Steam Sale Schedule 2026: Full List of Festivals and Major Discounts

Valve has officially published the full schedule of Steam sales and themed festivals for 2026. With the year now in full swing, players can start planning their wishlists and budgets in advance.

To make things easier, here’s a complete breakdown of Steam events for both the first and second halves of the year — including seasonal sales and genre-focused festivals.

Steam Events – First Half of 2026

Here’s what took place (or is scheduled) during the early part of the year:

  • Board Game Festival — January 26 to February 2
  • Typing Festival — February 5 to February 9
  • PvP Festival — February 9 to February 16
  • Horse Games Festival — February 19 to February 23
  • February Steam Next Fest — February 23 to March 2
  • Tower Defense Festival — March 9 to March 16
  • Spring Sale — March 19 to March 26
  • Home & Interior Festival — March 30 to April 6
  • Hidden Object Festival — April 9 to April 13
  • Medieval Festival — April 20 to April 27
  • Deckbuilding Festival — May 4 to May 11
  • Sea & Ocean Festival — May 18 to May 25

The first half of the year continues Steam’s trend of offering highly specific genre showcases alongside larger seasonal discounts.

Steam Events – Second Half of 2026

The latter half of the year features several major sales, including the highly anticipated Summer, Autumn, and Winter events.

  • Shooters Festival — June 8 to June 15
  • June Steam Next Fest — June 15 to June 22
  • Summer Sale — June 25 to July 9
  • Social Deduction Festival — July 13 to July 16
  • Train Festival — July 20 to July 27
  • Cyberpunk Festival — August 3 to August 10
  • Bowling & Skittles Festival — August 17 to August 20
  • Survival & Crafting (PvE) Festival — August 31 to September 7
  • Programming Festival — September 10 to September 14
  • Party-Based RPG Festival — September 14 to September 21
  • Autumn Sale — October 1 to October 8
  • Cooking Festival — October 12 to October 19
  • October Steam Next Fest — October 19 to October 26
  • Steam Scream 5 (Halloween Event) — October 26 to November 2
  • Roguelike Auto-Battler Festival — November 16 to November 23
  • Winter Sale — December 17 to January 4, 2027

Black Friday Discounts Returning

Valve also confirmed that Black Friday promotions will return in November. While exact dates and details haven’t been disclosed yet, users can expect curated discounts highlighted in the Steam special offers section.

Planning Your Wishlist Strategy

With three major seasonal sales — Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter — plus multiple Steam Next Fest demo events, 2026 once again offers plenty of opportunities to grab discounted titles or try upcoming games for free.

If you’re tracking specific releases, it’s worth aligning your wishlist with these key sale windows, especially during the Summer and Winter Sales, which traditionally feature the biggest discounts.

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