Video game music has arrived on the festival circuit – and it's only going to get bigger

The Guardian

21-03-2025

Did you know that soundtrack concerts are among the most popular for touring orchestras? A full third of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra's first-time audience members are coming to the concert hall via their favourite series and movies – and video games. It is a huge cultural growth area, and one that may have gone unrecognised by the general public.
'It is impossible to ignore video game music now,' says Tommy Pearson, founder and artistic director of the inaugural London Soundtrack festival. 'The sheer creativity and artistry in games is incredible, and it's been fascinating to see so many composers blossom in the genre.'
As one of the lead architects behind the festival, Pearson was eager to make space for video games as part of the celebration – not just as an 'add-on' to TV and film soundtracks, but as an equal in the art form. 'When I was first thinking about what we would do at the festival, including games music was a no-brainer. It absolutely has to be there alongside film and TV music. It has a very dedicated audience of fans and the music is as good as anything being written in any genre.'
Running from 19 to 26 March, the festival will consist of live performances, panel discussions, screenings, Q&As and masterclasses. One of the key events, State of the Art, will include performances of video game music by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, masterclasses from Stephen Barton and Gordy Haab – composers who recently collected Grammy and Ivor Novello awards for their work on Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.
Why is 2025 the perfect time for the first Soundtrack festival in London? 'We're seeing millions of streams of game soundtracks, daily,' says Barton. 'There's a huge amount of social media content on Instagram and TikTok that ties into it, not to mention the world of Twitch where a streamer's playlist is a huge part of their identity. The record industry is just about catching on to this.'
'I see the streaming numbers climbing in real time, but beyond the data, you can sense it everywhere,' adds Haab. 'Game music isn't confined to consoles any more – it's woven into people's every day lives. My nieces and nephews, for example, have game soundtracks on rotation purely for enjoyment. At gaming events, fans know these themes note-for-note, singing them back with the same devotion you'd see at a concert. Even in broader entertainment circles – award shows, industry mixers – video game scores are part of the conversation now. They're treated with the same respect as film music, standing on their own as a legitimate art form. And if the surging demand for soundtrack releases tells us anything, it's that people aren't just listening: they're seeking it out.'
Composers Ludvig Forssell (Death Stranding), Harry Gregson-Williams (Metal Gear Solid), Stephanie Economou (Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Dawn of Ragnarök), and Borislav Slavov (Baldur's Gate 3) will all be part of a panel discussing games music in the day, before joining the performances in the evening.
'You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who can't sing a tune from Super Mario Bros or Final Fantasy or Halo or The Legend of Zelda,' says Economou. 'Video game music is prevalent because video games are prevalent. The industry itself is more profitable than the film, television and music industry combined. So when people think that it's suddenly surging in popularity, all I can think is: no, it's just finally getting more recognition and celebration in more public spheres. I applaud the London Soundtrack festival for highlighting the art form and I'm thrilled to be part of the festival in its inaugural year.'
'The London Soundtrack festival is a great opportunity to celebrate the differences and diversities in music for media,' adds Forssell. 'Video games may still be the new kid on the block, in some senses, but they are definitely here to stay; and I hope that we as composers will always be able to have our own different approaches to music in general, be it pop, rock or music for film, TV, video games and beyond.'
Pearson and the team of composers he has assembled see the event as a celebration of the state of video game music. 'These are all brilliant, hugely respected composers producing terrific and exciting scores that live in the game and in the concert hall very successfully,' Pearson says.
Will non-gaming audiences ever accept video game music as much as TV or film?
'There will always be a bit of snobbery about media music,' Pearson says, 'But it's nowhere near as much as it used to be. And who cares what people think anyway?'
London Soundtrack festival is at various venues until 26 March.