when does the steam sale start
The next big Steam sale on the calendar is the Steam Spring Sale 2026 , which starts on 19 March 2026 and runs until 26 March 2026.
Quick scoop
- The current major sale period is the tail end of the Steam Winter Sale 2025 , which runs 18 December 2025 – 5 January 2026 , so that one is either ongoing or just about to end, depending on your exact date.
- After Winter, a series of smaller themed “Fests” (like Detective Fest and Board Game Fest) fill January–February 2026 with discounts on specific genres.
- The next major, store‑wide discount wave is the Steam Spring Sale starting 19 March 2026 , which is generally treated as the “real” next Steam sale after Winter.
Key 2025–early 2026 dates
| Event | Dates | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Winter Sale 2025 | 18 Dec 2025 – 5 Jan 2026 | Big end‑of‑year sale rolling into early 2026. | [5][1][2][3][4]
| Detective Fest | 12 – 19 Jan 2026 | Mystery and crime‑themed games. | [1][2][3][4]
| Board Game Fest | 26 Jan – 2 Feb 2026 | Digital board and tabletop‑style titles. | [2][3][4][1]
| Typing Fest / PvP / Horse Fest | 5 – 23 Feb 2026 (various) | Shorter, niche genre Fests with rotating discounts. | [3][4][1][2]
| Steam Next Fest (Feb) | 23 Feb – 2 Mar 2026 | Demo‑focused event with some deals and lots of upcoming games. | [4][1][2][3]
| Steam Spring Sale 2026 | 19 – 26 Mar 2026 | First big, store‑wide sale of the year. | [5][1][2][4]
What this means for you
- If you want immediate broad discounts, the ongoing or just‑finished Winter Sale is your best bet right now.
- If you missed Winter, plan your wishlist for the Spring Sale (19–26 March 2026) and watch the smaller Fests in Jan–Feb for deeper genre‑specific deals.
- Historically, later in the year you can expect the Summer , Autumn , and next Winter sales around their usual windows (late June/early July, November, mid‑December), though exact late‑2026 dates are not all finalized yet.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.