Another wonderful year at comic con, San Diego! There were many amazing activations, and lots of awesome exclusives this year, but not as many as last years. Maybe because the economy this year isn't as great, and budget cuts for the different brands to do super fun stuff weren't available, but nonetheless a great experience. The lines were mostly well organized, and there were definitely a lot more food options inside the convention as well. read more

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I only got to attend the last day of this events, which I would argue is a bad move...A lot of freebies run out by this time and a lot of the activities around inside and outside the venue don't even happen on the last day, so I ended up having to cancel a lot of the itinerary I had (not their fault of course, but it does kind of suck that if someone only has time to come the last day there's not much left). There's a looooot of people, but it was very easy getting in and out of the venue. I didn't care much for panels, so just checked out the exhibit hall for like two hours. I actually think the outside activations around the gaslamp district are waaaay cooler and that doesn't require a badge, but it requires either early RSVP which is hard/competitive/timing is tricky or hours of waiting in line (which I did all of once). But still a cool event! I'd highly recommend coming other days. The energy is very good and it'd probably be easy to make friends here. read more

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I wrote a review about San Diego Convention Center which ties to Comic Con International. I have gone many years to Comic Con so I am a Super Fan of this Convention. It's just the security and the organization that kills it every year. If there is better training for the staff and more consistent organization when it comes to the panels, managing the lines, wristband distribution plus exhibit floor, Comic Con would be an overall great experience. I am very confident that I am one of hundreds that feels this way. Security is never on the same page so it would be great to see that one year. read more

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About 12 years ago, our family decided to skip Comic-con for a year. Wouldn't you know things became crazy and we couldn't get passes anymore or if they were available, it was only for the least popular days. It had been so long, we decided to just go even though we could only get in Thursday and Sunday. It was kind of nice going back but various factors make it unlikely I'd ever return. For anyone with mobility issues, navigating the convention center is extremely stressful. Although the majority of attendees are courteous, there are many rude and inconsiderate people who try to cut in front of scooters and wheelchairs. Security also pushes you away from areas that are the least crowded saying that it creates a fire hazard. It becomes more like a stock car race than an enjoyable experience. The best panels with the big stars and clips from blockbuster movies are on Friday and Saturday so if you're unable to attend those days, the experience is underwhelming. Hotels also double or triple rates during Comic-con as well. I would like to give a shout out to ADA services staff at Comic-con to help attendees with disabilities as much as they can. A special shuttle is available by reservation to pick up disabled attendees at hotels that were booked through Comic-con. The people working the desk at entrance A and all the shuttle drivers were amazing and I appreciate all of their hard work. Wonderful people. Before my back became an issue and navigating the Con wasn't problematic, it was much different. For those who have mobility issues, it will be difficult so be prepared. It's definitely worth going at least once if you can get a pass for the entire convention. I'd save my money if you can't get passes for Friday and Saturday though. read more

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I've coming to Comic Con for over 20 years...I still love it despite the crowds, lines, mass confusion, and other pain points! DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Star Wars, The Boys, Barbie, KPOP Demonhunters, art, pop culture, celebrities, and more...love it! Trophy Unlocked: After 20 plus hears as an Attendee, this year I was a panelist for Cosplay panel so I got a free 5 day pass! It was fun being a panelist discussing my experiences as an Asian guy cosplaying different cultures, and even genders. Minus One Star: The Saturday Hall H line fiasco was an absolute disaster. They handed more badges than they had chairs, or people snuck in, or maybe some crooks made fake wrist bands...who knows. read more

Comic-Con International - San Diego - Festivals Near Me - San Diego, California

Just completed another year at Comic Con. We completed almost everything that we set out to accomplish; however, we recognize that this is not everyone's experience at the con. Over 100,000 people attend the convention annually and the lines, the line caps, the endless vendors, the offsite experiences, and the panels are overwhelming. We bought exclusive comics and toys, we went to Hall H panels about Avatar and Percy Jackson, we got autographs from Scott Snyder, Gabriel Piccolo, and Lucio Parillo, and we got to do some offsite experiences. But this all took a ton of preparation and planning, we woke up at 5am every morning so that we can be the first to enter exhibit halls for items that sell out in the first fifteen minutes, and we had to make decisions about what we wanted to prioritize and what experiences/exclusives/purchases we would be willing to sacrifice. In comic con, where wait times can be hours for a panel, studio experience, autograph experience, or shopping opportunity, time is a critical commodity. Even though we meticulously planned what we wanted to do, it was still impossible to get everything we wanted to get done. Many panels had limited seating. It was frustrating that award winning comics from DC had keynote panels in small conference halls that were insufficient for the crazy demand. Friends that went to the keynote Marvel presentation in Hall H had to sacrifice their time in line in direct sunlight for the majority of Friday and Saturday, but they also said it was worth it. We had to jump in the middle of a mosh pit to get tickets for autographs for our favorite comic book writer. In the future, I hope they just put a paywall for people to purchase the experiences they want (in lieu of having everyone waiting hours or days in line for those experiences). For stuff with ridiculous demand in hall H, what if they had a ticket to panels at Petco Park with high production drone shows? It would be controversial, but it could also be game changing. Nevertheless, if you decide to come to the convention, then my advice to you is to know what you want to prioritize for yourself. Do you just want to walk around and take everything in? Cool. Do you want to hunt down exclusive toys and comics? Make sure you know what the vendors are selling in advance and buy them first thing in the morning. Also note that you may be able to score some exclusives through the vendors if they're participating on whatnot. Do you want to meet and greet your favorite artist or comic book writer? Follow them on Instagram and follow the blogs about how you can sign up for these experiences. Do you want to go to a panel about your favorite TV show or movie? Then make sure you know the schedule and you have a plan to wait for it. If your desired panel is in Hall H on Friday/Saturday, then you will likely need a wristband for it the day before. And you may need to spend most of the day in Hall H so that you have a seat for the panel you want. Lastly, if you're interested in making the most of your experience, then make sure you check the unofficial SDCC blog (sdccblog.com) on a daily basis on the weeks ahead of the conference so that you can stay informed of what's happening inside and outside of the convention center. read more

