The 2025 live poker season is coming to an end, but there is no reason for players to be sad. Some live poker event organizers have already revealed their first stops, and it’s safe to say that 2026 is shaping up to be a great year. Live poker is hotter than ever before, and the trend is most certainly not going in the wrong direction.
The Festival is one of the most diversified live poker circuits, not only in terms of various games, but it’s also much more than a regular live poker event. Sportsbook tournaments, hospitality packages, Flip & Go’s…The Festival offers it all, and all players participating in any of their events are destined to have the time of their lives.
The Festival recently released the schedule for its first stop of 2026, and when scrolling through it, it quickly becomes clear that the series is aiming to raise the bar for live poker events even higher next year. The 2026 Festival Bratislava will be an event for the ages, and the Slovakian capital will bring unparalleled action in February with players already able to qualify online through our partners at WPT Global or on the iPoker network, including Champion Poker, Betsafe, Betsson, and Guts Poker.
Tournament Schedule Filled to the Brim
“Let’s see how many tournaments we can squeeze in during one week,” The Festival founder, Martin “Franke” von Zweigbergk, must’ve been thinking. It’s clear that he and his team spent a lot of time creating the tournament schedule for their first event of 2026, and somehow, they’ve managed to put 50 (!) events on the menu.
The 2026 Festival Bratislava will be played February 23-March 1 at Banco Casino, Bratislava. This won’t be the first time the Mixed Games-heavy live poker circuit visits Bratislava; not only was The Festival born at Banco Casino back in 2021, but their final 2025 event was also held at the poker-exclusive casino. It was a legendary event to say the least; the first-ever Chicago European Championship was played, and Sebastian Kotowicz won the €550 Main Event – for the second consecutive time in Bratislava.
- Read more: Franke Channels Inner Sinatra to Create European Chicago Championship (+How to Play Chicago)
That’s enough about this year; let’s talk about the upcoming stop. As previously mentioned, the schedule features a staggering 50 events, with the €550 Main Event being the star of the show. It’s an educated guess that Kotowicz will return to Bratislava and go for the three-peat, but the competition won’t be easy. Considering how popular The Festival brand is, the number of entries in the Main Event is expected to be big, and with six starting-day flights, it’ll be one of the most prestigious affairs.
As previously stated, The Festival is known for having a swarm of Mixed Games tournaments. While the aforementioned Main Event may still be played as Texas NLH, the “Little Brother,” the €550 Mixed Games Main Event T.O.R.S.E.S., should be on many Mixed Games enthusiasts’ eyes. T.O.R.S.E.S. is based on the more classic Mixed Games principle H.O.R.S.E.; the difference is that Hold’em is exchanged for Deuce-to-Seven Triple Draw, and Sviten Special is added at the end. It’s quite the exciting format, and all poker players who fancy action should give T.O.R.S.E.S. a well-deserved chance.
Another event that has become a staple on the schedules for all The Festival’s stops is the €250 Hendon Mob Championship (THMC). The relationship between The Festival and The Hendon Mob is very solid, and THMC events always attract many players, perhaps because those who cash in the events get a unique flag on their profile on The Hendon Mob.
The 2026 Festival Bratislava schedule simply features so many golden nuggets of poker tournaments that it’s impossible to highlight them all without this article turning into a shorter book. That being said, one tournament that deserves a dedicated shout is the €250 Sviten. There simply is no other form of poker that can offer the action, fun, and excitement that Sviten Special does. Franke is a big advocate for this game, and he’s done a great job spreading the knowledge about it outside of Sweden (where the game was invented). When the tournament was held during the most recent Bratislava stop, it registered 131 entries, making it one of the biggest Sviten Special tournaments of all time. If you want to have a one-of-a-kind poker experience in a friendly and chatty environment, it’s well worth giving the Sviten Special tournament a go.
Deuce-to-Seven Double Draw, Open-Face Chinese, High Roller action, Cash Game Challenges, Sportsbook tournaments, hospitality experiences including welcome drinks, games, and adventures… The 2026 Festival Bratislava has the whole package, and all visitors are destined to have, as stated before, the time of their lives.
