Steam Sale Calendar 2026-27: Every Sale and Next Fest Date

The next big Steam sale is the Winter Sale, December 17, 2026 to January 4, 2027. After it come the Spring Sale (March 18 to 25, 2027), the Summer Sale (June 24 to July 8, 2027), and two Steam Next Fests on February 22 and June 14, 2027. Valve has announced all of these. The Autumn Sale 2027 and the October 2027 Next Fest have no dates yet.

This page separates what Valve has confirmed from what we only expect. Every confirmed date comes from Valve's own Steamworks events list or event pages. Anything marked "expected" is our guess from last year's pattern, and we say so. Dates were last checked on October 31, 2026.

Steam sale calendar 2026-27

Times are Pacific time (PST or PDT) with the UTC equivalent. Valve's events list publishes dates only for the seasonal sales, so we show the usual 10:00 AM Pacific start as an assumption, not a confirmation. Next Fest times are published by Valve and are confirmed.

Our own event pages carry the same dates and a calendar file: Steam Winter Sale 2026, Steam Next Fest February 2027, plus the finished Steam Autumn Sale 2026 and Steam Next Fest October 2026. All Steam and gaming dates sit in our events calendar.

The four seasonal sales

Valve says it runs Steam-wide seasonal sales four times a year. Any game released at least 30 days before a sale starts can join with a discount, so a game that launched two weeks before the sale usually will not be on it.

• Winter Sale (December 17, 2026 to January 4, 2027): the longest of the year at 19 days, and the one most players save for.
• Spring Sale (March 18 to 25, 2027): a one-week sale.
• Summer Sale (June 24 to July 8, 2027): two weeks.
• Autumn Sale: the 2026 edition ran October 1 to 8. The 2027 edition is listed as TBD.

If you want a shopping list before the Winter Sale opens, start with our guide to the best Steam games under $10, which lists the real Steam price and the lowest price we confirmed for each game.

Steam Next Fest: free demos, not discounts

Steam Next Fest is a week of free playable demos for upcoming games, with developer streams and chats. It is not a sale, so nothing is discounted. Its use is finding games to wishlist before they launch.

• February 2027: February 22 at 10:00 AM PST to March 1 at 10:00 AM PST.
• June 2027: June 14 at 10:00 AM PDT to June 21 at 10:00 AM PDT.
• October 2027: not announced. The October 2026 edition ran October 19 to 26.

Valve says unreleased games with a playable demo are eligible, which is why most of what you see is not out yet.

Themed Steam fests

Between the big sales, Valve runs shorter themed fests that put one genre or idea on the Steam homepage. These are the ones Valve currently lists. Valve publishes dates only, with no start times.

Valve says discounted games get priority in these fests, but free games, Coming Soon games and games with demos can also take part. A fest is a good place to find a game in a genre you like, though the discounts are narrower than in a seasonal sale.

How Steam sales work

• Discounts are set by the publisher. Valve hosts the sale. The developer or publisher chooses which games to discount and by how much, so cuts vary a lot between games.
• Start time. Steam sales have usually started at 10:00 AM Pacific time, which is 17:00 UTC in summer and 18:00 UTC in winter. Valve's events list shows dates only, so confirm the time on the Steam store the day before.
• Your wishlist is your shortlist. Add games to your Steam wishlist ahead of time so you can see in one place which ones are discounted.
• The Points Shop. Steam's Points Shop lets you spend points on profile items. We did not find Valve documentation of sale-specific sticker or card rewards for 2026-27, so we do not promise any here.
• Prices differ by region. Steam sets its own price per region, so a sale price in the US is not the same as one in your country.

Tips for getting the most out of a Steam sale

1. Build your wishlist weeks early. Steam notifies you about wishlisted games going on sale, so an early wishlist does most of the work.
2. Check the lowest price before buying. A "-50%" tag is not always a good deal. A game that is cheaper at another time of year is worth waiting for.
3. Mind the 30-day rule. New releases from the last month rarely join a seasonal sale, so do not wait for a discount on a brand-new game.
4. Use refunds as a safety net. Valve's policy lets you request a refund on a game within two weeks of purchase and with under two hours of playtime. DLC has a 14-day window and a similar playtime rule. Valve also says you can ask even outside those limits and it will take a look.
5. Try demos in Next Fest first. A free demo costs nothing and tells you whether a game is worth wishlisting.
6. Set a budget before the sale starts. Long sales like the Winter Sale are built to make buying feel easy.

FAQs

When is the next Steam sale?

The next Steam seasonal sale is the Winter Sale, which runs from December 17, 2026 to January 4, 2027, according to Valve's Steamworks events list.

When is the Steam Summer Sale 2027?

Valve lists the Summer Sale 2027 as June 24 to July 8, 2027. The start time is not published, but Steam sales have usually begun at 10:00 AM Pacific.

When is the Steam Autumn Sale 2027?

Valve lists it as TBD. The 2026 Autumn Sale ran October 1 to 8, so we expect early October 2027, but that is our guess and not a Valve date.

When is the next Steam Next Fest?

The next Steam Next Fest runs from February 22 at 10:00 AM PST to March 1 at 10:00 AM PST, 2027. The one after is June 14 to 21, 2027.

Is there a Steam Lunar New Year sale in 2027?

Valve has not listed one on its Steamworks events page. We will update this page if that changes.

Are Steam Next Fest games discounted?

No. Next Fest is a week of free demos for upcoming games. Nothing is on sale, though you can wishlist games and get notified at launch.

Can I refund a game I bought in a Steam sale?

Yes. Valve's policy covers games requested within two weeks of purchase with less than two hours played. Sale purchases follow the same rule as full-price ones.

What time do Steam sales start?

Steam sales have usually started at 10:00 AM Pacific. Valve publishes exact times for Next Fest, but its events list shows dates only for the seasonal sales.