Fan Expo Philadelphia 2026 Writeup And Gallery, Part 1
Fan Expo Philadelphia returned to the Pennsylvania Convention Center on May 29-31, 2026. This was Fan Expo’s fifth annual show in Philadelphia after their acquisition of six events from Wizard World in 2021.
A large part of what draws attendees to Fan Expo events is the star-studded lineup of celebrity guests the organizers bring to each of their shows, and this year’s show in Philadelphia was no exception. Mr. T., Orlando Bloom, Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, David Tennant, Arthur Darvill, Jonathan Frakes, Brent Spiner, Tom Welling, Michael Rosenbaum, Erica Durance, and Christopher Lambert were among the many stars of television and cinema in attendance.
Fan Expo also brought in a host of video game and animated series voice actors to the Philadelphia show. Nick Apostolides, Angela Sant’Albano, Delanie Nicole Gill, Emma Rose Creaner, Daniel Baugh, David Kaye, Nicholas Roye, Nazeeh Tarsha, Damien Haas, and Jennifer Hale were among those in attendance this year.
Cosplay is a huge part of Fan Expo shows, and there are always events and programming scheduled with cosplayers, and fans of cosplay, in mind. Among the most popular are Fan Expo’s “cosplay red carpet” events, held daily at each of their shows. Here, cosplayers can show off their creations without the pressure of competition. This is a “just for fun” event with no pre-registration or judging. I am always impressed by the large number of cosplayers participating, and fans spectating the events each year.
Fan Expo Philadelphia also featured a handful of cosplay guests at the show, some of which hosted educational panels on topics such as cosplay creation, and 3D printing. Cobalt Cosplay, horrorqueencosplay, kirakreatescosplay, llspidey, and toxiekat were among the cosplayers featured in Philly this year.
Cosplay meetups were another highlight of the show, with more than a dozen anime-themed meetups hosted in the Anime HQ room on the first floor of the venue. Non anime-related cosplay meetups (comic, sci-fi, etc.) were held throughout the event in the cosplay red carpet area.
Fans of classic gaming enjoyed the Retroware Arcade room, with cabinets featuring popular games from the ’80s and ’90s.
Performing at Fan Expo Philadelphia this year was the Greater Philadelphia Gamer Symphony Orchestra, with music from The Legend of Zelda, Undertale, Sonic the Hedgehog, Fallout 4, and more.
As Fan Expo is a family friendly event for all ages, the show includes entertainment geared toward the younger attendees. The Kid’s Zone, located on the lower level in room 117 this year, featured superhero training with the Philadelphia Avengers, the Amazing Spiderlings Dance Party, and Ghostbusters: Slime Time events, which delighted the children in attendance.
The exhibit hall on the second floor of the convention center was home to the dealer’s hall and artist alley. Fans in attendance could browse a wide variety of artwork, collectibles, games, apparel, and much more there.
Fan Expo is a multi-genre show, so whether you’re a fan of comics, anime, gaming, sci-fi, cinema, or all of the above, you’ll likely find plenty to enjoy at any of their shows across the country. Judging by the volume of fans in attendance this year, the Philadelphia show appeared to be another popular and successful event for Fan Expo.
Fan Expo Philadelphia will return to the City of Brotherly Love on May 28-30, 2027.
Cosplayers in this gallery include sakuraharunogirl, a1exisrl, godtierjade, passenger.078, jennyjuiceboxxx7, kidkryptonite89, heatherboddy, crimson_quinn_, mbp_cosplay, mizubimayhem, starlightgoddess_cosplay, tiny.icarus, ultimate_form_cosplay, sophiasouthey06, ladyjcosplay, asmayday, dan_cattell_art, and many more.
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