Trophy on Home Soil
ESL Impact League Season 8 Finals featured two Grand Final debut teams as MIBR fe and BIG EQUIPA battled it out, with BIG EQUIPA claiming the title and $50,000.
After losing the opening game vs Sakura (8–13), BIG EQUIPA impressed the audience with stunning Counter-Strike 2 performances. The new European superteam dominated the remainder of the event, including a 2–0 win over NIP Impact in the semifinals, with star player Mayline-Joy “ASTRA” Champliaud posting a dominant 1.52 rating.
The win was especially meaningful for the squad’s sole Swedish representative, Emma “Emmsan” Mattsson, who hoisted her first ESL Impact trophy on home soil.
“I’m proud. I love my team. I love you Stockholm,” she said in the winner’s interview.
Monte to EPL as DreamHack Knockout Brings Back Old-School Counter-Strike
38 teams came to Stockholm to compete for glory and one ticket to the world’s biggest Counter-Strike 2 league, the ESL Pro League. After a weekend of thrilling matches, tense rounds, and roaring crowds echoing across DreamHack’s C Hall, Monte secured the EPL spot by defeating FUT in the final (2–1). Dominating opponents such as 500, GenOne, and OG on their run to the final, Monte remained ruthless to the very end — proving that old-school Counter-Strike 2 BYOC is here to stay.
Beta Squad’s AJ & Kenny Send DreamHack into Chaos — Fans Cry, Meet & Greet Sells Out
AJ and Kenny from Beta Squad lit up DreamHack with one of the most explosive creator appearances of the weekend. Their Meet & Greet quickly became an emotional storm of excitement, with fans shaking, smiling through tears, and clutching signed merch like trophies.
The new Chat vs Champs format proved to be a standout hit, delivering exactly the kind of unpredictable entertainment Beta Squad is known for. The room was packed wall-to-wall, tickets sold out, and everyone there stayed locked in.
Mirabell, Jocke Lundell and a Hometown-Flavoured Opening Ceremony Ignited Friday
One of Sweden’s biggest TikTok stars, Mirabelle Lundgren, opened the festival with her first-ever live appearance on the Main Stage. Swedish social media heavyweight Joakim Lundell followed with an intense DJ set — complete with pyro and lasers — before the Stockholm–metro–themed opening ceremony shook the venue. Finally, Norwegian trio Ballinciaga closed the night in signature style, getting the arena dancing in vintage pink balaclavas.
IJustWantToBeCool’s First Ever Stockholm Show Packed the Arena
With 900 people at the meet-and-greet and several thousand filling the Main Stage area, IJustWantToBeCool proved yet again why they’re one of Sweden’s biggest entertainment groups of the past decade. The first live edition of “Vad?” was a runaway hit.
DreamHack Stockholm 2025 Breaks Records as the Nordics’ Biggest Gaming Expo
DreamHack Stockholm 2025 shattered records with the largest gaming expo ever held in the Nordics — filling the arena with world-class gaming culture, competition and creativity. Presenting partner Elgiganten led a lineup of industry giants, while LEGO ran a bustling Builders Zone and Nintendo showcased beloved titles. Thousands flocked to the expansive free-play area to compete, explore and game alongside fans from across the region.
The show floor became a spectacle of innovation and hype — Red Bull parked a real F1 car, Lamborghini glimmered under the lights, and Lenovo stole the spotlight with one of the wildest booth designs the event has ever seen.
Stockholm’s Cosplay Community Shows Up Big Across Two Competitions
DreamHack’s best-dressed attendees lit up the Main Stage during the festival’s Cosplay Championship. The competition awarded 25,000 SEK, gift cards, products worth 15,000 SEK, and tickets to DreamHack 2026 across three divisions.
reGnakED’s Beastmaster won the Expert category, Orig8kami’s Vestal took Artisan, and Mammma Gina’s Yennefer secured Novice.
The Extreme Cosplay Gathering Qualifier showcased another talented field, with cosplayers competing for a chance to appear at Japan Expo in Paris — Europe’s largest cosplay stage. A Final Fantasy XVI trio — Tokah (Clive Rosfield), Yumidun (Jill Warrick), and Mayo (Benedikta Harman) — won top honors and will represent in 2025 with hopes of taking home a regional title.
