If you’re hunting the next Steam sale, timing is everything. Steam runs discounts year-round through themed Fests and the big seasonal sales, so it helps to have the full calendar in one spot. This guide stays useful all year: just scan the list and focus on the first event that has not started yet, or jump straight to the seasonal sales if you only care about the biggest sitewide price drops.
How Steam Sales Work
Valve runs discounts throughout the year through themed Fests, seasonal sales, and Next Fest demo events. The seasonal sales are the biggest events because they cover the full store, while Fests usually focus on a specific genre or type of game.
Steam Next Fest is a little different. It is mostly built around free demos for upcoming games, developer livestreams, and wishlist discovery. Some games may still go on sale around those windows, but Next Fest is not the same as the Summer Sale or Winter Sale.
Sales usually start and end at 10:00 AM PT / 1:00 PM ET, so do not wait until the last minute if something is already sitting in your cart.
Upcoming 2026 Steam Sale Schedule
Steam Event Countdown
Loading Steam event…
Checking the upcoming Steam schedule.
The next major seasonal event is the Steam Autumn Sale, scheduled for October 1 to October 8, 2026.
These are the confirmed Steam Fests, Next Fest events, and seasonal sales still left in 2026.
| Steam Event | Dates |
|---|---|
| Steam Deckbuilders Fest | May 4 to May 11, 2026 |
| Steam Ocean Fest | May 18 to May 25, 2026 |
| Steam Bullet Fest | June 8 to June 15, 2026 |
| Steam Next Fest | June 15 to June 22, 2026 |
| Steam Summer Sale | June 25 to July 9, 2026 |
| Steam Social Deduction Fest | July 13 to July 16, 2026 |
| Steam Train Fest | July 20 to July 27, 2026 |
| Steam Cyberpunk Fest | August 3 to August 10, 2026 |
| Steam Pins & Pegs Fest | August 17 to August 20, 2026 |
| Steam PvE Survival Crafting Fest | August 31 to September 7, 2026 |
| Steam Programming Fest | September 10 to September 14, 2026 |
| Steam Party-Based RPG Fest | September 14 to September 21, 2026 |
| Autumn Sale | October 1 to October 8, 2026 |
| Steam Cooking Fest | October 12 to October 19, 2026 |
| Steam Next Fest | October 19 to October 26, 2026 |
| Steam Scream V | October 26 to November 2, 2026 |
| Steam Auto-Battler RPG Fest | November 16 to November 23, 2026 |
| Winter Sale | December 17, 2026 to January 4, 2027 |
Key 2026 Seasonal Steam Sales
Valve’s biggest seasonal sales left in 2026 are:
- Steam Summer Sale: June 25 to July 9, 2026
- Steam Autumn Sale: October 1 to October 8, 2026
- Steam Winter Sale: December 17, 2026 to January 4, 2027
These are the main sales to watch if you are waiting for broad discounts across major releases, indie games, bundles, DLC, and wishlist games.
Steam Next Fest Dates in 2026
Steam has two more Next Fest events scheduled for 2026:
- Steam Next Fest: June 15 to June 22, 2026
- Steam Next Fest: October 19 to October 26, 2026
Next Fest is best for trying demos and finding upcoming games before release. It is not always the best discount window, but it is great if you want to find your next wishlist problem. The backlog was already cooked anyway.
What Games Will You Buy?
Need something new to play before the next sale hits, or want help deciding what is actually worth grabbing when discounts go live? We’ll keep tracking the biggest upcoming releases, Steam sale dates, and standout deals so you can spend less time digging through storefront chaos and more time playing something good.
