The Washington DC Metro area’s PAPA circuit event will be held at the Gaylord National Harbor at 201 Waterfront Street, National Harbor, MD 20745, from February 18th - 21st, 2016.
MAGfest is a huge music and gaming festival with an expected 20,000 attendees over 4 days. And the show is a 24/7 show that doesn’t stop. Pictures and additional information on other tournaments, e.g. arcade game tournaments, pinball side and speed tournaments, and even claw machine tournament, will be posted soon.
Hotel and event tickets are on sale now. Hotels will sell out and the Gaylord is likely already full (2000 rooms) as they were 2/3rd booked within 24 hours. Remind anyone of Pinburgh? There are other hotels within walking distance that are overflow hotels and they will all sell out as well before the show. Those hotels should also be available with the same links via MAGfest or the links above, if not today then this week.
Event tickets are limited to ~20,000 overall, so if you plan on attending, get your event tickets as soon as possible. The cost for 4-day pass is only $50 until 9/30. It continues to go up until the show starts, maxing at $70 (unconfirmed but believe that was last year’s max). But they may sell out this year, so buy ahead of time and do not count on passes being available at the door.
Attendees that volunteer or bring machines receive a free pass to the show. Details can be found (or will become available) on the web-site. If you want to bring a pinball machine(s) or volunteer, please contact Kevin Stone for information (IM alwysmooth on tiltforums, or IM on Facebook).
Tournament details thus far: NO ENTRY FEES
- Main playoffs will be held Saturday, allowing everyone to enjoy the show and travel on Sunday without worry about delays and travel times
- Qualifying will be 24/7 Friday into Saturday. We may extend to include Thursday as well, and may provide a cut-off time in the early morning hours of Saturday to prepare for playoffs and allow late qualifiers some sleep time.
- Format will likely be the common pump-and-dump format, best scores, unlimited qualifying similar to Louisville Arcade Expo.
HOWEVER - there are NO entry fees for the tournament - Therefore, this may be the best pump-and-no-dump format tournament ever.
- Prizes will be in the form of MAGdollars which are redeemable in the massive marketplace, full of vendors of every type.
DISCLAIMER on Tournament Conditions
- This tournament will be like no other you’ve experienced.
- The lighting will be off in the main arcade room and it will be dark.
- Spot lights will be everywhere providing indirect light.
- DJs will be blasting music 24/7, but not overly loud.
- Laser light shows and crazy characters will be roaming the entire show.
- Machine selections will be based on tournament quality, machine lighting and visibility due to conditions.
WHY NO PRIZE MONEY ??!!??
MAGfest is a huge show with a modest 4-day entry fee, of between $50-70. The show organizers’ intent is to provide a low cost, everything is included experience. There are no corporate sponsors. A true fandom experience for all.
In addition, we believe that by providing a chance for all pinball competitors a high-quality experience and PAPA circuit event without spending hundreds of dollars qualifying, gives back to the majority of tournament attendees that normally spend a lot of money without expecting any return. Well, this is your return. A great show and tournaments of all kinds without blowing your budget.
Remember to Enjoy the overall show. On Friday and Saturday, expect to see thousands of Cosplay throughout the show. Console gaming, computer gaming, arcade games, and pinball machines. Bands will be playing in the concert hall non-stop, jam sessions and DJ battles will be lining the halls. Panels for gaming, comics, etc. Table tossing, drone tournaments, Star Trek live bridge simulations (a must see), and more. Anyone that has attended MAGfest will tell you it is the craziest show out there.
More details to follow…but book your tickets and get your entry pass as soon as you can if you want to participate in the MAGfest PAPA circuit event. Or just to enjoy a great fun filled weekend!