Ever since it debuted as a modest, pandemic-era gathering in late 2021, Fan Expo Denver has steadily grown to become the behemoth pop-culture event of the region.
That’s because Fan Expo, a Toronto-based company that also produces pop-culture conventions in Chicago, Dallas and San Francisco, has the resources and scale to attract big names and big crowds. Its all-things-to-all-fans approach covers cosplay, anime, comics, sci-fi, gaming, fantasy, and horror, but drills down deeper with panels, workshops and meet-ups.
Here’s everything you need to know about this weekend’s event, which is expected to draw tens of thousands of people per day to downtown Denver. (And check out our photos of a workshop for cosplayers that was held at Meow Wolf a week before the expo; see more below.)
The nitty gritty
Fan Expo Denver takes place Thursday, July 4-Sunday, July 7, at the Colorado Convention Center, 700 14th St. Tickets range from $29-$70 for an adult single-day pass, with prices depending on the day, and $24-$65 for youth 13-17, or $12 each day for 16 and under. Kids 5 and under are free. VIP passes are sold out. Visit fanexpohq.com/fanexpodenver/buy-tickets for more.
A free mobile app (fanexpohq.com/fanexpodenver/mobile-app) can help you navigate the floorplans and schedules, although a Getting Here page mostly reminds of how hard it is getting around downtown at the moment, with the 16th Street Mall under construction, the convention center’s RTD Light Rail stop closed for the weekend, and a construction project at Colorado Convention Center severely limiting on-site parking.
If you’re downtown and you can walk there, you should. We also recommend looking at denver.org/things-to-do/sports-recreation/bike-trails for pedestrian and bike routes to get from your apartment, house or hotel room safely and cheaply.
Famous names
This year is looking to be its best yet. Captain Marvel herself, a.k.a. Oscar winner Brie Larson, is the marquee name, but there are others of a similar stature: Susan Sarandon (“Thelma and Louise”), Rosario Dawson (“Ahsoka”), Andy Serkis (“Lord of the Rings”), Geena Davis (“Beetlejuice”), Rainn Wilson (“The Office”), Ella Purnell (“Fallout”), Adam Savage (“Mythbusters”), Eli Roth (“Hostel”), Keith David (“They Live”), Antony Starr (“The Boys”) and cast members of “Saved by the Bell,” “Star Trek: Picard,” “The Boys,” “Charmed,” “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Dr. Who” and “Supernatural.”
Voice actors from the animated shows “X-Men ’97,” “Star Wars: The Bad Batch,” “Futurama,” “Dora the Explorer,” and “Danny Phantom” will be joined by performance-capture and voice artists from games like Super Mario Bros. (Charles Martinet), Baldur’s Gate III (Neil Newbon), Sonic the Hedgehog (Roger Craig Smith), and Marvels’s Spider-Man 2 (Nadji Jeter and Yuri Lowenthal).
Spend, baby, spend
As is de rigueur, the meet-and-greets, photos, autographs and other interactions with big names will cost you. If you planned for that, good, but expect some sticker shock if you want an audience with Larson ($215 for a photo, $175 for an autograph) or Dawson ($150 per photo). That’s pretty much the only way to see them, since most of the big names are not participating in panels or Q&As that are included with floor admission.
Authors, comics artists
You can also spend money to support comics artists, authors and independent names along Artist Valley, which may be a better value for your budget. It’s a bit of an odd term for a gathering of creatives (a valley, really?) but it pairs thematically with Merchant Mesa, which is the straight-up retail area.
Both offer in-person selections of signed and personalized comic books, merchandise, sculptures, prints, toys and other wares. (They’ll certainly be happy for your support: a single booth costs vendors $1,725, according to Fan Expo’s website, with artists paying $406 per table.)
Cosplay galore!
Cosplayers have for more than a decade been particularly well served at pop culture conventions, but this year’s formal activities seem more fan-friendly than ever. As The Denver Post witnessed, dozens of creative makers gathered on June 30 at Meow Wolf Denver for a Fan Expo-sponsored, 14-and-up cosplay workshop that helped makers get a jump on this year’s costumes — with professional help from Meow Wolf monster-maker Kate Major and notable Colorado cosplayer Gilly Muniz.
Fan Expo Denver itself will also feature cosplay meet-ups, competitions, and appearances from nationally known cosplayers such as Stitched in Starlight, Regina Ayala and Clockwork Faerie.
Kids activities
Fan Expo Denver’s forbearer conventions always had a strong, educational element, courtesy of founder and Denver nonprofit Pop Culture Classroom. That continues for the most part today, with 2024 offering Q&A sessions with voice actors Kathleen Herles (“Dora the Explorer”), Johnny Yong Bosch (“Mighty Morphin Power Rangers”), and Charles Martinet (Super Mario). Pop Culture Classroom returns with its interactive Kid’s Lab, alongside gaming sessions, a scavenger hunt, a Kid’s Costume Alley, animation workshops, and kid-friendly movie screenings. fanexpohq.com/fanexpodenver/family-attractions