Cologne Major 2026
The Cathedral of Counter-strike
- 32 Teams
- EPT Championship
- $1,250,000
June 18 - 21, 2026Lanxess Arena
Tournament Starts: June 2nd
WAVE 2 STARTS 15:00 CEST 22. OCTOBER 2025
explore ticket options
EPT ChampionshipIEM Cologne Major 2026
The Cathedral of Counter-Strike has once more been blessed. 32 of the world's best teams will make their pilgrimage to Cologne, where they will compete for the title of IEM Cologne 2026 Champions.
The first Major championship of the year is the ground where legends in this game are made. Do you want to witness history in the making? Subscribe to always stay updated on tickets.
THIS IS IEM COLOGNE
Culminating in the heart of Cologne, the Cathedral of Counter-Strike has become a temple for history making. The event's significance lies in its long-lasting traditions and ability to consistently deliver iconic and memorable moments. With determination to run every year since 2014, IEM Cologne has now become the hallowed ground for a fourth CS Major, bringing together the greatest players and thousands of passionate fans to share and celebrate their love for the game.
The LANXESS arena has become a venue well known for its roaring crowds and electrifying atmosphere. Up to this day, IEM Cologne remains a beloved event, serving as a showcase of the game's longevity, enduring competitive spirit and the ever evolving world of esports.
Tickets
Tickets for the IEM Cologne Major 2026 will be going live in waves, starting with a pre-sale on October 8th, and the first wave on October 13th 2025.
For the first time in IEM Cologne history, you'll be able to watch Stage 3 of the Group Stages at an exclusive viewing in the Palladium.
Pre-Sale opens on October 8th, 15:00 CEST
Wave 1 starts October 13th, 15:00 CEST
Wave 2 starts October 22nd, 15:00 CEST
Wave 3 starts October 29th, 15:00 CEST
Please note that the minimum age to attend this event is 16.
Choose your distance to the action
Wave 1:
LIVE NOW
Your journey starts here
For the first time ever you can join us live at the Palladium during Stage 3 for an intimate and exclusive viewing experience.
You can add Stage 3 tickets to your basket while purchasing your Playoffs ticket by navigating to the 'Other Categories' section of the checkout.
Group Stage
Stage 3Tickets in 'Other Categories'
Sat&Sun
sold out
79€Day 1 - 4
June 12 - 15
- Experience one day of the IEM Cologne Major Group Stages (Stage 3)
- Free Seating in an intimate venue
- Schanzenstraße 40, 51063 Köln, Germany
- Explore the Stage 3 Seating Map
Upper Seats4 day ticket
199€Upper Ranks at Level 6 & 7
- Counter-Strike 2 tournament ticket
- Access on all four days (June 18 - 21)
- Free Seating Upper Ranks (Level 6 & 7)
Sat&Sun
sold out
Lower Seats4 day ticket
319€Lower ranks at Level 2
- Counter-Strike 2 tournament ticket
- Access on all four days (June 18 - 21)
- Free Seating Lower Ranks (Level 2)
Sat&Sun
sold out
Lower Reserved
4 day Ticket
-
Counter-Strike 2 tournament ticket
-
Access on all four days (June 18 - 21)
-
Assigned Seat (Level 3)
Upper Seats1 day ticket
44€Thursday ticket
59€Friday ticket
79€Saturday/Sunday ticket
- Counter-Strike 2 tournament ticket
- Access on Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday
- Free Seating Upper Ranks (Level 6 & 7)
Sat&Sun
sold out
Lower Seats1 day ticket
79€Thursday ticket
109€Friday ticket
129€Saturday/Sunday ticket
- Counter-Strike 2 tournament ticket
- Access on Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday
- Free Seating Lower Ranks (Level 2)
Sat&Sun
sold out
Premium
4 day ticket
-
Counter-Strike 2 tournament ticket
-
Access on all four days (June 18 - 21)
-
Premium seating in front of the stage
-
Free drinks (water, soft-drinks & beer)
-
Close to the player walk-in
Premium Reserved
4 day ticket
-
Counter-Strike 2 tournament ticket
-
Access on all four days (June 18 - 21)
-
Assigned Premium seating for the best viewing experience
-
Free drinks (water, soft-drinks & beer)
-
Close to the player walk-in
Diamond Coin Access
4 Day entry to a Diamond Coin Lounge
Single Seat Only
-
Counter-Strike 2 tournament ticket
-
Access on all four days (Jun 18-21)
-
Access to a comfortable private lounge
Looking for a full lounge for your friend group? Email us at ticketing@efg.gg
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Large variety of free drinks incl. alcoholic options
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Catering and refreshments
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Dedicated entrance
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Dedicated on-site support staff
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Merchandising voucher valued at €150
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Collectible event coin
-
Free parking at the venue
-
Attendee badge
For B2B or full lounge sales inquiries or requests, please write to us at ticketing@efg.gg
Enhance any IEM Ticket with the IEM+ Upgrade
252€
Retail Value
IEM+ UpgradeAvailable Add-ON for all ticket types (excl. Premium)
159€
All of the items in the IEM+ Upgrade are exclusive and can only be acquired when you purchase the Add-On.