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Made the trek to Comic Con with the kids. Tried the trolley at first but couldn't find parking so ended up parking at the Tailgate Lot which was permit only but reasonably priced at $35 cheaper than what was posted. Walked and waited in line for many attractions. Yes it was hotter than fish grease but at times the breeze from the bay helped make it manageable. Patience is a virtue and a good pair of walking shoes is necessary as well as water, sunglasses and a hat. Don't ever let anyone concince you to not join in the madness. It will be the best $1000+ dollars you'll spend on food, drink, meet and greets and of course comics. Remember to find time to take a break. I did and made my way to the library which was perfect. They had tons of space and the AC on full blast. Comic Con was safe, secure and well organized. Can't wait for next year. read more

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This past weekend was my first time attending Comic-Con, though I was in the area last year when my brother attended, so I'm already familiar with some of the craziness of this event. Off site activities in 2026 included a Candy Land Cafe, Percy Jackson & the Olympians Experience, Hulu Animayhem interactive games and vendors along the MLK Promenade, an art show, and more exhibits in nearby hotels and venues. But communication about the details of these opportunities was limited. The convention center was enormous, the entire place and surrounding area busy the entire weekend. The exhibit hall (one humongous room with multiple entrances labeled A-H) was open each day filled with fan tables, vendors, displays, an artist's alley, and unique entertainment... sections dedicated to Marvel, DC, LEGO, Hasbro, Star Wars, and more, with countless fans dressed up in costume. Food vendors like Starbucks, Auntie Anne's Pretzels, and Rita's italian ice sold snacks and beverages on site. We purchased pretzels, hot dogs, and cookies while there. Though they allow in-and-out privileges to enjoy more food options downtown. I only attended the conference on Sunday, so a lot of popular items in the exhibit hall were sold out. But my bf got me a hilarious book, Bunnywith, from the Covenant Publishing booth, and there were still plenty of interesting experiences and photo ops available, like DC's Puppies in Training, an opportunity for visitors to play with adorable dogs wearing Superman capes, for free. I was also pleasantly surprised to find pretty decent panels and presentations being offered on this final day after all the madness on the previous days. Sunday's schedule included "The Science of Frankenstein", "The Many Masks of Spider-Man", as well as events on cartoon voices and more. I checked out the discussion on "Pop Culture in Museums", a conversation on techniques for making experiences more immersive, to create shows that are both educational and entertaining. And "It Came From The Black Lagoon: Universal's 3D Movies of the 1950's" was humorous and engaging, with attendees wearing 3D glasses for this one. Got to hear about the history of patenting 3D cameras, as we watched the 3D trailer of Universal's first 3D film, It Came from Outer Space, boasting "sights human eyes have never seen" and watched clips and scenes from Universal's classic monster movies and thrillers like film noir, The Glass Web, Taza Son of Cochise, and a couple western flicks, as well as Creature from the Black Lagoon. The son of the female star in this film, Julia Adams, was part of the panel. Learned some fun facts, like how the Gill-man was played by two different actors/stuntmen. The Avengers panel on Saturday sounds like it was an exciting experience, with Captain America, Iron Man, Antman, Xmen, the new Black Panther, and others all in the same room. But since I'm not that hardcore of a fan anymore, the cons outweigh the pros. I mean I was able to hear about Ryan Gosling playing Ghost Rider without all the stress and effort required to attend this panel. Definitely not worth giving up two whole days of the event, in the heat of the sun, for a single act. It's like paying hundreds of dollars, for a one-hour presentation and a few free giveaways that will require you to stand in even more massive lines if you want to redeem your tickets for those freebies. Just the thought of it is exhausting and feels like a waste of time and money. I know DC and Avengers are not the same, but I went to a panel with Superman & Lois a couple years ago in SF, with no crowds, no waits, seats up close to the stage, free stuff thrown to the crowd directly from Tyler Hoechlin and Bitsie Tulloch, and event tickets to Fan Expo puchased just a week in advance, a stress-free process altogether and memorable experience. Compare that to what my bro endured this past weekend. The panel was on Saturday. He got in line on Friday at 9am for wristbands, didn't get the wristbands till 11:30pm, more than 14 hours later. Then returned at 6am the next day to gain access to the 5:30pm panel. Sat somewhere in the middle since there were 6,500 people. Some fans who arrived after 7am that day did not get in at all. Attendees in the crowd got some freebies as expected, but then had to wait in another line at the Hyatt to pick up those items (took another hour of their life away). Yeah, those are exact times. One word... ridiculous! Though there are some rare opportunities to be had at Comic-Con, the gross crowds and lines just make it less rewarding and appealing to me. Not to mention the difficulty of getting tickets a year in advance (unless you have a connection to someone working at the event) and having to wait hours in a queue the day tickets go on sale, with tickets selling out without warning. read more

