Warhammer World and the Warhammer Opens

Warhammer World, Nottingham

Warhammer World is Games Workshop's own venue on Willow Road in Lenton, Nottingham. Its events hall has more than 40 themed gaming tables you can book, plus hobby tables for building and painting. Events run all year, from small weekday and evening sessions to full weekends, and Games Workshop says they cover every gaming system. Recent programmes have included a Warhammer 40,000 Grand Tournament, a one-day Blood Bowl event and one-day Age of Sigmar Spearhead events.

Walking in costs nothing. Entry to the venue, its stores, the events hall and the bar is free, and so is using a gaming table. You pay for event tickets and for the Exhibition Centre.

The Warhammer Open series

Games Workshop calls the Warhammer Opens its flagship events. Each one is a multi-day gathering in a different city, mixing tournaments, Grand Tournaments, narrative events and hobby activities. Games Workshop's announcement lists nine Opens in 2026, and this guide covers the four most relevant to UK travellers: Liverpool, a new event at King's Dock; Kraków in Poland; and Atlanta and Palm Springs in the USA.

Tournament, Grand Tournament or Open?

Games Workshop uses three names for its official events. A Tournament is a single day of one game, played as singles, doubles or teams. A Grand Tournament is the same idea spread over several days. An Open is the whole festival: several Grand Tournaments at once, plus narrative games, painting classes and hobby competitions under one roof.

Every official Games Workshop Grand Tournament is a qualifier for the Warhammer World Championships, which Games Workshop says are moving to Barcelona. That's why the Opens draw a strong competitive crowd, though plenty of people go for the narrative games and the hobby side.

Warhammer World is usually open seven days a week, and late on Thursdays and Fridays, which suits an after-work game. On some big event days entry becomes ticket-only, and areas occasionally close for display changes, so Games Workshop posts any changes on its Service Changes page. Check it before a long trip.

Getting there

The venue is about 2 miles south-west of Nottingham city centre. Set your sat nav for NG7 2WS, and if you take a taxi, ask for Warhammer World on Willow Road rather than the city-centre shop. Games Workshop's own directions give these options:

Inside the venue

Games Workshop suggests four hours to half a day to see the stores, the Exhibition Centre and the events hall and have something to eat. Bring an army or join an event and it becomes a full day or a weekend. The on-site bar serves hot and cold snacks, full meals and drinks, and the venue asks you not to bring your own food or drink.

There's a lift at the main entrance, accessible toilets with baby change, free Wi-Fi, and assistance dogs are welcome. Staff can seat you at the end of a row or somewhere quieter, and swap a stool for a chair with a back if you ask. Personal photos are fine; filming isn't allowed.

Here are the Warhammer Opens for the 2026-27 season that matter most if you're travelling from the UK. Each card has the dates and a link to the official page; the details below come from Games Workshop's own event pages and announcements.

Liverpool, UK

The newest Open and the easiest for most UK players to reach, at King's Dock on the Liverpool waterfront. Games Workshop lists three-day Grand Tournaments for Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar and Kill Team, a two-day Warhammer 40,000 Narrative event, a Hobby Challenge and painting classes. A travelling Warhammer store comes too, with that year's event miniatures and other event-only models. Tickets are sold through the booking page linked on the card.

Atlanta, USA

Atlanta pairs a Warhammer Open with the Grand Narrative, which returns to the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. Games Workshop expects more than 400 commanders at the Grand Narrative, with costumed players, characterful warlords and missions whose objectives can change mid-game. Alongside it run tournaments for Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar and Kill Team. Games Workshop describes Atlanta as the last official qualifying event before the World Championships in December.

Palm Springs, USA

The first Open of the new year, in Palm Springs, California. Games Workshop bills it as an early chance to qualify for the next major championships, with painting classes, hobby challenges and possibly a look at upcoming releases.

Kraków, Poland

The first Warhammer Open in Poland ran at EXPO Kraków, one of the country's largest venues, in September 2026, with a focus on team play. It had Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar and Kill Team, painting classes, the Hobby Challenge and a travelling store. Games Workshop hasn't yet published dates for a next edition, so check the announcement page for news.

At Warhammer World

On a normal day you can book a themed gaming table and play friends with your own models, settle in at a hobby table with good lighting and paint water to hand, or simply walk the tables for ideas. Staff will offer advice if you ask. Event days bring tournaments and one-day events: a recent Age of Sigmar Spearhead day, for example, ran three rounds with awards for games played, painting and sporting conduct. Grand Tournaments there include painting prizes, so how your army looks counts as well as how it plays.

At the Opens

Each Open runs several events side by side. The Grand Tournaments are the competitive core, played over several days. Team events put five players a side, each playing their own one-against-one game, with the team's combined score deciding the standings. Narrative events trade the scoreboard for story, and the Hobby Challenge, which Games Workshop describes as a diorama competition, gives painters a stage of their own. Games Workshop also mentions painting workshops with Golden Demon and Slayer Sword winners as part of its official events.

A note on Golden Demon

Golden Demon, Games Workshop's painting competition, isn't part of the Opens listed here. In 2026 it ran in two legs, at AdeptiCon in Milwaukee in April and at SPIEL Essen in October. See our guides to AdeptiCon and SPIEL Essen for more.

Who it's for

These are Warhammer events, so they suit people who play or paint Games Workshop's games: Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar, Kill Team, Blood Bowl and the rest. Tournament players get competitive weekends; narrative fans get story-driven games; painters get classes, the Hobby Challenge at the Opens and painting prizes at Warhammer World's Grand Tournaments.

New to the hobby? Warhammer World is the gentlest start. It's free to walk in, you don't need to book anything to look round, and non-players can enjoy the tables and the displays. Children are welcome with an adult. For a first event, a one-day event or a narrative weekend is a softer landing than a full Grand Tournament.

Games Workshop doesn't publish Open ticket prices on its event pages; they appear on the booking pages, so check there before you plan travel. Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar, Kill Team, Blood Bowl and Golden Demon are trademarks of Games Workshop. We Print Miniatures has no connection with Games Workshop or these events; we've written this guide for anyone thinking of going.

For other events, see our miniature events around the world and the UK hobby calendar. Fans of The Old World might also like our guide to WTC 2027 in Poland.