The Add-On can be bought in addition to all ticket types, and Premium ticket buyers already have the Upgrade bundled in with their ticket.
Early Registration
Pick up your credentials and goodiebag on Wednesday!
Randomised Player Autograph
Powered by Kolex
Each player at the event will submit 20 autographs, spread between all IEM+ upgrades.
Pre-Sale Access
for the next IEM Cologne
Save $$$ and get your next tickets
at the cheapest prices!
Exclusive to the IEM+ Upgrade
IEM Cologne
T-Shirt
IEM Cologne
Pullover Hoodie
IEM Cologne
Scarf
IEM Cologne
Postcard Set
IEM Cologne
Pinback
IEM Cologne
Gym bag
Collectable
Black Coin
IEM Cologne
Event poster
Ticket FAQs
The minimum age for attending the event is 16 years. Children and adolescents under 16 are not permitted to attend the event, even if accompanied by a legal guardian. Proof of age must be provided upon request.
Our ticket sale is structured in multiple waves to give everyone a fair chance. Each wave has its own separate and limited inventory for every ticket category.
This means that if a ticket you want is marked as "sold out" in Wave 1, a new stock of that same ticket will become available at the start of Wave 2. You will have another opportunity to purchase it then.
As a backup strategy, you can purchase any available ticket to secure your entry. You can then upgrade it to a higher-tier ticket later, subject to availability.
No, tickets are not refundable. Closer to the event, you will have the opportunity to list and sell your tickets on our official resale platform.
Tickets for IEM Cologne 2026 will be going live in waves, with an official pre-sale starting on October 8th for fans that bought the Cathedral Experience at IEM Cologne 2025. Want to get ahead in securing your ticket for the next IEM Cologne? Pre-sale access for next year’s event is included in the IEM+ Upgrade, available alongside all ticket types and included in every Premium ticket!
- Pre-sale start - 8th October 15:00 CEST
- Pre-sale ends - 12th October 23:59 CEST or until sold out
- Wave 1 - 13th October 15:00 CEST
- Wave 2 - 22nd October 15:00 CEST
- Wave 3 - 29th October 15:00 CET
Assigned seating is only available for Premium Reserved and Lower Reserved ticket buyers. All other ticket types are free seating within the seating area that you purchased your ticket for.
You can easily transfer your e-ticket to a friend, family member, or colleague using the vivenu Transfer Tool.
You can access this feature directly by opening the ticket details, either via the order confirmation or from your ticket confirmation email.
Please note that the ticket's barcode will only be released 72 hours before the event, and transfers are not possible with hard tickets.
You are able to buy a maximum of 2 tickets per authenticated customer for the pre-sale, and 8 tickets per transaction starting in Wave 1.
Yes, at checkout you will have the option to pay in either 3 or 6 monthly instalments.
Yes, you can upgrade your ticket to a higher category, subject to availability. However, you cannot downgrade your ticket to a lower category, nor can you change the day of a single-day ticket.
Please note: If you have a hardticket and choose to upgrade, its barcode will become invalid. You are welcome to keep the old ticket as a memento, but you will need to order a new one if you still want a physical ticket for entry.
You will receive your tickets 72h before the event starts. You will still be able to use our native transfer, rebooking and resale features.
Hardtickets will be shipped within two weeks of personalising your tickets.
If you want to purchase a full lounge, reach out to us at ticketing@efg.gg.
If we recognise that B2C purchases are taking place for B2B purposes, we may be required to cancel your tickets and you will need to rebook.
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
- Credit Card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express)
- Debit Card
- PayPal
- iDEAL
- Przelewy24
- Bancontanct
Currently there are no plans to sell tickets for Stages 1 and 2.
The pre-sale for the IEM Cologne 2026 Major concluded as of 23:59 on the 12th of October.
