This weekend brings round one of a Final Fantasy XIV tradition: the biennial Fan Festival, a three-part event hosted in different corners of the globe, where players can come together to hear about what lies in store for the future and celebrate the game they love in person. Part one of the FFXIV Fan Festival 2026, the North American leg, takes place in Anaheim, California, but you don’t have to be physically present to get in on the fun.
Whether you’re headed to Anaheim to join the party in person or watching from home, here’s what’s on tap for Fan Fest at the Anaheim Convention Center—and beyond.
2026 Final Fantasy XIV North American Fan Fest—Programming Schedule
(All following times are in Eastern Standard Time.)
Day One: Friday, April 24
- 1:00-3:15PM — Keynote Presentation: Naoki Yoshida, director/producer
- 3:15-3:30PM — Welcome Ceremony: Matt Hilton, FFXIV Community Team
- 4:15-5:15PM — The Roulette Game Show: Aya Montoya, FFXIV Community Team; with special guests CrystAAHHL, CuriousJoi, Jesse Cox, Mrhappy1227
- 5:45-7:45PM — Development Panel: Naoki Yoshida; Hikaru Tamaki, battle designer
- 8:00-9:00PM — Glamored to Life: Cosplay Walk
- 10:00-11:00PM — Piano Concert: performed by Keiko
Day Two: Saturday, April 25
- 1:00-3:00PM — Crystalline Conflict Regional Championship 2026: North America
- 4:00-5:30PM — From Tacos To Tenders: Serving Up The Lyrics of Final Fantasy XIV, with Michael-Christopher Koji Fox, Matt Hilton, and special guest Ironmouse
- 6:30-7:45PM — A /random Q&A with Yoshida
- 10:00-11:00PM — THE PRIMALS Live
How To Participate At Home
For those who are unable to attend Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival in person, (almost) all stage events this year are being streamed live for free! Viewers can tune in on either the official YouTube or Twitch channels. (The stage concerts, which end each day, will be available at a later date as paid streams.) Twitch participants can win unique chat badges—one badge each day, for watching at least one hour each day.
If you tune into nothing else, the Keynotes at Fan Fest are always a memorable experience, from the potential of watching the next expansion’s reveal to seeing what getup Yoshi-P is wearing (and what clues his outfits hold for new classes). Otherwise, this is a great time to hop online and hang out with fellow remote attendees in-game. Special frames and stickers are available to commemorate the event as well.
(And stay tuned to CGMagazine on the socials for our recap and impressions from the show floor!)
Other Festivities Around Anaheim
For those attending Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival and looking for other things to do in the area, there are a couple of tie-ins to look for.
Jolibee locations in the United States (including locations around Anaheim) and Canada are hosting a promo campaign for a limited time. Order a Final Fantasy XIV Box Meal or Bucket Bundle, or one of four merch items, to receive a code for an exclusive “Eat Chicken” emote in-game. (One code per purchase.)
Requiem Cafe is also taking part in a special collaboration with Final Fantasy XIV. From April 17 to May 17, 2026, visitors can enjoy a special themed menu of drinks based on the game, like the Tank Stance, a blueberry soda float with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or the Fat Cat Latte. There’s also special commemorative merchandise to take home while supplies last.
Showing your official event badge at participating shops, restaurants, and experiences at STC Anaheim GardenWalk will unlock various bonuses from April 23-26, including House of Blues, Huckleberry’s Breakfast and Lunch, Starbucks, Meet Fresh Taiwanese Dessert, ChaPlus Modern Tea Room, Fire + Ice Interactive Grill + Bar, Factory Xtreme, Meeples Family, S. Preston Art + Designs, and Eulogy Collection Haunted Museum.
And of course, this is just the first of three events this year. The European edition of the 2026 Final Fantasy XIV Fan Festival will take place in Berlin on July 25-26, while the Japanese edition will be held in Tokyo on October 31-November 1. New content patches will go live days after the North American and European events, and with any luck, something even bigger might follow the Japanese show.
