Microsoft to hold Windows 8 Consumer Preview event in Barcelona on February 29th

This just in: we have received an invite to an event in Barcelona, Spain, on the 29th of February, which Microsoft is calling its “Windows Consumer Preview event.” We assume that at this event the Consumer Preview will be demoed, and released to the general public.

The date of the event, right before the close of the month, is in line with our expectations that Microsoft will release the Consumer Preview of Windows 8 before the end of the month. We broke that story some time ago.

Microsoft has promised to release more information as the date approaches. Earlier today, news of what applications will be included in the Consumer Preview became known. Prior to that, we learned what gaming titles would ship with the code. While some details remain vague, the beta of Windows 8 is taking shape.

We are working to censor our invite so that we can show it to you. Here’s the censored invitation:

We have reached out to Microsoft, asking if the company intends to release the Consumer Preview at the event. We will update this post when we hear back. Update: Microsoft just provided us with the following comment: “While we are excited to announce the Windows Consumer Preview event is in Barcelona on February 29^th, unfortunately, at this time, we are not announcing additional information on the details of the event. Please continue to check the Microsoft News Center during the week of February 29^th for updates and access to online content.”