Portsmouth Comic Con returns to Portsmouth Guildhall for first time in two years - here's how to get tickets

After a Covid-enforced break, the biggest event of its kind on the south coast will return to the city bringing with it international comic artists and writers, stars of the screen, a Star Wars experience and cosplay for visitors to enjoy.

Taking place on Saturday, May 7 and Sunday, May 8, the event will be held at Portsmouth Guildhall with a host of panel discussions, workshops and cosplay parades for all ages hosted by GoGeek Events CIC among many other activities.

Special features for 2022 include the Star-Wars Walk-Through Experience; She-Quential – A Celebration of Female Superheroes; and A World of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

There are also exhibitions and displays to explore, with visitors able to go behind the scenes of film and TV and explore the technology being used by the creatives of the future in a specialist gaming zone.

Staff and students from the faculty of creative and cultural industries at the University of Portsmouth will also be leading panels and running workshop demonstrations, as well as reflecting on hopes for the future of much-loved stories and characters.

They will be joined by professionals and artists who will share their expertise and experience working in the comics industry.

Lincoln Geraghty, Professor of Media Cultures in the School of Film, Media and Communication at the University of Portsmouth, said: ‘From superheroes to witches and wizards, Comic Con aims to bring together people who share a fascination for the adventure and intrigue that tales of daring, magic, and fantasy promise.

‘Many of the staff, from fields such as film and media studies, English literature, and visual culture, teach and write about these topics and they always enjoy the chance to talk about their favourite subjects.’

On ‘She-Quential Saturday: A Celebration of Female Superheroes’, panels will be devoted to the following topics: female superheroes and empowerment, women and British comics, gender and Doctor Who, the final girl in horror, and Marvel Cinematic Universe Phase Four.

For Sunday, the focus is on ‘A World of Witchcraft and Wizardry’ and panels will tackle reportage comics and travelogues, the figure of the witch, Harry Potter movies, and fantasy and fairytales.

To buy tickets visit portsmouthcomiccon.com/tickets/

Adult tickets start from £12.50, student tickets cost £10.50, entry for children under 14 is £8.50 and entry for children under five is £1.