- The Festival 2026 Schedule
- How To Qualify For The Festival
- First-Time The Festival Guide
- What Makes The Festival Different?
- The Festival vs EPT vs WPT Prime vs MPF
- History of The Festival
- The Festival Main Event Champions
- The Festival FAQs
The Festival Series is not your traditional live poker destination. It combines multiple poker variants with a highly entertaining atmosphere, giving players a good reason to stay for the entire week and enjoy the show.
Alongside No-Limit Hold'em and Omaha, you'll find mixed games, Sviten Special, Open Face Chinese, blackjack and roulette tournaments, sports betting challenges, and plenty of other entertainment activities.
In short, it feels more like a poker holiday than a traditional poker stop. This unique formula, created by Martin 'Franke' von Zweigbergk, has helped The Festival become one of Europe's fastest-growing live poker brands.
The Festival 2026 Schedule
The 2026 season is the biggest in The Festival's history, featuring seven stops across Europe.
| Dates | Festival | Location | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 23 – Mar 1 | The Festival Series | Bratislava, Slovakia | Banco Casino |
| May 28 – 31 | The Festival Weekend | Vilnius, Lithuania | Olympic Casino |
| Jun 9 – 15 | The Festival Series | Rozvadov, Czech Republic | King's Resort |
| Jul 1 – 5 | The Festival Weekend | Tallinn, Estonia | Olympic Park Casino |
| Sep 10 – 13 | The Festival Weekend | Riga, Latvia | Olympic Voodoo Casino |
| Sep 14 – 20 | The Festival Series | Malta | Portomaso Casino |
| Nov 20 – 29 | The Festival Series | Tallinn, Estonia | Olympic Park Casino |
The Festival Bratislava 2026
Bratislava is where The Festival story began, making it a fitting place to kick off the 2026 season. Banco Casino has become one of Central Europe's most respected poker venues and remains a favorite among travelling players.
The Festival Bratislava 2026 Results Snapshot
| Event | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | Top Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| €550 Main Event | 505 | €239,875 | Petros Theodosiou | €39,490 |
| €550 Mixed Games Main Event (TORSES) | 79 | €37,525 | NorwayThor Morstol | €10,365 |
| €250 The Hendon Mob Championship | 330 | €70,537 | Andreas Paliogiannis | €13,567 |
| €250 Mystery Bounty | 226 | €25,708 | Wiktor Marcinkowski | €5,529 |
| €250 Sviten Special | 123 | €26,291 | Alan Engel | €6,501 |
The Festival Rozvadov 2026
If there is a flagship stop on the Festival calendar, Rozvadov is a strong candidate.
King's Resort is arguably the busiest poker hotspot in Europe, hosting major poker tours such as WSOP Europe, the EPT, and other year-round poker festivals. The Festival's return to Rozvadov brings one of the most diverse schedules in live poker, including a €500,000 GTD Main Event.
The Festival Rozvadov Highlights
- €550 Main Event €500K GTD
- €550 Mixed Games Main Event
- The Hendon Mob Championship
- Mystery Bounty tournament
- Sviten Special
- Open Face Chinese tournaments
- 24/7 cash games
The Festival Malta 2026
Let's be honest: nobody books a poker trip to Malta because they enjoy staring at casino walls for seven straight days.
That's why The Festival Malta works.
You can spend the afternoon by the sea, jump into a mixed-game tournament in the evening, fire a satellite at midnight, and somehow end up discussing a questionable river call with complete strangers at 2 a.m. By the end of the week, you'll either have a trophy, a bad beat story, or both. On "the Rock," the days and nights are most often beautiful.
That's The Festival Malta experience in a nutshell.
The Festival Tallinn 2026
The Festival is heading back to Tallinn twice in 2026, Tallinn has always felt like a natural home for The Festival. The city played an important role in the series' early growth, and the local poker community has supported it from the very beginning.
With two stops on the 2026 calendar, including a major November festival, Tallinn is once again set to become one of the busiest and most anticipated destinations of the Festival season. Expect lots of Nordic and Baltic players.
How To Qualify For The Festival
The Festival is one of the more bankroll-friendly poker tours in Europe, with plenty of chances to win your way in through online satellites and travel package promotions.
Online Satellites
Poker Sites Offering The Festival Satellites
- WPT Global (PokerWired’s top choice)
- Unibet
- KKPoker
- Betsson
- Betsafe
- NordicBet
- Guts
- Coolbet
- ChampionPoker
The Festival packages usually include:
- Main Event ticket
- Hotel accommodation
- Hospitality experiences
- Festival merchandise
- Funny money
Direct Buy-In
- Players can also register directly at the venue.
First-Time The Festival Guide
What Makes The Festival Different?