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If you ever get the chance to go, you should at least 1x in your life. I went twice - all days in 2025 and only used Wed-Fri of my 2026 full pass. My fave panels are Room 3/How To Room even if none of it applied to me. Lol I also liked the freebie table in the main badge pick up area, but 2 days in a row I lost my free fan bc I forgot it was lightly tucked in my backpack pocket & it prob fell out when I would run to the restroom between panels. Lol I should have explored more of the free activities/photo ops/freebies in the Gas Lamp District & around the outside of the con, but it was too hot or I was lazy/tired. Still I had fun indoors & it was easy to navigate as the helpers are so great! read more

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This is my second review of the convention center on my 1 of 4 days during the comicon event. The staff here are pretty stern. The volunteers are really nice and empathetic. The inside where all the booths were, were set up nicely. The only downside is that there were SO many people here. Literally bumping into each other, competing with slow walkers trying to get around. Until next year comic con! read more

Super overdue review for this this year's con event! Despite my previous review stating that I don't do panels, I actually did two this year! I went on the Percy Jackson & The Olympians panel. Truthfully, I only went to this panel so that I can get average seating to the Fluffy & Jokoy panel afterwards. During the Percy panel, we were able to see the trailer for the upcoming season coming out in December. It looked pretty interesting & I may check out Season 1! Fluffy & Jokoy were funny as usual. They did highlight their collab show next year in the SoFi stadium. All the guests who attended scored free Jokoy & Fluffy merch! Total score! Now I have to say that going to the panels was a pain since you have to go outside the convention center to enter back in again through some winding lines before you enter the event area. Then obtaining the merch was a long trek to The Hilton, good thing it wasn't too hot that day! Since I was already there, obtaining my merch, I did donate some blood and got some more free merch & snacks. Needless to say, more than half my day consisted of free merch! Not bad! Since I went on Thursday, I did walk around and bought some signed merch from voice actor Bryce Papenbrook, who was super nice! I also saw the Lego SD Comic Convention Center which was insane! I loved the outside and the inside of this setup. It was noticeably not as crowded this year as opposed to previous years. I did enjoy the cosplay but sadly didn't have enough time to partake in the outside con events this year. Will definitely be back again! read more

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Yesss! San Diego Comic-Con (SDCC) was a hit 2025! Everything ran so smoothly. All of the information on sessions, events, resources, food, happenings and all the things were summarized beautifully in the SDCC Program Schedule. It was a bit harder to use the SDCC App. Things were not visibly laid out for a good User Experience (UX) on the SDCC App. Good thing that we had the physical paper/magazine SDCC Handbook and Program Schedule from check-in. The vendors were all so cool in the exhibition hall. There were definitely many that stepped up the experience of us attendees. I was hoping to win a raffle (ANY RAFFLE) this year but that did not happen. There was so much to see, so many things to do, and so many good vibes going on this year. There was even a music festival at the Rady Shell outside on Friday, with a ferris wheel and rides also out there. The Marriott Gaming rooms were great. My feedback is that they need MORE PINBALL Machines because it was a 20min wait for a pinball machine in Salon 18. I have to say that the whole process was very well organized and very well planned. I am bummed that I missed George Lucas and Queen Latifah's panel. Also, I was also disappointed that I missed the Abbott Elementary Cast Panel. I really hope that they come back next year. read more

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I never thought about writing a review because I didn't think it existed but given that next week it's comic con and although I'm not going this year I been so many times and let me say the whole thing is not only a vibe it's an experience It's like Disneyland minus the rides well kinda Hahaa there's experiences that involve sometimes mini rides or things like escape rooms or fun interactive things but despite all the tons of walking and standing and waiting and sun blazing on you and the tons of crowds and no matter how tired you get and feel like you did so much yet so little lol you always come away with fun memories and swag and tell yourself you are too old for this but then quickly go I can't wait to go back I hope it never moves and I live in LA but the gaslamp is the perfect place They shut down streets and all the hotels and businesses all get themed up and have all kinds of things to see and do and eat and drink All day and night Go! Even if you don't have a ticket go so much to see outside and to do read more

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I previously purchased tickets ($175) for Comic-con, notified the team in advance that I tested positive for what turned out to be newest strain of razor covid. I have not received a refund, not so much as even a voucher/discount to attend an upcoming event. Very disgusted. Health and safety issues should be taken seriously and not shoved to the side for a money grab. Last year half a dozen people posted that got covid from attending Comic con in San Diego. Let's give serious issues the proper weight & consideration they deserve. And let's not steal from people who do the right thing. Terrible! read more

