Colossalcon East 2026 Gallery And Writeup Part 1
On September 10-13, 2026, Colossalcon East returned to the Kalahari Resort & Convention Center in Pocono Manor, Penn., for their ninth annual convention. The organizers describe their events as “the ultimate celebration of anime, gaming, and pop culture,” which “brings fans together in dynamic venues that combine high-energy convention experiences with resort-style fun.”
Colossalcon East features a wide variety of panels of programming throughout the four-day event, including panels that cover both common topics that you’ll see at most anime conventions, as well as some more unique content you aren’t likely to find elsewhere. Although I’m never able to make the time to personally attend any panels, I always get a laugh perusing the list of adult-only panels on the schedule. Among those that piqued my interest this year included “Do I have to remember all 34 rules?,” “Angst or Smut? Fanfiction Guessing Game,” “Newgrounds.com The First Impact,” and “Hentai across the universe.”
Frontier Pro Wrestling, an independent professional wrestling promotion headquartered in Stroudsburg, Penn., returned to Colossalcon East again this year, giving attendees a unique opportunity to become part of the action. In their “Colossalcon Promo Battle” event, attendees could get on the mic to let their opponent know how they were going to lay the smack down on them, competing to be crowned Colossalcon’s promo king/queen. In their “Create an Entrance” segment, attendees could queue up their favorite entrance theme music, and strut to the squared circle as the other fans in attendance cheered (or jeered) them on. FPW culminated their events at Colossalcon East with a traditional pro wrestling show on Saturday evening of the convention.
Cosplay meetup/photoshoots are wildly popular at the convention, as around a whopping 120 of them were scheduled over the course of the event this year. The schedule was jam-packed with meetups being held all across the Kalahari. Friday and Saturday are the peak days for these events, but I noticed an increase in the number of meetups Thursday this year as well.
Voice over guests in attendance this year included Lauren Landa, Kira Buckland, Michelle Rojas, Brittney Karbowski, Jad Saxton, and Nola Klop.
Several concerts were held on Saturday of the event, with musical performances by the Triforce Quartet, Kazha, and Isekai Stage.
Attendees looking to get their game on could enjoy the arcade room, courtesy of Snow Phoenix and Wedoca, which was open until 2 a.m. on the first three nights of the convention. The arcade had a focus on music and rhythm games, with cabinets for games including Jubeat, Pop’n Music, Sound Voltex, Dancerush Stardom, and much more.
The Market Room at Colossalcon East is another unique and popular feature of the event. Here, attendees had the opportunity to set up at a table and sell their own wares, with different themes on each day of the event. At the Craft Fair on Thursday, attendees could sell items of their own creation. During the TCG Market on Friday, attendees could sell collectible card game, tabletop and video game-related merchandise including card game cards/packs/sets, playmats, dice, and gaming miniatures. At the Underground Market District, open to adults only on Friday night of the convention, attendees could sell 18+ artwork, figures, body pillows, manga, and more.
The Kalahari’s vast indoor waterpark is always a popular destination for many convention attendees, both during the day and nighttime hours. Wristbands to the waterpark are included for guests staying at the Kalahari resort, while other visitors could purchase day passes to the waterpark for around $70 – $100 for each day, with prices varying depending on the day of the week. There was also an after-hours waterpark party held on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night, for convention attendees only, priced at $49 for one night, and $129 for all three nights. This year, the party featured a different theme on each night, with “Gacha Galaxy” on Thursday, “Anime Beach Episode” on Friday, and “Shonen Jump Night” on Saturday.
Colossalcon holds conventions at Kalahari venues in three other states across the country (Ohio, Texas, and Wisconsin), and will be expanding with their first convention in Virginia next year at the Kalahari’s newest venue in Woodford, Va.
As of the time of this writing, the dates for Colossalcon East 2027 have not yet been officially announced, but the convention is generally held on the weekend following Labor Day.
Cosplayers in this first of three galleries include ookamisun, sniper.cos, taypaigecosplay, frozen_waffle_cosplay, galaxie.ghostie, rj_obsidian_, allisun.cos, yunetaro, elizawitchcosplay, elle.chu, tavern.wench.cosplays, s1nfluencer, flightythenerd, _starry_skye_, kayluna_cosplay, styx.cosplays, vanz0ffical, pk_arcfire, micro8bit, candyxneko, milktearsss, vi.sionn, mymelocosplay, kahlan.nell, dizzyfox_cosplay, hexed_ashes, ohnoyouknit_it, jennyjuiceboxxx7, and many more.
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