Sidemen announced as special guests for DreamHack Birmingham 2026 alongside three EWC qualifiers
DreamHack Birmingham was announced back in September last year and will take place between March 27 and 29. The event promises to be one of the biggest on the 2026 UK esports calendar, and for anyone interested in attending, DreamHack has announced a few more incentives. Three members from the popular UK-based YouTube group Sidemen will be in attendance, and new qualifier tournaments part of the ‘Road to EWC’ will help pull in fighting and racing game enthusiasts.
A previous survey commissioned by DreamHack revealed that 90% of UK teens would pick gaming over music as their first festival experience. Part of that comes down to the price, but also the more ‘authentic’ feel of something like DreamHack, which, in the words of ESL FACEIT’s Shahin Zarrabi, involves “no mud-fields” and “no chasing influencers”. Sure, the Sidemen are influencers, but they’re just a part of the wider event, and every single member of the group had their roots in gaming.
Three Sidemen members and three Road to EWC tournaments
Sign-ups for a meet and greet with three members of the Sidemen (Josh, Simon, and Tobi) will go live on February 24 at 5 PM GMT. Attendees must have a valid DreamHack ticket. The trio of YouTubers will be hosting a ‘Chat v Champs’ live show that allows any attendee to take part in interactive challenges. The attending Sidemen will also be involved in DreamHack’s Creator Hub for another chance for fans to team up or play against them in a range of popular games.
– Live stage challenges where attendees can compete directly against the creators in interactive ‘Chat vs Champs’ showdowns
– Creator Hub gameplay sessions, giving fans the rare opportunity to team up or go head-to-head with the Sidemen
– Dedicated meet & greets, with exclusive signing opportunities and photo opportunitiesSource: DreamHack PR / Swipe Right
In addition to this announcement, DreamHack has also unveiled three tournaments as part of the Road to EWC. These are qualifying tournaments in the lead-up to this year’s Esports World Cup in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Fatal Fury: City of the Wolves, Street Fighter 6, and Trackmania have been announced for the event. You can find the respective sign-up links below:
Whereas both CotW and SF6 were featured at last year’s Esports World Cup, Trackmania is a brand-new addition. The game can be regarded as a smaller esports title in the grand scheme of things, so the backing has been much-appreciated by competitors. The announcement of its inclusion in EWC 2026 has boosted organisations’ interest in TM esports – as for UK representation, two major pickups include Epos for Team Liquid and Pac for Team Vitality.