San Diego Comic Con International (SDCC) used to be a niche event, easy to attend affordably on a whim. That was about a quarter century ago in the early Y2K (2000's decade). When non-comic book industries in entertainment and pop culture infiltrated the show, with films like Twilight, Star Wars, Marvel Super Heroes and toys like Lego, Hasbro, Mattel, etc. it became a pop culture event for a more mass audience, no longer a so-called nerd/geek fanfest. Flash forward to the past 10+ years and tickets at over $100 per day sell out in advance, local hotel rates seem to start at $500/night and sell out, parking rates vary from $35 to $110 per day and fill up to the outer edges of the homeless encampments many blocks away from the convention center. Then when you attend, it's crowded and many of the exclusive merchandise and live panels are hard to access. It gets to the point where you have to make reservations or stand in hour long lines just for the rights to buy stuff and spend money before things you want sells out. It's part in fault of the secondary market as resellers can turn this trip to SDCC as a business profit venture. Known as "flippers" the ease of reselling makes it lucrative for many. There is more demand than supply. It's no longer a comic convention either, 'tho there is a plethora of dealers selling comic books, as well as publishers, and artists, they no longer comprise the majority of what the show offers. It's still a good show albeit a frustrating experience to set up and attend. read more

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I had sooo much fun at Comic-Con 2025 that my spider-sense was tingling to leave another review. What a fantastic way to celebrate all art forms! I highly recommend this covention to the Yelp Community. Did ya'll know...it's the "largest convention of its kind in the world". And, Comic-Con has filled the San Diego Convention Center with over 130,000 attendees since 2010. Holy smokes!!! read more

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Ohe of tge biggest events that with the heat it was one of the many events that were using many bars and restaurants food places inside the convention that were of the food carts. The comic con was of the same price with the ticket pick up at the Fashion VAlley And the Town and Cou try. For the ourside areas of thr Gaslamp there were many places near the 5th ave and the Convention Center trplley that had many of the outside movie and theater companies from tht city of Hollywood. The GasLamp has many of the the things that movies have been made here in San Diego from the Demolition Man and Jurrasic Park. The Comic Con has had the many guezt for the one group that was not seen the MarvelComixs groups that disney had firwd the group of actors fhat left due to Disney Obe of the things the Comic Con has not done is to allow those people on the last day there are many that would like to come. As a Yelp Elite Revieqewer of the many groups that I saw that many groupsbthat were not given water had tp stand outside. The Comiccon has been one the prices that makes itvery hard for many to send their kids and teens. read more

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I've been working on a TV show called Butterfly since 2021 and it's finally coming out next week. The show is based on a comic book of the same name, published by BOOM! Studios. I went with the team to San Diego Comic-Con, where we got to give a little preview and some freebies ahead of the release. It was a truly amazing experience. We were worried no one was going to show up for our panel, but we got so many people my friend Thomas H. barely made it into the room. The crowd was friendly and enthusiastic, and they cheered when the cast announced a surprise signing after the panel. I'm just an ugly writer, so I joined my friend Thomas to get a taste of the broader Comic-Con experience. I met him in line for the signing and found out how people knew about our panel. I'd thought it might be hard to find in the massive schedule I'd glanced through the night before, but I guess everyone who attends Comic-Con becomes intimately aware of everything going on, as they have to pick portal events to lottery into if they want any chance of getting tickets. I also learned that everything from hotels to day passes are obtained through lottery, and that my four-day pass and the nearby hotel stay I'd turned down were highly covetable goods. If I didn't have small kids at home, or if they were old enough to enjoy Comic-Con, I might have at least stayed overnight. Thomas and I got our Butterfly swag signed--limited edition comic books and posters--then walked the floor together for the next three hours. It was incredible. I'd been to a Comic-Con event in Los Angeles, but San Diego was on a completely different level. It was massive, just teeming with people, many in intricate costumes, having the time of their lives. There were elaborate photo ops and displays from some of the bigger comic-related companies and hundreds--thousands?--of smaller booths selling all kinds of merchandise. Artists and publishers and specialized sellers from end to end, not that we even made it all the way across. We did visit the giant Pokémon booth dominating one end of the floor, though we did not stand in line for the photo experience. We're both avid Pokémon Go players, and we hopped into one of the many raids going on at the booth all day. We were among our own for once, rather than quietly playing alone in the real world, when I caught a Lunala with perfect IVs. It was a glorious moment, and I immediately became Pokémon friends with two people standing next to us, waiting in line. There is apparently a no-sitting rule for the Comic-Con floor, but there was a seating area with communal tables where Thomas and I retreated for a while to rest and trade Pokémon. (He got two hundos for his troubles, a Shelmet and a Karrablast.) It was surprisingly low-key, and I was also pleased to learn that the bathroom situation was well managed, with no wait despite the Convention Center crowd. I did a little shopping on our way out, buying Star Wars Hot Wheels from a toy vendor and three Comic-Con exclusive Snoopy plushies for my sons and niece. I noticed when I got home that the plushies had tags indicating they were collectibles for adults, and not toys for children, much in the same way that I tell my boys my Pokéball-shaped Pokémon Go auto-catcher is "not a toy." There was one thing I didn't get to do, which was see the trolley wrapped with the poster art for Butterfly. Thomas and I watched and waited for quite some time, but it must have been out of rotation when we went for our vigil. My colleagues got to see it several times, so I at least had video to show my sons, who were very impressed with the train. I hope I get to come back to San Diego Comic-Con one day. It was a joyful nerd paradise with an S-tier Pokémon Go scene, and I'm glad I got to partake. read more