To access the pre-sale for the next IEM Cologne event, make sure you purchase a Premium or Diamond Coin Access ticket, or otherwise purchase an IEM+ Upgrade alongside your ticket!
The pre-sale for the IEM Cologne 2026 Major concluded as of 23:59 on the 12th of October.
To access the pre-sale for the next IEM Cologne event, make sure you purchase a Premium or Diamond Coin Access ticket, or otherwise purchase an IEM+ Upgrade alongside your ticket!
You will be able to collect your goodie bag across the full weekend at the goodie bag collection point. More details around this will be shared in the event guide sent out during the week of the event.
Further information will be released closer to the event on how to gain access to Meet & Greets.
If you have any ticket related enquiries, please contact vivenu here: https://esl.vivenu.store/support
The main language for the event and all games commentated inside the arena will be English
Arena FAQs
The main language for the event and the games commentated inside the arena will be English.
Other language streams will be available to watch online.
You will not be able to re-enter the event if you have removed your wristband.
There will be no exceptions, so please keep your wristband on for the full weekend once you have received it.
Yes, once you have checked in and received your wristband, it is possible to leave and re-enter the venue until the final map of the day has been completed.
Yes, check-in is available across the full weekend and you are not required to check-in at a specific time. I.e You bought a 4 day ticket but can no longer arrive until day 2, you will still be able to check-in.
Door opening times will be released closer to the date of the event.
To attend, wheelchair users should purchase any ticket category they wish. We will then reassign your seating to the dedicated accessible area on foyer Level 3, which is reachable from all entrances. Please be aware the infield (Premium and Premium Reserved) and Upper Ranks are not accessible.
A wheelchair user is entitled to bring one accompanying person free of charge. After purchasing your ticket, please contact our customer service at events@esl.com with your order details and a copy of a valid disability card or similar proof to arrange for your companion's ticket.
Only the registered companion will be able to sit in the accessible area. Other members of your party will have to be seated according to the tickets they purchased.
If you still have more questions, please send an email to events@esl.com!
Quick overview
All FAQs
-
Pre-sale - 8th October 15:00 CESTWave 1 - 13th October 15:00 CESTWave 2 - 22nd October 15:00 CEST
Wave 3 - 29th October 15:00 CET - The arena commentary will be in English.
- The minimum age for attending the event is 16 years. Children and adolescents under 16 are not permitted to attend the event, even if accompanied by a legal guardian.
Last updated: 13th of October, 2025
THE MAJOR FORMAT
Group Stage3 Stages
Stage 1June 2 - 5
- 16 team Swiss System Format
- Elimination and Advancement matches are Bo3
- All other matches are Bo1
- Top 8 teams advance to Stage 2
- Bottom 8 teams are eliminated
Stage 2June 7 - 10
- 16 team Swiss System Format
- Elimination and Advancement matches are Bo3
- All other matches are Bo1
- Top 8 teams advance to Stage 3
- Bottom 8 teams are eliminated
Stage 3June 12 - 15
- 16 team Swiss System Format
- Elimination and Advancement matches are Bo3
- All other matches are Bo1
- Top 8 teams advance to the Playoffs
- Bottom 8 teams are eliminated
PlayoffsJune 18 - 21
- 8 team Single-Elimination bracket
- All matches Bo3
Group StageStage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3
- 16 team Swiss System Format
- Elimination and Advancement matches are Bo3
- All other matches are Bo1
- Bottom 8 teams are eliminated in every Stage
- Top 8 teams in Stage 1 advance to Stage 2
- Top 8 teams in Stage 2 advance to Stage 3
- Top 8 teams in Stage 3 advance to the Playoffs
Schedule
Day #1 - 18.06
Quarterfinal #1
Quarterfinal #2
Day #2 - 19.06
Quarterfinal #3
Quarterfinal #4
Day #3 - 20.06
Semifinal #1
Semifinal #2
Day #4 - 21.06
Grand Finals
Gallery
IEM Cologne is Counter-Strike History.
Explore the gallery to see how the Cathedral of Counter-Strike was created by all of us, with every legendary moment.
Photography from previous iem Cologne events
Confess
your sins
Here, we are all sinners. The ego buys. The whiffed shots. The teamkills just to steal a better weapon.
This is your moment for redemption, a chance to confess your sins, and absolve yourself - anonymously, or not (if you dare).
Forgive Me Gaben...
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As one race ends, another begins. The $1,000,000 derby continues as top-tier teams will look to pick up the next title towards winning the ESL Grand Slam V and forever mark their names in the books of Counter-Strike history.
