Summer Game Fest Scores the Dolby Theater — Yes, the Same Stage as the Oscars, for Its 2026 Kickoff
Summer Game Fest’s kickoff show will move to the Dolby Theater in Hollywood on June 5, 2026, shifting the live showcase from Inglewood to a venue best known for hosting the Oscars.
Venue change and date
The live Summer Game Fest kickoff showcase is scheduled for June 5, 2026 at the Dolby Theater in Hollywood. Consequently, the event will bring a live audience of thousands together with an online audience that organizers expect to number in the tens of millions.
Why the Dolby Theater matters
The Dolby Theater has been the home of the Academy Awards since 2002, and it has hosted other large televised events including several seasons of American Idol, The BET Awards, and America’s Got Talent. Moreover, its layout — with three balconies and opera boxes along the sides — gives the showcase a more intimate, theater-style feel compared with larger arena venues.
Related events and history
For context, the Game Awards 2025 will take place on Dec. 11, 2025 at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles, where that ceremony has been held since 2015. Meanwhile, Summer Game Fest’s move to the Dolby Theater applies to Geoff Keighley’s summer kickoff event only, and does not change the Game Awards’ plans.
Previous location and local context
Over the past two years, Summer Game Fest’s live kickoff event was held at the YouTube Theater in Inglewood, which is part of the same complex as SoFi Stadium. That complex is known for hosting large sports and entertainment events, and it was also referenced in pop culture reporting about Kyle Richards’ annual white party in the season 13 finale of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.
Summer Game Fest timeline
Summer Game Fest began as a streaming event in 2020 after E3 was canceled due to pandemic measures. Then, in 2022 organizers added an in-person media event. In 2023 — the fourth Summer Game Fest — the event combined a live theater-style showcase with a separate media preview for the first time.
Overall, the move to the Dolby Theater marks a notable venue upgrade for the 2026 kickoff, and it places the showcase on a stage with a long history of televised entertainment events.
