Steam Sales and Fests Calendar Through the End of 2026
Contents
Valve has published the official schedule of themed sales and fests on Steam for the second half of 2026. The schedule is valuable mainly because it gives exact dates in advance — you can plan purchases and add games to your wishlist ahead of time so you don’t miss a discount.
What’s happening on Steam right now
As of mid-September 2026, Steam is running the Party-Based RPG Fest — from September 14 to September 21. It was preceded by the Programming Fest, which ended on September 14. Both events are described in the official Steamworks Development announcement.
The next big sales
The main event of the coming month is the Steam Autumn Sale 2026, which starts October 1 and runs through October 8. It’s one of the four major seasonal sales of the year, alongside the Spring Sale (March 19–26), the Summer Sale (June 25 — July 9) and the Winter Sale.
October then brings a packed lineup of themed fests:
- Cooking Fest — October 12–19;
- Steam Next Fest: October 2026 edition — October 19–26, another round of demos for upcoming games;
- Steam Scream V Fest — October 26 — November 2, the themed Halloween sale for horror and thriller games.
In November, Valve will run the Auto-Battler RPG Fest (November 16–23), and, according to the company, will separately spotlight games with Black Friday discounts through the Special Offers hub — specific dates for that activity had not yet been announced at the time of the announcement.
How a fest differs from a seasonal sale
Valve’s schedule mixes two different things, and it’s worth not confusing them. Seasonal sales (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter) cover Steam’s entire catalog and typically offer the deepest discounts on popular titles. Themed fests are narrower events built around a single genre or mechanic: for example, the Party-Based RPG Fest or Cooking Fest gather games of one direction on a single store page, often with demos and developer streams rather than just discounts. Steam Next Fest is a separate format: it’s primarily a showcase of free demos for not-yet-released games, not a sale of existing ones.
The Winter Sale — the longest of the year
The Steam Winter Sale 2026 starts December 17, 2026 and runs all the way through January 4, 2027 — almost three weeks, longer than any other seasonal sale of the year. Traditionally, it’s when discounts on the year’s biggest releases peak.
Why track the schedule ahead of time
Steam doesn’t publish dates in advance by accident: Valve explicitly tells developers and players to plan around these events. The practical advice is simple — add games to your wishlist throughout the year, and Steam will notify you when the price drops during one of the sales above. Current active discounts can always be checked on the Specials and Events page on Steam.
For players tracking sales for specific titles, the main takeaway is this: if a game interests you right now, the nearest and biggest discount window is the Autumn Sale, October 1–8, and the Halloween and Winter sales follow one right after the other all the way to the New Year.
Frequently asked questions
When does the Steam Autumn Sale 2026 start?
October 1, 2026, running through October 8 — an official seasonal sale per [Steamworks Development's announcement](https://store.steampowered.com/news/group/4145017/view/493837645658461607).
Which Steam fest is running right now, in mid-September 2026?
The Party-Based RPG Fest — from September 14 to September 21, 2026, right after the Programming Fest (September 10–14).
When is Steam's Halloween sale?
Steam Scream V Fest runs from October 26 to November 2, 2026, right after the October edition of Steam Next Fest.
When does the Steam Winter Sale start?
December 17, 2026, running through January 4, 2027 — the longest seasonal sale of the year.