I remember when I would take my kids and could walk up the day of event and get in and not so huge. Enjoy going down yearly and just watch all the costumes and free interaction events. Walking around you hear all k8nds of languages and accents. Enjoyed the drink specials -Cat Woman Margarita- they had at Karinas along with Happy Hour Specials. read more

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I love San Diego Comic-Con!! Why 4.5(there is no 1/2 star choice)stars? Because i still feel certain procedures should be more organized...like when lining up, or when you get picked for a lottery, you shouldn't have to wait like 1 hour later, besides that, let's just say if you didn't sign up for lottery for something, in that case the experience of Comic-con is totally 5 stars and the exhibitors and merch totally 5 stars and just how so much has been put into this by the people!! The vibe is just exciting. Oh, also 4.5 stars because back in the days, there were great swags, lately it seems to be less...or companies make you work for it...it's like Hellooooo...I'm on vacation, I don't want to work...LOL!!! I miss the CW shows...but they still have great panels here too. In either case...I still love love love San Diego Comic-Con!! read more

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I've gone to SDCC a few years now and have a general sense of how this convention feels by now. I like this convention but I feel like my enjoyment strongly depends on what panels are being hosted that year. The energy in panels is so vibrant that I don't really find that in other conventions! But I only go if I'm interested in the IP. This convention celebrates all things pop culture so you're going to have a variety of big rocks that are usually covered here: -Marvel -Disney/Fox/Hulu -Star Wars -DC -some anime (big but some other cons are better for anime IMO) but especially Dragon Ball, Yu-gi-oh -Doctor Who/Star Trek/Battlestar Galatica -Scott Pilgrim This convention is not for the weak and the people that YOLO. As in, if you want to maximize the best use of your time you should really look at the programming a few days ahead of time and plan out what you want to do. You could theoretically do no panels (I used to do that) but you'll run out of things to do inside the expo hall pretty fast (1-2 days). I like shopping in the expo hall but the best moments I've had at SDCC were at panels and exclusive events! The panels that are celebrating a particular anniversary or milestone are really special and the vibes are so good during these events e.g. Scott Pilgrim 20th anniversary, Bob's Burgers 300th episode, etc. The big panels often bring the main cast and they're on panels at the front which is fun to listen to! If you're interested in a panel I recommend lining up early, sometimes hours early, you may have to sit through multiple panels in the same room if you want a seat for the actual panel that you wanted to attend. If you like to cosplay, I think the scene here is okay. I think other conventions put more emphasis on cosplay. You'll of course find amazing cosplayers on the floor, but I find that most people do not cosplay at this event (maybe 5%). It's also really hot and humid often in San Diego so I find it tough to cosplay here especially with heavy builds. The cosplays that get the most attention seem to be: Marvel, Nickelodeon properties (e.g. SpongeBob), some Nintendo, cartoon TV shows, huge Gundam builds. I do see some other anime and video game cosplay (I do these), but I feel like those don't necessarily resonate as much here. You can cosplay whatever you want but just jotting some observations here! I've met some celebrities here: Brian Lee O'Malley (Scott Pilgrim creator), the main cast of Bob's Burgers. I've seen some celebrities from afar: Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds from Deadpool, Russell T. Davies from Doctor Who, LiSA and some voice actors of Demon Slayer fame, the voice cast of X-men '97. So if you're chasing celebrity sightings this is a great convention to attend. Some celebrities also do autograph signings! Some must be obtained via an exclusive portal but others you can go in a time window and wait for your turn! read more

