Drag queens and Minecraft players converge on Rotterdam for TwitchCon

TwitchCon Europe 2026 took place in Rotterdam, Netherlands, drawing thousands of fans to celebrate the livestreaming platform’s culture. The event featured a mix of gaming tournaments, including a Minecraft competition, alongside drag queen performances, showcasing Twitch’s broad appeal beyond video games. Twitch CEO Dan Clancy opened the convention, emphasizing the platform’s global growth and its role in fostering community through live streaming. He noted that Twitch, founded in 2011 and acquired by Amazon in 2014, remains a leader despite competition from YouTube Live, TikTok Live, and Kick. Clancy announced upcoming innovations, including dual-format streaming from June, allowing creators to broadcast in both horizontal and vertical orientations for better mobile viewing. French streamer Adrien Nougaret, known as ZeratoR, welcomed the changes, calling them a sign of Twitch’s continued evolution. Meanwhile, creator Melissa Croft, 32, shared that many people mistakenly associate Twitch solely with gaming, unaware of its diverse content like extreme makeup and creative hobbies. TwitchCon Europe alternates annually between the U.S. and Europe, with this year’s event in Rotterdam followed by Berlin in 2027. The convention underscored Twitch’s cultural influence, with up to 2.4 million concurrent viewers globally, though its dominance in live streaming is gradually declining as competitors gain traction. Clancy’s remarks and the event’s diverse lineup reflected Twitch’s efforts to adapt while maintaining its core community-driven identity.