London is having a big esports winter. Between now and the new year, the capital hosts an EA Sports FC world qualifier in November, a brand-new Rocket League championship at the Copper Box Arena in December and one of Europe’s largest games industry conferences in January. If you want to follow the players before they arrive, you can track upcoming matches on esportnow.com and plan your trip to the arena around them.
Here is what is coming, when it happens and whether you can get in.
November: FC Pro Open Global Qualifier
The first big date is 6–7 November, when EA Sports brings the FC Pro Open Global Qualifier to BBC Television Studios in White City. It is the first in-person event of the FC 27 competitive season.
Sixty-four of the world’s best EA Sports FC players will be in the room. Most of them earned their place through online regional qualifiers in October, while a handful were invited based on last season’s results.
Friday is the Swiss stage. On Saturday the 32 survivors play knockout matches, broadcast live on EA’s FC Pro Twitch and YouTube channels from 4pm GMT. Sixteen players will leave London with a place in the FC Pro Open, which starts on 30 November and is one of the main routes to the FC Pro World Championship.
For football fans who have never watched esports, this is the easiest way in. The game is familiar, the matches are short and the pressure is very real.
December: RLCS Club Championship Kick-Off at the Copper Box
The headline event of the winter is Rocket League. From 9 to 13 December, the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) returns to the Copper Box Arena in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park for the first-ever RLCS Club Championship Kick-Off. Fans can watch live in the arena from 11 to 13 December.
The Club Championship is a new competition, separate from the Majors that RLCS fans already know. Developer Psyonix will invite 20 clubs directly. Four more places go to teams that come through an open online qualifier starting in November.
After London, the 24 clubs move into regional online leagues. The best 16 then qualify for a Club Finale LAN in 2027, with a total prize pool of $2.5 million across the whole competition.
Tickets had not gone on sale at the time of writing. Organisers BLAST and Epic Games say details will follow in the coming weeks on Rocket League Esports’ social channels, so it is worth following them now.
If you have never seen Rocket League, the idea is simple: football played with rocket-powered cars. It is fast, loud and easy to follow, which is exactly why it fills arenas.
Why the Copper Box keeps winning big esports events
The Copper Box has quietly become the UK’s home of esports. Built as the handball arena for the 2012 Olympics, it seats around 7,000 people and has already hosted Apex Legends, League of Legends, Call of Duty and earlier Rocket League events.
This summer it welcomed VALORANT Masters London (6–21 June 2026), the first international VALORANT event ever held in the UK. London also staged the League of Legends World Championship final at The O2 in 2024.
Publishers keep coming back for practical reasons. London is easy to reach from Europe and North America, its time zone suits global broadcasts, and the city has a deep pool of production crews, casters and creative studios. A December event also brings visitors from around the world to Stratford and Hackney Wick in the run-up to Christmas, which is good news for local hotels, restaurants and bars.
January: PG Connects London, the business side
Not every gaming event in London is a tournament. On 18–19 January 2027, Pocket Gamer Connects London returns to The Brewery on Chiswell Street, near the Barbican.
It is the UK’s biggest business-to-business games conference. The 2026 edition drew around 3,000 attendees from 1,600 companies in 60 countries. Expect talks on mobile, PC, console and AI, indie pitch competitions and a careers zone for people trying to break into the industry.
Closer to home: free esports for young Londoners
The big arena shows grab the headlines, but some of the most interesting esports activity in London happens in local libraries.
The Esports Youth Club runs free gaming and esports sessions for 11 to 18-year-olds at West Norwood Library every Monday and Friday after school. It also holds sessions at Heathbrook Hall in Clapham, and a free 10-week esports academy for 12 to 18-year-olds at Pollards Hill Library in Mitcham, supported by Riot Games.
For parents, it is a supervised and social way for teenagers to enjoy gaming. For young people, it can be a first step towards careers in broadcasting, event production, coaching or marketing.
Esports in London: quick answers
What are the biggest esports events in London this winter? The FC Pro Open Global Qualifier (6–7 November 2026, BBC Television Studios) and the RLCS Club Championship Kick-Off (9–13 December 2026, Copper Box Arena). PG Connects London follows on 18–19 January 2027.
When can fans watch the RLCS in London? The Copper Box opens to a live audience from 11 to 13 December 2026. Ticket details are expected in the coming weeks.
How much prize money is in the RLCS Club Championship? The whole competition carries a total prize pool of $2.5 million.
Where is the UK’s main esports arena? The Copper Box Arena in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Stratford, with around 7,000 seats.
Are there free esports activities for teenagers in London? Yes. The Esports Youth Club runs free weekly sessions for 11 to 18-year-olds in South London libraries.
Dates can change, so always check the organisers’ official channels before booking travel.
