EVO France moves to Paris in 2027

EVO France, a top-tier fighting game tournament, will relocate from Nice to Paris in 2027, as reported by RTS. The decision is part of an effort to elevate EVO France to one of the world’s largest esports and community events, leveraging Paris’s advantages in hosting capacity, global reach, and a well-developed esports ecosystem.

2027 event dates and venue

The 2027 edition of EVO France will take place from October 22 to 24. However, the specific venue for the event has not yet been officially announced. This move comes as the Ultimate Fighting Arena (UFA), a grassroots fighting game tournament, celebrates its 10th anniversary from September 17 to 19, 2027, in a new edition. The timing of these two events has led to speculation about potential competition between them.

Political changes in Nice

The relocation follows political changes in Nice, where the previous mayor, Christian Estrosi, had promoted esports as a driver of economic growth and a way to position the city as a year-round event destination. The new mayor, Éric Ciotti, has not expressed interest in continuing to support the event in Nice, and there is no mention of EVO France’s future in the city.

RTS’s role and Paris’s success

EVO France is now fully managed by the Saudi Arabian company RTS, which has shown a preference for Paris. This is evident from the recent relocation of the Esports World Cup (EWC) to Paris, which saw a doubling of ticket sales compared to previous years, with around 175,000 tickets sold and 850 million online viewers.

Global expansion plans

The move to Paris is part of a larger strategy to grow the EVO brand globally. In 2027, the event will also be held in new locations such as Singapore, Morocco, and Brazil. Additional international stops are planned for the following years, including Saudi Arabia and China.