Expansive programme of exciting experiences, events, guests and artists for fans of popular comic, film and TV culture.
The countdown to Portsmouth Comic Con – International Festival of Comics is on, with the event returning to Portsmouth Guildhall on Saturday 2nd and Sunday 3rd May. The spectacular comic extravaganza is known for its family-friendly activities, immersive experiences, screen stars, and some of the industry’s greatest comic book artists and writers.
Fans of the Force can get involved in the Star Wars Experience, with the Joker Squad recreating iconic characters and moments of the film franchise for visitors. Once they’ve cleared the Imperial checkpoint, guests will make their way through Tatooine, meeting Jedi masters, Stormtroopers, Ewoks and more, and taking advantage of photo ops like Han in Carbonite, a Speeder Bike, the Ewok Drum Kit, the Ewok C3PO chair, an E-Web, an Ice Cave and much more.
Those with a competitive streak can get geared up and take part in the all-new Nerf Arena, included in the ticket price, whilst budding creative constructors can get building in the new LEGO Zone, featuring all the LEGO bricks anyone could possibly need. Meanwhile, meet your favourite dinosaurs in the Jurassic Zone, and join a crafty session with Lawn of the Dead to paint your own real-life fossil to take home.
The new Thronefest Collection is Europe’s largest privately-owned collection of replica props from Game of Thrones. It features replica swords, helmets, daggers, crowns, tiaras, goblets and dragons skulls, while the full size Iron Throne will be guarded by the very popular Night King (the only Warner Brothers approved Night King in England), who will be (relatively) happy to guide visitors to the Iron Throne for a photo opportunity.
The Portsmouth Ghostbusters are back with the Mass Hysteria Zone, their biggest, spookiest and most interactive experience yet. Towering over the floor will be their 15-foot Stay Puft Marshmallow Man, plus a Ghostbusters Firehouse Walk Through, packed with props, scares and paranormal madness. Visitors will also be able to take a photo and see the amazing Ecto-1.
Leading diabetes specialists from Queen Alexandra Hospital, University Hospital Southampton and DiaFight will also be in attendance to raise awareness of type 1 diabetes (T1D) through the power of comics and games.
Book lovers can find an incredible range of bookish content in the Bookish Block, with a raft of incredible author guests, a Pidgeon Books pop-up store, book signings, book swaps, a reading corner, bookish merch, and more. Authors Juno Dawson, Maggie Stiefvater, Eliza Raine, Wren James and Josh Winning will be joined by Jennifer Thorne, the USA Today bestselling author of Lute, Diavola, and Newbourne Park (out in September 2026).
Fantasy literature fans can enter A Court of Fantasy & Fae, bigger and better for 2026, perfect for fans of ACOTAR, Fourth Wing, and High Fantasy Literature. Experience a magical exhibition on Romantasy books, featuring a green screen dragon photo opportunity, costumes and props, and even a real Tarot reader!
Visitors will be able to meet film and TV guests Tom Rosenthal (Friday Night Dinner, Plebs, Dad’s Army); Anita Dobson (Doctor Who, Eastenders, Generation Z); Patricia Quinn (The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Doctor Who, Shock Treatment); Marc Silk (voice of Scooby Doo, Star Wars, Johnny Bravo and Chicken Run). New additions to the line-up are Jemma Redgrave and Julian Glover CBE.
Jemma Redgrave is an English actress working across television, film, and theatre. She is known for her roles as Dr Eleanor Bramwell in Bramwell, Kate Lethbridge-Stewart in Doctor Who and its spin-off The War Between the Land and the Sea, and Major Berenice “Bernie” Wolfe in Holby City. Her film credits include Howards End, alongside an extensive body of stage work.
Julian Glover CBE is a highly prolific English actor celebrated for his extensive career across stage, film, and television. He is uniquely recognised as the only actor to have appeared in the Star Wars, James Bond, and Indiana Jones franchises, often portraying refined and calculating villains. He played Grand Maester Pycelle across 31 episodes of Game of Thrones, and the voice of Aragog in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Julian is also a long-standing member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, and won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 1993.
