Welcome to Your First Warhammer Open!
A quick guide to help you feel right at home on event weekend.
Whether you’re joining us to play, paint, shop, or soak in the atmosphere, here’s everything you need to know before attending.
What to Expect
The Warhammer Open is a three-day celebration of Warhammer, complete with epic battles, beautiful armies, rewarding hobby experiences, and a buzzing community. Warhammer Opens are centered on ticketed activities you can spend the bulk of your weekend immersed in. Grand Tournaments, Narrative events, the Hobby Challenge, and/or Paint Workshops are the best ways to enjoy your experience at an Open. For veteran Warhammer fans, Opens are smaller and more focused in nature than Games Days or Warhammer Fests, more oriented around ticketed gaming and hobby activities than large crowds and a full-on convention-style experience. The average Open hosts around 1,000 attendees, with most of them participating in hobby workshops and multi-day tournaments or narratives.
Every Open kicks off on a Thursday night with a social atmosphere and refreshments, where you can check in early, pick up your swag box and event materials, play fun and free mini-activities like speed painting a Space Marine or joining a Space Marine 2 team tournament, get to know the Warhammer events team, play pick-up games of any of the Warhammer systems hosted that weekend, make new friends, and chat with judges about any last minute rules questions.
While there are few activities outside ticketed events, all are welcome to visit, check things out, and shop at our traveling event store with official Games Workshop products, merch, and event exclusive items. At a Warhammer Open, you’ll find the following ticketed events:
- Official Events for Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar, Kill Team, and more.
- Every Warhammer Open features Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar, and Kill Team three-day Grand Tournaments catered to veteran and new players alike, with player tracks and rewards centered around painting, generalship, and the equal combination of the two.
- Most Opens include Warhammer Underworlds 2-day Grand Clashes and Warhammer 40,000 2-day Narrative campaigns.
- Additional Warhammer game systems (e.g., Blood Bowl, the Horus Heresy, Old World, etc.) feature at select Warhammer Opens with single and multi-day ticketed events ranging from tournament to narrative.
- The Hobby Challenge presents attendees with the opportunity to devise, build, and paint their own unique Warhammer scene.
- Each Open’s Hobby Challenge has a different theme, and your ticket includes a Warhammer miniature suited to the theme.
- Participants also gain access to the curated range of Warhammer hobby products and paints, and a massive pile of Warhammer sprues and bits, from which to assemble and paint a small diorama for display on the Sunday of each Warhammer Open.
- Warhammer Hobby experts are on hand to assist with everything from ideation to priming and painting. The best and most inspiring pieces have the chance at winning prizes, whilst everyone shares in the opportunity to build friendship and camaraderie as they work on their submissions throughout the Open experience.
- Painting Workshops. Most Warhammer Opens include immersive Hobby Workshops taught by a variety of world class artists.
- These can include Warhammer hobbyists from within the ranks of Games Workshop staff, and often include Golden Demon-winning independent artists sharing their own unique styles and how to achieve them using Warhammer hobby products and paints.
- At most Opens, you could participate in several workshops, filling your entire weekend with a mini-academy experience.
In addition to all the formal happenings of a Warhammer Open, they ultimately represent ideal experiences to spend a weekend meeting old friends, making new ones, and enjoying the Warhammer hobby experience in an ideal, professionally-run setting. The atmosphere and good vibes begin before dice start rolling and continue long after. Whether competing in a tournament, learning to master the paintbrush, or socializing with Warhammer staff and fellow hobbyists, you’re bound to have a great time!
How to Purchase a Tournament Ticket
- Visit our Ticketing Page here.
- Enter your attendee information and click Next.
- Browse available tournaments, events, and classes. Select your game system, hobby event, or class. (Add on any options items such as Premium Swag Boxes or event specific T-shirts)
- Review your Order Summary. (If anything is missing click the Previous button and make sure to add it on!) Enter your payment information and click Purchase.
- You’ll receive a confirmation email, keep this handy!
Tips:
Adding a Guest: If you would purchase a ticket for a Guest, Click “Add a Guest” under your Attendee Information and fill in your guests information, make sure to select which tournament/activity you are purchasing for your guest.
Managing your own registration: You are able to manage your registration directly from your email if you would like to add-on items/classes, switch to a different tournament, or are unable to attend. You can login to the website with the confirmation code you received in your email or by clicking on "manage my registration".
Player Packs & Event Documents
Player Packs include important details like rules, schedules, scoring, and painting standards.
You can find all current Player Packs here:
Player Packs are updated as needed, so check back closer to the event for the most current version.
Spectators Attend for Free
Not playing? No problem, there’s no cost or ticket required to enjoy the Warhammer Open as a spectator.
Explore the event hall, watch top-tier games, chat with fellow hobbyists, shop, or get inspired in the hobby areas. We simply ask not to disrupt ongoing games, classes and activities.
Not Playing in a Tournament? Here’s What You Can Do
There’s plenty to experience even without playing in a tournament:
- Join the Hobby Challenge for building and painting
- Check out the painting classes
- Browse the retail area for event-exclusive items
- Meet other fans and creators
You can spend an hour or all weekend with us, it’s totally up to you.
Weekend Schedule (General)
Every event will have its own specific schedule which can be found in the Player Packs, but here’s a typical Warhammer Open weekend:
Thursday
- Evening registration / badge / swag pick-up
- Early access to the event hall for select activities (varies by event)
Friday
- Tournament Day 1 (most game systems)
- Traveling Event Store is open
- Hobby Challenge / Artist Classes begin
Saturday
- Tournament Day 2 (all game systems running)
- Traveling Event Store is open all day
Sunday
- Final tournament rounds
- Last day for Traveling Event Store purchases (closes early)
- Awards ceremony
Hotel Block
To make your stay easier, we partner with nearby hotels to offer special attendee rates.
Booking early is recommended, the hotel block often fills up before the event.
Questions? We’re Here to Help.
If you’re unsure about anything, badge pick-up, schedules, accessibility, event policies, or what to bring, our Events Team is happy to assist.
Check out our FAQ page for quick answers.
Still can find an answer to your question? Please reach out to us at globalevents@gwplc.com