AireCon has announced that its 2027 event will be the last, bringing more than a decade of tabletop gaming conventions to an end
AireCon is set to come to an end next year, with organisers announcing that Airemageddon: The Final AireCon will be the final edition of the popular UK tabletop gaming convention.
The event began in 2015, when Mark Cooke and a group of friends organised what was intended to be a small gaming gathering. That first event, known as AireCon 0, would eventually grow into one of the fixtures of the UK tabletop gaming calendar.
In announcing the decision, the AireCon team said: “After more than a decade of dice, cards, games and friendships, we have some big news to share: the next AireCon will be the last AireCon.”
The 2027 event will be the 12th public AireCon, following the original AireCon 0 as well as ACNW, ACWest and AireCan’t, the online-only event held during the Covid years.
According to the organisers, the convention’s history has been defined as much by its community as the games themselves.
“There have been countless games played, new friendships made, old friendships strengthened, tournaments won and lost, late nights, early mornings, questionable snacks, and an enormous amount of fun along the way,” the team said. “Most importantly, AireCon has always been about the people. Everyone who has attended, volunteered, exhibited, demoed games, run events, helped behind the scenes, or simply turned up with friends has been part of what made AireCon what it is.”
AireCon moved to Harrogate Convention Centre in 2017, establishing what organisers describe as a strong relationship with the venue. The convention also became an important event for the wider Harrogate area, bringing thousands of visitors to the town and benefiting local hotels, restaurants, pubs and shops.
“There was also a shared understanding of what AireCon brought to Harrogate and the wider region,” the organisers explained. “It wasn’t simply an event taking place in a building – it brought thousands of visitors to the town, filling hotels, restaurants, pubs and shops, with many returning year after year.”
However, the team says that a combination of factors has made it increasingly difficult to continue running the event while maintaining the qualities that have made AireCon distinctive.
“Over time, however, a combination of factors has made it increasingly challenging to run AireCon in a way that preserves the character and spirit that made it so special in the first place,” the statement reads.
“With that in mind, we’ve made the very difficult decision to end AireCon on a high, with 2027 being the last event.”
The decision also brings an end to the wider AireCon events. ACNW has no further events scheduled, while ACWest will hold its final event in October 2026.
Despite the decision to bring AireCon to a close, organisers aren’t planning a quiet farewell. Instead, they are promising to make the 2027 convention the biggest and most ambitious edition yet, giving the final show the suitably apocalyptic name Airemageddon.
“But we’re not going quietly…” the team says. “Far from it.
“We’re already hatching plans to make the final AireCon the biggest and best AireCon ever and we’re going to make sure we go out with a bang.”
The organisers say attendees can expect “games, events, guests, surprises, ridiculousness” and potentially some ideas that are still being worked out behind the scenes. “After all, we’ve got one last chance to throw everything at it,” they say.
Tickets for Airemageddon will go on sale on 11 September at 5pm, with press applications opening at the same time. The AireCon team is also encouraging the tabletop gaming community to help spread the word and make the final event as large and memorable as possible.
“Let’s make it the biggest, busiest, most ridiculous and most memorable one yet, and give AireCon the send-off it deserves,” the organisers ask.
“Thank you for being part of the journey since 2015,” the organisers conclude. “See you at AIREMAGEDDON.”
