Esports Festival by the Esports World Cup 2026 Draws Thousands to Paris in the Largest Free Public Gaming & Esports Celebration, Unveiling First Esports Nations Cup Jersey
- Fans gathered on the Champs-Élysées as the Esports World Cup 2026 celebrated creators, Clubs, players and communities through France's largest free public celebration of gaming and esports.
- The festival featured the first public unveiling of an official Esports Nations Cup national kit, revealing Team France's jersey, designed in collaboration with adidas, ahead of the inaugural tournament in Saudi Arabia this November. More national jerseys, including Saudi Arabia's, will be unveiled in the lead-up to the competition.
PARIS, Aug. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Thousands of fans gathered on the Champs-Élysées on Sunday, August 2, as the Esports Festival by the Esports World Cup 2026 transformed one of the world's most iconic avenues into the country's largest free public celebration of gaming and esports. The festival brought the Esports World Cup beyond its competition venue at Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, creating a shared space where fans, creators, players and families could experience the culture that surrounds competitive gaming.
Co-created with the Comité Champs-Élysées, the festival gave the local community a new way to experience the Esports World Cup through live competition, creator appearances, interactive gaming experiences, cosplay and entertainment. The programme featured showmatches across EA SPORTS FC 26, Rocket League and Trackmania, alongside activities designed to welcome both dedicated esports fans and those experiencing esports for the first time. Hosted by Doigby and Kayané, the festival brought together leading creators, musicians and esports pioneers, including Bigflo & Oli, Amine, Samuel Étienne, Billy, Neo and Brawks.
A major moment of the festival was the first public unveiling of an official Esports Nations Cup (ENC) national kit. Designed in collaboration with adidas, the Team France jersey was unveiled ahead of the inaugural Esports Nations Cup, taking place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2–29, 2026. The tournament will bring together players from more than 100 countries and territories competing across 16 games, with Saudi Arabia's national jersey among those to be revealed in the lead-up to the competition.
The reveal brought together National Team Manager Bora "YellOwStaR" Kim, ENC Ambassador for France Kamel "Kameto" Kebir and national players during the first official in-person appearance of the French ENC delegation. Presenting the jersey as part of the Esports World Cup festival allowed fans to celebrate the next chapter of international esports alongside the players and communities that will help shape it.
"The Esports Festival by the Esports World Cup reflects our vision of creating experiences that bring fans closer to the games, players and communities they love," said Faisal Bin Homran, Chief Product Officer at the Esports Foundation. "Transforming the Champs-Élysées into a celebration of gaming and esports demonstrated how the Esports World Cup extends beyond competition to create meaningful moments for fans around the world. The first public unveiling of an official Esports Nations Cup national kit was a milestone that reflects the tournament's growing global identity and the excitement building ahead of its inaugural edition in Saudi Arabia."
As Official Kit Partner and Global Partner of the Esports Nations Cup, adidas will create custom jerseys and tracksuits for more than 100 participating countries and territories across 16 games.Each jersey incorporates gaming-inspired graphics, custom typography referencing classic arcade high-score screens and bespoke sleeve emblems shaped after the ENC medals and carrying each nation's flag colours. More national jerseys will be unveiled ahead of the inaugural tournament.
The Paris festival marked another milestone for the Esports World Cup, which is being staged outside Saudi Arabia for the first time in 2026. Bringing the event to Paris reflects its continued international growth and ability to connect with new audiences, while building momentum toward the launch of the Esports Nations Cup in Riyadh later this year.
By bringing together creators, clubs, players, partners and fans in one of the world's most recognisable public spaces, the Esports Festival by the Esports World Cup 2026 demonstrated the expanding role of esports beyond competition. The first Esports Nations Cup jersey reveal provided a glimpse of the national pride and global participation that will define the inaugural tournament this November. More national team jerseys will be revealed in the coming weeks, setting the tone for the ENC's opening chapter in Riyadh.
About the Esports World Cup
The Esports World Cup (EWC) is an annual global sporting event celebrating competitive excellence and esports fandom. Its cross-game format brings the world's leading esports Clubs together in a single race for the Club Championship. EWC 2026 runs in Paris from July 6 to August 23, bringing more than 2,000 players and 200 Clubs from over 100 countries together across 25 tournaments in 24 games for a record US$75 million prize pool. esportsworldcup.com
About the Esports Nations Cup
The Esports Nations Cup (ENC) is a biennial global esports competition created by the Esports Foundation. Launching in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, from November 2 to 29, 2026, the inaugural edition will bring players from more than 100 countries and territories together across 16 games. The ENC complements the Club-based esports ecosystem by creating a recurring international stage where players compete for their countries and supporters rally behind their national teams. esportsnationscup.com
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