You'll find multiple poker variants, casino tournaments, sports betting competitions, player parties, community events, and plenty of opportunities to meet people away from the tables.
What To Expect At A Festival Stop
- Poker from morning until late night
- Mixed games
- Cash games
- Social events
- International player fields
- Recreational-friendly atmosphere
How Registration Works
- Online registration available
- On-site registration available
- Bring valid ID
- Arrive early for popular events
What To Bring
- Passport or ID
- Tournament bankroll
- Comfortable clothing
- Chargers and power banks
- Patience for long poker days
What Makes The Festival Different?
| Feature | Why Players Like It |
|---|---|
| Mixed Games | Rarely found on major tours |
| Sviten Special | Signature Festival experience |
| Community Feel | Friendly atmosphere |
| Casino Competitions | More than just poker |
| Sports Betting Challenges | Unique side action |
| Multiple Destinations | Poker holiday experience |
The Festival vs EPT vs WPT Prime vs MPF
| Feature | The Festival | EPT | WPT Prime | MPF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Recreational Friendly | Excellent | Good | Very Good | Excellent |
| Mixed Games | Extensive | Limited | Limited | Moderate |
| Casino Tournaments | Yes | No | No | No |
| Sports Betting Events | Yes | No | No | No |
| Prestige | Growing | Elite | High | High |
| Community Focus | Very High | Medium | Medium | High |
History of The Festival
Founded by a team fronted by Swede Martin “Franke” von Zweigbergk, The Festival set about to run fun poker events with a difference, including casino game based tournaments as well as off-the felt activities such as shuffleboard, Padel tennis and even drinking games. The first outing for The Festival was in Bratislava in 2021, when 621 players turned out for the €550 main event. That was the sole event held in 2021, but in 2022 the tour added Tallinn to its roster and also returned to Bratislava for the second time. In 2023 the tour expanded even further, adding a stop in Malta and one in Nottingham, but dropping the Tallinn leg.
Fast forward to 2026, and The Festival has become a popular European tour, with stops in Bratislava, Vilnius, Rozvadov, Riga, Malta, and Tallinn. Not bad for an idea that started with one event and a vision to make the live poker experience more entertaining.
The Festival Main Event Champions
As mentioned, Franke has a knack of winning tournaments, especially the non-poker ones. At one edition of The Festival he scooped multiple titles, none of them for poker. However Franke can be a formidable opponent at the poker table as well and has many tournament cashes to his name.
He’s a competitive gambling all-rounder. If he comes up to you at the bar and tells you that the jack of clubs in his hand is going to jump up and give you an earful of cider, don’t bet against it!
| Event | Entries | Prize Pool | Winner | First Prize |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Festival Bratislava 2026 Main Event | 505 | €239,875 | Petros Theodosiou | €39,490 |
| The Festival Malta 2025 Main Event | 666 | €316,550 | Nuno Morais | €61,001 |
| The Festival Bratislava 2025 Main Event | 887 | €475,000 | Sebastian Kotowicz | €78,100 |
| The Festival Malta 2024 Main Event | 566 | €268,850 | Victor Den-Houting | €55,000 |
| The Festival Bratislava 2023 Main Event | 1,025 | €500,000 | Gabriel Rymar | €80,000 |
| The Festival Malta 2023 Main Event | 617 | €296,160 | Oystein Brenden | €60,700 |
| The Festival Nottingham 2023 Main Event | 609 | £232,292 | Ignacio Menendez | £37,595 |
| The Festival Bratislava 2022 Main Event | 1,271 | €603,725 | Michel Molenaar | €126,650 |
| The Festival Tallinn 2022 Main Event | 552 | €264,960 | Eirek Kristiansen | €56,100 |
| The Festival Bratislava 2021 Main Event | 621 | €356,572 | Martin Mauthner | €56,870 |
The Festival FAQs
What is The Festival?
The Festival is a low/mid-stake live poker tour that combines traditional poker tournaments with mixed games, casino competitions, sports betting challenges, and social activities. Think of it as part poker festival, part poker holiday, and part excuse to spend a week around people who love the game as much as you do.
How much is the buy-in of Main Event of The Festival?
The NLH Main Event of The Festival is usually €550. The Festival schedule may include multiple main events, like Mixed Games Main Event and Omaha Main Event.
Where can I find online satellites to The Festival?
Many players win their way into The Festival through online satellites and package promotions. Depending on the stop, qualification routes may be available through partners such as WPT Global, ChampionPoker, Unibet, Betsson, Betsafe, Coolbet, NordicBet, and other online poker operators.
What games are available besides No-Limit Hold'em?
The Festival schedules regularly feature Omaha, mixed games, Sviten Special, Open Face Chinese, Mystery Bounties, blackjack tournaments, roulette competitions, and various other side events.