Today, I had the joy of attending GamerFest 2025 in Dublin with my two young adventurers: Luke (7) and Rose (4). To say we had a blast would be an understatement; GamerFest was a playground of pixels, joy, and wide-eyed wonder.
As a parent and lifelong gamer, it was genuinely heartening to see how well the event catered to families, especially younger players. From the moment we walked into the RDS hall, the energy was electric. Lights, sounds, laughter; and the unmistakable hum of excited button mashing. GamerFest 25 didn’t just entertain – it delivered memories we’ll be talking about for a long time.
🎮 VR Adventures – Total Immersion
The highlight for me, and both Luke and Rose was the VR zone. Watching a 4-year-old giggle while swinging wildly at virtual fruit, or a 7-year-old navigate a space maze like a junior astronaut, is one of those “this is the future” moments. The VR stations were incredibly well supervised, and staff were friendly, patient, and genuinely excited for the kids’ first steps into virtual reality. They queued by themselves while I had a bunburger and then a frantic staff member was trying to find some parent to vouch for these 2 adventurers. I gave a nod from the other side of the rail and they entered the VR arena.
🧱 Minecraft Magic
Before the VR was the Minecraft zone, just after the Lego zone. Luke and Rose were completely in their element here; building, exploring, and swapping controller tips with other mini-creators. The Minecraft booths were set up with kid-friendly servers and challenges, and I was so impressed with how engaging and inclusive the environment was. Both kids came away asking for more building time when we got home.
🏐 Gaelic Football 2025 – Tyrone vs Tyrone
We couldn’t resist trying out the new Gaelic Football 2025 game, and in a fun twist of sibling unity, both Luke and Rose chose to play as Tyrone; decked out in their iconic black kits. Their fierce little faces, tongues out in concentration, navigating the pitch like pros was a sight to behold. It was fast, it was fun, and it was one of the few moments they didn’t argue about which team to be on, even though they were playing eachother.
🥊 Ronaldo Showdown – Red vs Blue
But of course, sibling rivalry had its moment in a Street Fighter-style game called Fatal Fury – CotW where both kids hilariously played as Ronaldo (yes, that Ronaldo) in a stylised combat game. Luke wore red, Rose took blue, and what followed was a flurry of jump-kicks, power moves, and wild laughter. It’s not every day you see Ronaldo backflipping off a wall to uppercut himself in a mirror match, but hey – this is GamerFest.
👨👧👦 A Festival for Families, Not Just Fans
What really stood out was how welcoming the whole event was for families. GamerFest 25 struck a rare balance: it had cutting-edge tech and hardcore gamer content, but never felt intimidating or inaccessible for younger players. Staff were helpful, the pacing was relaxed, and there was plenty of space for snacks (3 portions of chips and 1 aforementioned bun-burger), downtime, and Trading Card and LEGO-style pop-up shops that Luke wouldn’t leave because they sold Pokemon cards, and kept running back to these stalls between gaming sessions.
🏆 Final Thoughts: A Sunday We’ll Treasure
Luke called it “the best day of the year.” Rose described it as “magic with buttons.” For me, it was the chance to share something I love with my kids, and see them fall in love with it too, and they both spent their €25 pocket money, Luke who purchased 7 pokemon cards, and Rose who fell in love with a pink care bear.
If you’re considering a future GamerFest with your family, don’t hesitate. Whether you’re a competitive player, a casual builder, or a parent chasing quality time; GamerFest is where the pixels come alive.
