When Is the Next Steam Sale? All Major Steam Sale Dates for 2026 and 2027

Steam discounts are never far away, but if you are waiting for one of Valve’s huge store-wide sales before clearing out your wishlist, there are a few dates worth remembering.

The next major seasonal event is the Steam Autumn Sale 2026, which begins on October 1 and runs through October 8. Valve lists the Autumn Sale as one of its four annual seasonal sales, alongside the Spring, Summer and Winter events.

Before then, however, Steam is hosting several smaller themed events. As of August 17, the Pins & Pegs Fest is beginning, focusing on games built around mechanics such as pinball, bowling, pachinko and similar concepts. It runs from August 17 through August 20.

When is the next big Steam sale?

The Steam Autumn Sale 2026 runs from October 1 to October 8.

Unlike Steam’s more specialized festivals, seasonal sales are broad store-wide events. Valve says games released at least 30 days before the start of a seasonal sale can participate, provided their developers choose to submit a discount.

That makes the Autumn Sale one of the best upcoming opportunities for players who have been holding off on purchases after the end of the 2026 Summer Sale.

Steam Winter Sale 2026 follows in December

The final major Steam sale of the year will be the Steam Winter Sale.

According to Valve’s official Steamworks schedule, the Winter Sale begins on December 17, 2026 and ends on January 4, 2027.

The Winter Sale is traditionally one of Steam’s major seasonal events and arrives just before Christmas, making it another important date for anyone planning to buy games during the holiday period.

Major Steam sale dates for 2026 and 2027

Steam Autumn Sale 2026: October 1 – October 8, 2026

Steam Winter Sale 2026: December 17, 2026 – January 4, 2027

Steam Spring Sale 2027: March 18 – March 25, 2027

Steam Summer Sale 2027: June 24 – July 8, 2027

Valve has already officially published all four dates through the 2027 Summer Sale.

More Steam festivals are coming before the Autumn Sale

Players do not necessarily have to wait until October for new discounts.

Steam has a busy festival schedule throughout the rest of 2026, with events dedicated to specific genres and gameplay styles. These themed sales prioritize discounted games, although Valve also allows eligible free-to-play titles, upcoming games and games with demos to participate.

After Pins & Pegs Fest, the next events include the PvE Survival Crafting Fest from August 31 to September 7, the Programming Fest from September 10 to September 14 and the Party-Based RPG Fest from September 14 to September 21.

October will be particularly busy. Cooking Fest runs from October 12 through October 19, followed by Steam Next Fest from October 19 through October 26. Steam Scream V then begins on October 26 and continues until November 2, focusing on horror and Halloween-themed games.

Steam Next Fest is slightly different from a traditional sale. Valve describes it as an event centered on upcoming games, giving players access to demos as well as developer livestreams and other opportunities to discover unreleased titles.

Should you wait for the next Steam Sale?

If a game on your wishlist is not currently discounted, waiting until October 1 could make sense, particularly if you are planning to buy several games at once.

There is no guarantee that every individual title will receive a discount, however. Publishers and developers decide whether their games participate and how large their discounts will be.

And depending on what you play, one of Steam’s smaller themed festivals could produce a deal even sooner. Survival fans, RPG players and horror enthusiasts all have dedicated events coming before the end of 2026.

For the broadest upcoming Steam event, though, October 1 is the date to remember: that is when the Steam Autumn Sale 2026 officially begins.