The capes are out, lightsabers are ready, and Palais des congrès has once again become the centre of the pop culture universe.
The 16th edition of Montreal Comiccon opened Friday morning, welcoming fans from across Canada and beyond for a three-day celebration of celebrity appearances, comic creators, cosplay, gaming and entertainment.
Organizers officially opened the convention with a press conference Friday morning, kicking off a weekend celebrating fandom in all its forms.
The annual convention, now one of the country’s largest pop culture events, features more than 200,000 square feet of exhibitors, artists and interactive experiences spread across three floors.
This year’s event is headlined by actors Lea Thompson, Ron Perlman, Robert Englund and Tom Welling, whose careers span iconic franchises including Back to the Future, Hellboy, A Nightmare on Elm Street and Smallville.
Cirque du Soleil performers bowing after their performance at the opening ceremony of Montreal Comiccon on July 3, 2026. (Genevieve Sylvestre, CityNews)
Hollywood stars, fan favourites and voice acting icons
The celebrity lineup stretches across film, television, animation and video games.
Fans will have the chance to meet Giancarlo Esposito, Diana Lee Inosanto, Tyler Hoechlin, Elizabeth Tulloch, Harry Lloyd, Chris Noth, Jaz Sinclair, Wallace Shawn, James Marsters, Robert Patrick, Steve Agee, Nhut Le, Sol Rodriguez, Kane Hodder and Tyler Posey.
For Jason Rockman, spokesperson for Montreal Comiccon, the diversity in guests and artists is what makes the convention so special.
“If you’re a fan of anything that’s in pop culture, you know, you can come get an autograph from your favorite artist, from your favorite actor, your favorite voice actor.”
“There’s just really something for everybody.”
Regular Comiccon attendee Colin Atterbury agrees. Dressed as a gnome and carrying a “Fist Bump Zone” sign, the Ottawa native has handed out hundreds of fist bumps over the years and is continuing the tradition at this year’s 16th edition.
“It’s probably the biggest one, the biggest geek area for anything,” he said. “I mean, any kind of thing you like, costumes, if you like buying things, if you like, you know, seeing people, perfect event.”
Convention regular Colin Atterbury dressed as a fist bumping “Gnomey” at Montreal Comiccon on July 3, 2026. (Genevieve Sylvestre, CityNews)
Gaming and animation are also well represented, with voice actors Neil Newbon, Troy Baker, Yuri Lowenthal, Sean Schemmel, David Kaye, Nadji Jeter, Tara Platt, Maile Flanagan, Greg Baldwin, Michaela Jill Murphy, Katie Griffin, Linda Ballantyne and Brandon Rogers appearing throughout the weekend.
Fans of WWE can also meet Hall of Famers Billy Gunn, D-Von Dudley and Mick Foley.
The convention’s guests remain a major draw for attendees like Sandy, who returns every year to meet favourite celebrities, collect autographs and pose for photos.
“I really like to come here because of the cosplay and all the guests here and one of my friends is here. So yeah, I decided to come here, and I come here every year.”
Attendee Sandy cosplaying as Harley Quinn at Montreal Comiccon on July 3, 2026. (Genevieve Sylvestre, CityNews)
Comics remain at the heart of Comiccon
While celebrity guests continue to draw crowds, comic books remain the foundation of the convention.
Nearly 60 comic creators are attending this year’s event, including Jeph Loeb, Mike McKone, Tom Grummett, Rick Leonardi, Bart Sears, Ghoulish Gary Pullin and Jeik Dion. In addition, over 100 independent artists are showcasing original artwork and comics in Artist Alley.
Attendees can snag an autograph, grab a picture with their favorite artist, or even commission custom artwork over the convention weekend.
“There’s comic book artists,” said Rockman. “You can get commissions done by these artists, you know, you can speak to them and plan a commission where they’ll draw you something over the weekend, they’ll sign your comic books.”
Jason Rockman, spokesperson for Montreal Comicon, is seen in the convention’s conference room on July 3, 2026. (Genevieve Sylvestre, CityNews)
Gaming, cosplay and live entertainment
Beyond celebrity meet-and-greets, Comiccon offers a full schedule of programming throughout the weekend.
The fifth floor hosts celebrity panels, Q&A sessions and workshops, along with Saturday night’s Masquerade costume competition and Sunday’s Cosplay-Eh! 2026 Grand Finale.
For Rockman, while celebrity guests draw fans to the convention every year, cosplayers are its true stars.
“If you’re a fan of all of these properties, you know, a lot of them, the characters have costumes, and the cosplayers are the true heroes of the show, the true stars of the show. They’re the ones that make their costumes usually from scratch.”
Sara MacLellan is a professional cosplayer who got her start at Montreal Comiccon in 2019. Today, after travelling to conventions around the world, she still returns to her “home con” to reconnect with friends and perform in The Kpop Live Experience!
“I just love Comiccon. The guests are amazing. My friends are also performing in the masquerade. And then, yeah, just being here. It’s like home con. It’s where I started my whole cosplay journey. So it’s a lovely con. I love it here.”
Professional cosplayer Sara MacLellan dressed as Rumi from KPop Demon Hunters at Montreal Comiccon on July 3, 2026. (Genevieve Sylvestre, CityNews)
Gaming enthusiasts can visit the Indie Game Zone, the Asmodee Gaming Zone featuring titles such as CATAN, 7 Wonders, Star Wars and Marvel, and the G.A.M.E. Montréal tabletop role-playing area, where players can take part in adventures inspired by Dungeons & Dragons and Call of Cthulhu.
Fans can also explore CaliComiccon’s medieval village, participate in ConQuest through the ComicconNav mobile app and enjoy concerts and special performances scheduled throughout the weekend.
For many attendees, however, the friendships formed through Comiccon are what keep them coming back. Mother-and-daughter duo Van and her mom make the trip from Quebec City every summer, arriving in cosplay to shop, reconnect with friends and meet fellow fans.
“You know you’re going to meet friends; you’re going to make new friends, you’re going to have so much fun,” said Van. “It’s why we come every year.”
Attendees “Van and mom” dressed as Toy Story’s Woody and Jessie at Montreal Comiccon on July 3, 2026. (Genevieve Sylvestre, CityNews)
Ticketed events include James Marsters Live! on Friday, Galactic Empire on Saturday and Naheulband on Sunday.
Included with admission are OVMF concerts celebrating Super Smash Bros. and Arcane, along with the K-Pop Live Experience, Vocaparty and BurlesGeek.
A convention spanning three floors
The convention occupies multiple levels of the Palais des congrès.
The Expo Hall features more than 200,000 square feet of retailers offering collectibles, toys, manga, comics, books and exclusive merchandise, alongside Artist Alley and the celebrity photo-op area.
A booth selling stickers is seen at Montreal Comiccon on July 3, 2026. (Genevieve Sylvestre, CityNews)
Autograph sessions take place on the seventh floor, while stage presentations, cosplay events and tabletop gaming are held on the fifth floor.
Since launching in 2009, Montreal Comiccon has grown from a small gathering into one of Montreal’s largest annual events, attracting more than 65,000 visitors each year.
The convention continues through Sunday at the Palais des congrès.
A promotional poster for Montreal Comiccon is seen hanging in the Palais des Congrès on July 3, 2026. (Genevieve Sylvestre, CityNews)
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