Got Super Heroes?? San Diego Comic-Con International, which is considered in the industry to be the flagship event, got its start in 1970. It's comic book convention and multi-genre entertainment event held annually in San Diego, California, and it was my first time being there. It's advisable to take public transportation or a car service. It was a four day event, admission tickets/badges is less than a $Benjamin$ The festival includes action/adventure, animation, comics-oriented, documentary, horror/suspense, humor, and science fiction/fantasy short and long films, features prizes and trophies and is judged by a panel of film industry luminaries. Hundreds of exhibitors representing brands from famous names and also emerging new names like WonderCon. Marvel, Star Wars, movie series: Fantastic Four, Avengers and more. It was revealed that actor Robert Downey Jr would return to Marvel Avengers as Doctor Doom in Doomsday! Many celebrities made appearances including Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, both promoting their new movie Deadpool and Wolverine. Scarlett Johansson, Chris Hemsworth (one of my crushes) and others... with lines of people waiting for their selfie photo opportunity lol It was super crowded and there were lines for everything: free samples, meet and greets and tickets for a seat with celebrity guests interviews introductions meetings, photo ops and after parties. Many people are die hard fans and there were impressive costumes and contests. If you did not come dressed in a costume you can easily purchase almost any costume from various vendors. I was in amazement and wanted to see everything. With too many people, I didn't take too pics, without it being photobombed. Also, I'm usually with my service wonder pup Fendi, who I didn't bring, to keep her safe from being stepped on by the massive crowds of people. I enjoy anything more when I share the experience with Fendi. Would have love to see her reaction on all the sights and sounds. Definitely a family kid friendly event. Comic Con is for everyone; young, old, fanatics and novices to the world of the comic world genre. While I'm not a hugh follower/fan of comics there were other things that caught my interest: testing gadgets and shopping! Hundreds of vendors selling everything from T-shirts to tech stuff. Outside the convention area, many vendors were set up for the public and non ComicCon attendees to walk up to and enjoy I did buy some merch that I found useful, funny and just love, mostly for my pup. You can meet a super hero or be a super hero at the San Diego Comic Con event. Worth a visit, Recommend! read more

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The SDCC is a great place to experience comics and pop culture... if you can get tickets/badges... register early and ask your friends for help to purchase them. It can get really stuffy, sometimes stinky, and is always filled with crowds of people. You'll see people in cool costumes or selling cool toys or collectibles. There are a lot of lines and/or waiting, but that doesn't stop people from coming! There's a lot of free swag, rare/exclusive collectibles, and interesting experiences, collectibles, or people to see. If you want to see panels or want limited collectibles, I suggest you go really, really, really, really early and wait... like in hour(s)... Parking can be difficult unless you get a hotel nearby, go really early, or don't mind walking blocks away from the convention center. I just paid $30 at the parking garage at F st & 4th and walked. read more

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This was my first time attending Comic-Con, unofficially. I did not purchase any tickets, so I tagged along with a friend on Friday to explore what Comic-Con has to offer outside of the Convention Center. We arrived at 7am and got in line at Petco Park. At 10am, the gates opened and we headed towards Exploding Kittens. We each got a "bad" kitten plushy and a card game set. Next, we headed towards Sharpie where we designed our own comic page and got some free Sharpie pens. We also visited Samsung's Game of Thrones trailer for a chance to win a prize at their claw machine (sadly, we did not win). We also got in line at FX, got in, but they had capped on the white umbrellas and The Bear lunchbox. We left and got in line for LunchBox instead. They gave out a tote bag and ice cream. I also got in Shaun of the Dead, which was cool. They were handing out a collectible can of beer. I would have to say my favorite experience was Dexter. I loved that series, all 8 seasons of it, and was excited to learn there will be a prequel. I was quite intrigued at how elaborate some of the costumes were. People really got creative with their costumes and went all out! Looks like I will have to try to sign up to purchase some tickets for next year and think of my own creative costume! I never understood all the hype about Comic-Con, until now...Look forward to next year! read more

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THE BEST CON! If you're a nerd like me and you like to venture to different comic conventions or fan events, then Comic Con International is the event for you! It's in no way perfect, but it's honestly an unforgettable experience that a person should try at least once in a lifetime. DC, NETFLIX, MARVEL, DISNEY, AMAZON, HULU, and MANY MORE studios visit Comic Con to share their upcoming movies, shows, and of course comics! There's also masquerades and cosplay competitions, a large exhibition hall and artist alley, and of course plenty of interactive activations. You feel a sense of nerdy community when you come to SDCC, it's electric. Here's some TIPS from a 3+ year SDCC Veteran: - Pack water and snacks! Granola, water, cookies, fruit etc. are all acceptable and welcomed inside the convention center and panels. This is essential as you'll be waiting in long lines and may not make it back to meet up with your buddies for lunch. - TEAM-UP: Be friendly to people in line and create allies. These folks will back you up and save your spot if you have a bathroom emergency. I'm a solo traveler so this definitely comes in handy! Also, you can kill some time chatting with others and geeking out. I've had bad luck this year with some folks who were really annoying and rude. However, most encounters were fun! - Use PUBLIC transportation or Uber: if you're staying in a hotel nearby don't worry, you can walk. However, if you're more than 12 minutes away by car and can't walk multiple miles, use public transportation or Uber. I do not recommend parking your own car in or around the SDCC area. The convention center parking is very pricey and the lots in the Gaslamp and Downtown can be $60+ just to park! The metro stops right in front of SDCC and there's also multiple bus stops. - Have a SCHEDULE & PLAN AHEAD: There's so much to do and many events happen around the same time others do. Therefore, to prevent missing out on everything, come with a set plan of attack lol. Some activities require a sign-up weeks before SDCC, some exclusive items in the exhibition hall require lotteries. It's important to follow the SDCC unofficial blog on X & SDCC's official account to stay up to date and plan accordingly! - Be prepared for MONKEY WRENCHES: SDCC has cancelled panels, changes in schedules, and inconsistent line management. These things can be very frustrating. For these reasons, I can't give SDCC five stars. Some of the volunteer staff is moody and the security staff are aggressive, bark at people, and do not follow SDCC's line policies. I hope SDCC discontinues partnering with Elite Security. Just be prepared for some rude behavior, of course no one is perfect. - Want to experience comic con for FREE?: So what if you can't buy a badge? Yup, it's true it's very hard to get into SDCC because of their awful queue and website system during online badge registration. You can volunteer OR you can experience all the activities and activations behind the convention center, in the surrounding hotels, and Gaslamp/Downtown for absolutely FREE! I dedicated my WHOLE Sunday this year to exploring these free events and I had a badge! They're high-quality and you can get awesome free goodies. This year I went to Abbott Elementary's Ava Fest and it was a highlight of my SDCC. It was basically a free carnival! - FINAL TIP: PLEASE GO! It's worth it! read more