Artists Alley will be bursting at the seams with best writers and illustrators in the industry with some new names joining those previously announced: Chris Wildgoose (Batgirl: Rebirth, Batman: Nightwalker, Gotham Academy, and the acclaimed Porcelain series); Mike Dowling (Spider-Man, Judge Dredd, Unfollow, Death Sentence, Iron Man and Black Cat); Lucy Sullivan (Barking, IND-XED, Black Hammer); Rory McConville (Time Before Time, Spawn, Judge Dredd); Sarah Graley (Our Super Adventure, Pizza Witch, Minecraft); and Sam Hart (The Coldest City, Schem-Ha, Judge Dredd).
Con favourite Alison Sampson will be appearing at the Con again this year. Her clients include Marvel, DC Comics, Image Comics, Dark Horse, IDW, Boom! Studios, Titan, Vault, Z2, TKO, broadcasters, print newspapers, major art galleries, various crowdfunded projects, and more. Joining her are Norm Konyu, an animator and graphic novelist, who currently has four books out with Titan Comics including The Junction, A Call to Cthulhu (which won the 2024 Aurora Award for best comic/graphic novel), The Space Between the Trees, and Downlands.
Stipan Morian is a comic book artist from Croatia known for titles like 20th Century Men, Our Soot Stained Heart and Bleeding Hearts. Ahmed Raafat is a UK-based Egyptian comic book artist, best known for his work on Quick Stops. His most recent work is Who are the Power Pals, a superhero comedy mini-series, and he has also previously worked with Netflix and Oni Press.
Geoff Senior has been a professional artist and illustrator for over 35 years. Although most notorious for his work on Transformers comics in the 1980s, he has also provided artwork for many comic titles including Action Force, Dragon’s Claws and Judge Dredd. Geoff also created the Death’s Head character for Marvel in 1987 with writer Simon Furman.
Turning pro in the late 80s, Ant Williams hauled his way up the greasy pole of comic book artistry drawing thousands of pages for 2000AD, Marvel and DC. He’s drawn pretty much all the characters he grew up reading, including Spider-man, The X-men, Deadpool, Batman, Superman, Judge Dredd and many more. For the past 20 years or so, Ant worked in the wider entertainment industry. Now he’s back at the drawing board creating new characters, worlds and stories.
Artists Alley is a great opportunity to meet the artists, see (or buy) their work and hear from them during the panels and workshops that take a deeper dive into what it takes to be an artist or creator in this industry.
Portsmouth Comic Con will also be hosting the first ever official Portsmouth Comic Con After-Party. On the Saturday and Sunday evenings, Hampshire Boulevard will be throwing the best Comic Con themed parties, featuring DJs, drag shows, cosplay and Comic Con-themed drinks, with free entry for Comic Con ticket holders before 9pm.
Live music will also be making a return to the Con: with ROKKET featuring Amba Tremain closing off the main stage on Saturday and Sunday. ROKKET is a collective of some of the finest musicians in the UK (as seen on BGT, BBC Introducing, Boy George, Howard Donald, SXSW Festival, IOW Festival, Victorious Festival, Ronnie Scotts and more). They’ll be bringing some of the best rock songs, past and present, to life and for Comic Con they have tailored their show to celebrate some of the best loved tunes from movies like Guardians of the Galaxy, Spider man, Thor, Iron Man, Karate Kid, Rocky and more.
Alongside the ever-popular cosplayers, Dream Team Portsmouth, who will be bringing well-known characters to life, the Con is also excited to announce The Firestorm Mandos, a Mandalorian cosplay group established in June 2025 by Lewis Haynes, Jack Calvin, Jay White and Ant Muscat.
As ever, there will be plenty of opportunities to enjoy or participate in the inclusive Cosplay Parades, get hands on in the workshops, peruse the traders and pick up some incredible merchandise, from comics and collectibles to t-shirts and fan art, and get involved in interactive fun, including retro and board gaming.
Portsmouth Comic Con is one of the largest family-friendly comic cons of its kind, presenting the best in comic, film, TV and pop culture entertainment in a fully immersive and fun day out for all. Visitors can explore the biggest franchises around through interactive experiences, displays, exhibitions, workshops and fascinating panels and discussions. Get your tickets from www.portsmouthcomiccon.com.
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