The 2026 Festival Bratislava – Full Tournament Schedule
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| February 23 | 12:30 | Event #1: €550 Mixed Games Main Event T.O.R.S.E.S. Day 1a |
| 13:00 | Event #2: €250 The Hendon Mob Championship Day 1a | |
| 14:00 | Event #3: €250 NLH Heads-Up Tournament | |
| 18:00 | Event #4: €60 Super Satellite to €550 Main Event (10 Tickets Guaranteed) | |
| 19:00 | Event #5: €250 NLH Seniors Event (50+) | |
| 20:00 | Event #6: €2/€2 NLH Cash Game Challenge | |
| 20:00 | Event #7: €125 PL Razz PKO | |
| 21:00 | Event #8: €125 NLH Knockout Madness | |
| 22:30 | Event #9: €2/€2 PLO Cash Game Challenge | |
| February 24 | 12:00 | Event #10: €550 Main Event Day 1a |
| 12:30 | Event #1: €550 Mixed Games Main Event T.O.R.S.E.S. Day 1b | |
| 13:00 | Event #2: €250 The Hendon Mob Championship Day 1b | |
| 19:00 | Event #11: €125 Half n’ Half NLH/PLO Bomb Pot Feature | |
| 19:30 | Event #12: €60 Super Satellite to €550 Main Event (10 Tickets Guaranteed) | |
| 20:00 | Event #13: €2/€2 NLH Cash Game Challenge | |
| 20:00 | Event #14: €125 H.O.R.S.E. | |
| 22:00 | Event #15: €125 NLH Win the Button Madness | |
| 22:30 | Event #16: €2/€2 PLO Cash Game Challenge | |
| February 25 | 12:00 | Event #10: €550 Main Event Day 1b |
| 12:30 | Event #1: €550 Mixed Games Main Event T.O.R.S.E.S. Day 2 (Final Day) | |
| 13:00 | Event #2: €250 The Hendon Mob Championship Day 1c | |
| 14:00 | Event #17: €150 Turbo Satellite to €1,100 PLO High Roller (Two Tickets Guaranteed) | |
| 14:30 | Event #18: €250 Open-Face Chinese Pineapple | |
| 17:00 | Event #19: €1,100 PLO High Roller | |
| 19:00 | Event #20: €60 Super Satellite to €550 Main Event (10 Tickets Guaranteed) | |
| 19:00 | Event #2: €250 The Hendon Mob Championship Day 1d (Turbo) | |
| 20:00 | Event #21: €2/€2 NLH Cash Game Challenge | |
| 20:00 | Event #22: €125 Bomb Pot Madness NLH/PLO | |
| 22:00 | Event #23: €125 NLH PKO Madness | |
| 22:30 | Event #24: €2/€2 PLO Cash Game Challenge | |
| February 26 | 12:00 | Event #10: €550 Main Event Day 1c |
| 12:30 | Event #2: €250 The Hendon Mob Championship Day 2 (Final Day) | |
| 13:00 | Event #25: €250 Sviten Special | |
| 14:00 | Event #26: €150 Turbo Satellite to €1,100 NLH High Roller (Two Seats Guaranteed) | |
| 17:00 | Event #27: €1,100 NLH High Roller | |
| 18:30 | Event #28: €60 Super Satellite to €550 Main Event (10 Tickets Guaranteed) | |
| 19:00 | Event #29: €115 Baby T.O.R.S.E.S. (Supreme) | |
| 19:00 | Event #30: €250 Bratislava Deepstack Day 1 | |
| 20:00 | Event #31: €5/€5 NLH Cash Game Challenge | |
| 22:00 | Event #32: €125 NL Crazy Pineapple Turbo Madness | |
| 22:30 | Event #33: €5/€5 PLO Cash Game Challenge | |
| February 27 | 12:00 | Event #10: €550 Main Event Day 1d |
| 12:30 | Event #34: €250 8-Game Mix | |
| 16:00 | Event #35: €60 The Festival Queens | |
| 17:00 | Event #36: €250 PLO4/5/6 | |
| 19:00 | Event #37: €125 NLH | |
| 20:00 | Event #38: €5/€5 NLH Cash Game Challenge | |
| 20:00 | Event #10: €550 Main Event Day 1e (Turbo) | |
| 21:00 | Event #30: €250 Bratislava Deepstack Day 2 (Final Day) | |
| 21:00 | Event #39: €125 PL Deuce-to-Seven Double Draw | |
