It’s official: FlightSimExpo is heading to Saint Paul, Minnesota, from June 12–14, 2026. The news was announced during the closing seminar of this year’s event in Providence, where nearly 3,000 attendees gathered for a weekend packed with seminars, product reveals, and hands-on experiences with the latest in flight simulation.
FlightSimExpo is the place where simmers briefly step out of Discord servers, forums, Twitch chats, and YouTube comments to meet face-to-face. This year was no exception. According to local tourism officials, the Providence edition alone brought over $1 million in direct spending to the region. Not bad for a bunch of geeks obsessed with virtual planes!
So, why Saint Paul?
There’s a method to the madness of choosing event locations for each FSExpo, and it usually boils down to three things: airport access, affordability, and venue suitability. In that regard, Saint Paul checks all the boxes. The Saint Paul RiverCentre sits just eight miles from Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), an airport that was recently crowned North America’s highest-rated mega-airport for customer satisfaction by J.D. Power’s 2024 study.
Beyond convenience, Saint Paul offers a good mix of amenities and charm. It’s a place where you can grab a decent espresso in the morning, attend a seminar about AI-driven ATC in the afternoon, and wind down with a sunset walk along the Mississippi River.
Hotels, tickets, and what to expect
If the prospect of visiting Minnesota in June sounds appealing, the organizers have lined up hotel rates starting around $149 to $159 per night. Not a steal, but far from extortionate in the world of convention pricing, and definitely competitive compared to other years. Booking links, travel discounts, and the initial event schedule are set to go live sometime this fall. Tickets will go on sale in December 2025.
Missed 2025? You can still catch up.
If you didn’t make it to Providence, there’s still a way to catch all the seminars, including the major announcements and community discussions. For $15, FlightSimExpo Online gives you on-demand access to the full lineup, including the Friday announcements and presentations from the weekend.
That package is available until August 31, 2025, and, as organizers point out, it’s a way for the community to help support the event’s continued growth.