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Went to Comic-Con and caught a Funko Pop panel with Nathan Fillion and a couple of other actors, which was a highlight. The convention hall itself was packed to the brim, honestly felt butt to butt with people and I did not enjoy that part. What I did like were some of the outside activities, like Alien Earth and the Abbott block party. Fun to experience once, but not something I would want to do every single year. read more

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Comic-Con International San Diego is hosted annually in the Heart of Downtown San Diego at the Convention Center off Harbor BLVD and has several free amenities through out the area to view and interact with. If you're lucky enough to get tickets, there is plenty to explore inside the Convention Center with many exhibits and showcases. I was fortunate enough this year to land some tickets, so we had a great time walking around for the 4 days it was open. The first day it opened was on a Thursday and runs all the way through Sunday. The Gaslamp district was beautifully decorated with animae and new shows and movies with wrappings of the new series coming soon on the hotels and buildings. There were plenty of free exhibits throughout the week, such as a Tekken 8 premiere and a TMNT movie coming out where they handed out a free skateboard keychain. There was a Jurassic Park exhibit, and also many inflatable 2d 3d dimensions to enter and explore. Inside the exhibit in the Convention Center was packed with people viewing all the new movies and shows coming soon and buying the newest Demon slayer mystery boxes. They had vintage comics for sale and the latest video games to play on the Sonyy PS5. My personal favorite things were getting free stickers and different items from the vendors while walking up and down the crowded aisles. Overall, the 2023 San Diego Comic Con was a success, and we had a great time visiting and exploring new things. I highly recommend getting your tickets early for the next Comic Con to adventure into a new world for the week sightseeing cosplay and many different characters and unique costumes. Then again, if you don't get them, there are many free things to do outside where you don't even need tickets. Thank you, Comic Con, for a wonderful time, and see you soon until next year! read more

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It has been my bf's dream to attend Comic-Con since he was a teenager. His dream finally came true a few weeks ago. Cost: $75 per day for Wed, Thurs, Fri, and Saturday $50 for Sunday We attended Thursday and Friday, but that didn't seem to be enough time thoroughly enjoy everything. Next year, if I am lucky enough to get a badge, I will attend Saturday as well. That's when they have celebrity signings. However, I was lucky enough to run into Stephanie Tanner on a Thursday, and she attended even with the writer's strike happening. Pros: 1. Huge venue 2. Friendly people 3. Plenty to look at and stuff to buy 4. Teachers and librarians may apply for the professional badge (free admission if you get approved) Cons: 1. More crowded than Disneyland 2. Difficult to get tickets through the lottery system. 3. Long lines 4. Lottery system to get into a line for the popular booths 5. The people working there are clueless about where things are Tips: Attend on Thursday to buy exclusives. Merchandise sells out fast, so it's best to be there right when they open. read more

Comic-Con International - San Diego - Meeting Stephanie Tanner from Full House at San Diego Comic Con 2023 - Festivals Near Me - San Diego, California

Comic Con in San Diego is a major event! The type you should attend once in your lifetime if you love movies, comic books, etc. It is huge, crazy, beyond your imagination! San Diego turns into a carnival for a few days! I got a professional badge attending a film festival here and getting accomodation was a huge challenge. Peeps book tickets and hotels months, even a year in advance, so plan accordingly! The Con takes place at the Convention center, which is huge! Tip: I use their trolley/subway system, easy to get to, it has 2 stops here. Expect crowds every day, especially the last one when tickets are cheaper. Swag, merchandise to buy, I wasn't impressed. Didn't go to panels, long lines. This year it went back more to its roots before the studios took over! Expect people in costumes, crazy decor, fun atmosphere! Right near the cool Gaslamp Quarter with lots of restaurants, bars, shops! Fun event, once and done for me, great excuse to visit San Diego again, enjoy the Con if it's your first time or number.... read more

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This may not be perfect but what Comic convention is? This is the longest running comic convention in the US and is lots of fun. Between the artists, vendors Cosplayers and panels it's always a great time. It's spread between the convention center and various hotels. A ton of people maybe too many but that's the fun of it. Security may not be the best but a lot get thief info and duties the same day. A little more prep would be nice. Parking doesn't seem to be an issue which is surprising, never had any problems finding parking close by. It can get a little hot but it's July so just go back indoors to cool off. I also like they have a lot of events outside for people with no tickets. I'll be back next year! read more