| 22:30 | Event #40: €5/€5 PLO Cash Game Challenge | |
| 23:00 | Event #41: €125 NLH Turbo Madness | |
| February 28 | 10:30 | Event #42: Flop Finals – Cash Game Challenge & Franke’s Flip Flops |
| 11:00 | Event #10: €550 Main Event Day 1f (Hyper Turbo) | |
| 12:00 | Event #43: €250 NLH Mystery Bounty | |
| 13:00 | Event #44: €125 Sportsbook Tournament | |
| 14:30 | Event #45: €250 Big O | |
| 15:00 | Event #10: €550 Main Event Day 2 | |
| 18:30 | Event #46: €1,100 The Festival 10-Game Mix Day 1 | |
| 20:00 | Event #47: €125 NLH Turbo Madness | |
| 22:00 | Event #48: €125 PLO5 Turbo PKO Madness | |
| March 1 | 11:30 | Event #49: €60 Texas Lowroller |
| 12:00 | Event #46: €1,100 The Festival 10-Game Mix Day 2 (Final Day) | |
| 13:00 | Event #10: €550 Main Event Day 3 (Final Day) | |
| 14:00 | Event #50: €1,100 Open-Face Chinese Pineapple High Roller |
Qualify Online For a Cheap Buck
Franke and his team want The Festival to be a live poker series accessible to everyone. That’s why they’ve gone to great lengths to generate the best opportunities for players to qualify for the various events online. Those who want to travel to Bratislava and partake in the sublime event can secure their Slovakian stay through online qualifiers/satellites for just a few euros.
On the iPoker network, including Champion Poker, Betsafe, Betsson, and Guts Poker, players can compete for €1,600 packages every Wednesday at 19:30 (CET). The packages that can be won in the €50 qualifiers feature a six-night stay in Bratislava (single/twin/double), one €550 Main Event ticket (eligible for either the Main Event or the Mixed Games Main Event T.O.R.S.E.S.), a hospitality package, and a The Festival cap.
€1,000 Welcome Bonus
Sign-up for the best Guts Poker deal!
On Thursdays, players can fire up the Unibet online poker client. The €250 qualifier that kicks off at 20:05 has one €1,500 package guaranteed (similar to the iPoker package). At 20:15, there is a €50 qualifier with one €550 Main Event ticket guaranteed.
Every Tuesday at 20:05, WPT Global are running $33 qualifiers with two €550 Main Event tickets guaranteed. On the last Tuesday of every month, though, WPT Global is amping it up; the monthly finale qualifiers are holding a $66 buy-in, with two €1,600 packages guaranteed.
Last but not least, it’s worth mentioning that players can compete for €1,600 Coolbet Passports on Sundays. Coolbet Passports is something that Coolbet has been offering for years, and it’s not exclusive to The Festival; they can also be used for Coolbet’s own live poker festivals. The Coolbet Passport qualifiers have a buy-in of €150.
It’s safe to say that The 2026 Festival Bratislava will set a certain standard of live poker events for next year. Franke’s love and passion for poker can’t be mistaken for anything else, and no matter if one prefers the classic Texas NLH or more Mixed Games, one is destined to find exactly what they’re looking for in Bratislava. The qualifiers are undoubtedly the best way to secure the poker adventure of a lifetime, and in just two months time, the Slovakian capital will be the place to be for all live poker enthusiasts.
