Tokyo Game Show 2024

The Tokyo Game Show remains one of the top gaming shows in the world. While the first two days of the event are industry, influencers, and press only, days three and four are open to the sweaty masses.

Public days for Tokyo Game Show 2024 will be held from September 28 to September 29.

What to expect

The show is on a huge scale with booths from all the major game publishers, console makers, and mobile gaming platforms with a few indies and international booths thrown in as well.

If you want to play some of the new games, you’ll need to turn up early (the more fanatical mill around the station area all night and then queue up from 5 a.m.) and know exactly where you’re going when you get inside. The queues at the entrance ease up around noon, so if you turn up before that, bring liquid refreshments and a hat as the weather in this part of Japan is still hot in September.

Tickets for Tokyo Game Show 2024

On-the-door tickets are not sold, so you must purchase them in advance. Tickets cost ¥3,000 for each day. Young children (elementary school age and under) get in for free — lucky.

Tickets go on sale on July 13 for residents in Japan (Lawson, 7-Eleven, Family Mart, and other ticketing websites) and July 25 at midday for overseas customers on Event Regist.

If you’d like priority entry time and some free merchandise, then it may be worth getting the TGS2023 Supporters Club Ticket, but it will cost you ¥6,000 per day.

Cosplay

If you’re not into waiting in line at the booths for hours, there is plenty of other entertainment — including one of the biggest gatherings of cosplayers around.

Cosplay tickets

You will need to register at the venue (Hall 9) if you plan on cosplaying and it will cost you ¥2,000 on top of your ticket. Your ticket will get you access to the changing rooms, where you will be able to change, and the cloakrooms. You can go extremely early to the changing rooms. Entry is from the first train to 7:45 a.m. on the 28th and 7:15 a.m. on the 29th. Exit is by 8:30 a.m. on the 28th and 8 a.m. on the 29th), but you will have to wait before going into the main hall at 10:30 a.m. (28th) or 10 a.m. (29th).

Cosplay rules

You are not meant to arrive at or leave the venue in cosplay — you must change in the rooms provided. There are also some prohibitions about what you can wear — the jist of it is not to be too revealing or offensive but full details can be found on the website.

Tips

Usually, the closing day is the most popular, but people tend to rearrange their plans due to the frequent typhoons that buffet the Japanese archipelago in September. Be warned, if you don’t like (at times) intensely crowded places, you may not enjoy the public days at TGS.