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I love Comic-Con! It's such a fun experience and there's so much to do both inside and outside the convention center! Cosplaying is my favorite part of Comic-Con! read more

It's been a few years since last I visited comic con.  Inside I noticed there were less people than last time.   Inside I noticed there were less people than last time.  As a result the AC was doing a better job and I needed a long sleeve shirt unless I was power walking.  There were lots more places to buy collectibles than last visit.  There seemed to be less comic book dealers.  I like buying half off graphic novels and there wasn't that many options.  There did seem to be more dealers selling expensive back issues. I love cosplay and there were lots of nice people and cool costumes. This year I saw Frank Miller and Bill Sienkiewicz.  Sadly they were whisked off by security as soon as the panel was over.  Also they had chilled bottled water in the rooms for as long as I can remember but the water dispensers are gone. My favorite con was in 1989.  The Sandman came out that year and Neil Gaiman was doing signings and panels.  The highlight of that con was Neil's 10pm poetry reading.  He turned out the lights and someone lit a candle.  Neil is an awesome storyteller and he made his stories come to life during those brief hours. That was the golden age of the con when you could meet your heroes up close. I had lots of fun at comic con.  I miss the old days when you could buy a badge for next year before leaving the con and you could attend any panel without camping out.  Still the con is better than staying at home and watching tv.  The rest of my comic con photos are here: https://www.hungryones.com/2022/07/comic-con/  My last comic con post is here:  https://www.hungryones.com/2018/07/comic-con-part-1/ read more

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Hi my name sis Richard. I had a really nice time at Comic-Con this year. I didn't get to do much of the outside events as I spent most of my time inside. At least I didn't get sunburn. read more

The Jim Lee signing event (July 25, 2025) security staff were very rude and unprofessional. The bald guy and the lady most especially. read more

Comic-Con International - San Diego - Festivals Near Me - San Diego, California

I started my first comic con in 2009 when tickets were $20-$30 per day and you can buy them at the door for the following year. 2009 also the year that marked the change of Comic con, as Twilight took over Hall H and from there the whole convention never be the same, it's no longer just a bunch of nerds get together and talk about comics or toys, it turns into a bunch of pop culture corporate power hungry movie studios and more, they all wanted a piece of Comic Con to promote their stuffs, and it gained international attention, people all over the world come in every year in July to San Diego, the city also got the most revenue from it, hotels and parking all jacked up their prices, everything has a line, a raffle ticket, or a reserved spot, if you don't get anything, good luck, you waited long hours to get a freak hat or a signed poster, you camped out and slept on the street for a week just to get inside a panel to see your favorite celebrities talking about some upcoming projects and a little teaser footage. I am none of that, I was lucky to always get a 4 days plus preview night badge, my status sometimes get me to special events, private parties, some networking with famous people during Con, but I rarely participate to anything involved getting in a long line unless it's worth it. Finally as I get older, I don't plan before Con, I just go with the flow, since there's so many things to do at Con, and you can't do them all or simply can't overdo it. And who knows it might leave San Diego in the future, but it's one of those things in July that I told all my friends and family I will be off the grid for 5 days, so don't call or text me unless it's an emergency :) read more

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Comic Con is held in July at the San Diego Convention Center. I had been to Comic Con every from 2007 to 2019 -- then the pandemic hit and there was no physical convention until now (2022). Returning to Comic Con was surreal. The time away made it that much better upon returning. The Convention Center was bursting with vendors and cosplayers, comic book fans and the like. With so much space, this 4-day (5 with Preview Night) extravaganza is a lot to take in. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes as you will be doing a lot of walking (unless you are camped out trying to get into Hall H). I was very happy to be back. I hope to be back again for the foreseeable future! read more

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Always loved comic con in NY and was happy to be able to go to this one. Lots of awesome vendors, costumes, photo ops... just so much! I do hate the lines tho as you may have to wait for some thing 3-4 hours!! But regardless, it's overly stimulating and you'll have an amaze balls time! read more

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The actual Comic-Con event is amazing. There were amazing cosplayers and cool and unique booths for anything and everything nerdy. However, getting tickets to attend the event is almost impossible. I've been trying for many years to attend. My family was lucky enough to know people that attended before so they had priority in getting selected to go. It's a stupid system that they have to improve. We only got tickets for Sunday though. We really wanted to go on Friday and Saturday because that's when most of the celebrity panels are there. We'll definitely try to go again next year...if their system selects us read more

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Such a fun event! Love all the cool artists and production groups featured here. Plus it's fun to dress up! read more

Comic-Con International - San Diego - Festivals Near Me - San Diego, California

Whats not to like about SDCC? Well the fact that the writer's strike affected the panels and actor's appearances basically meant this years event was a dud. It was fun to see people dressed up and there were pently of vendors to go through, but the lack of star power and activations will definitely make me reconsider coming back. There's alot of other things to do in downtown but you'll havr to preregister and wait in long lines to get in. read more

Comic-Con International - San Diego - Festivals Near Me - San Diego, California

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