The Bay Area is getting a new comic con: Fan Expo San Francisco, which will launch in Fall 2022 at the Moscone Center, part of a multi-year agreement with the facility. The show is part of the Fan Expo family, which includes the huge Fan Expo Canada, shows in Boston and Dallas, Megacon in Florida and the recently acquired Denver show.
San Francisco has long been the one major US city without a large signature comics show, although the area was home to several prominent events in pre-COVID times, such as the Silicon Valley Comic Con in San Jose.
The announcement is a bit surprising to those who wondered if WonderCon (currently held in Anaheim) would ever return to its original Bay Area setting — one guesses, after all this, probably not. WonderCon was last held in San Francisco in 2011.
Fan Expo shows are large, fan-friendly affairs, and this one will be no different, with event dates and more news to be announced later this year. The company is owned by the international event company Informa.
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“FAN EXPO is beyond thrilled to finally be bringing an authentic comic con style experience to the Bay Area,” said FAN EXPO HQ President, Aman Gupta. “We’re committed to growing an exceptional event for fans who’ve been missing out since Wondercon moved to Anaheim in 2012, and really make a home in this community. San Francisco is a world-class hub for creativity, diversity, and innovation – I hope fans embrace us and get involved so we can celebrate their incredible local talent together.”
This announcement further establishes FAN EXPO HQ as North America’s largest producer of pop culture fan events.
Earlier this spring, FAN EXPO HQ added FAN EXPO Denver to its roster – an addition to be produced in collaboration with Pop Culture Classroom, the Denver-based education and community nonprofit formerly responsible for Denver Pop Culture Con/Denver Comic Con. The Denver con, which was established in 2012, attracts 100,000+ fans annually and is set to return as early as late 2021.
FAN EXPO HQ’s roster includes some of the largest and most well-established pop culture events in North America including MEGACON Orlando, FAN EXPO Dallas, FAN EXPO Denver, and FAN EXPO Boston; the two largest shows in Canada – FAN EXPO Canada (Toronto) and the Calgary Comic & Entertainment Expo; and more. FAN EXPO events are known for welcoming some of Hollywood’s biggest stars and creators (like Ben Affleck, Jason Momoa, Mark Hamill, Patrick Stewart, Sigourney Weaver, Gillian Anderson, Todd McFarlane, and Jim Lee), and for presenting news-making, exclusive events like 2019’s Back to the Future Reunion with Michael J. Fox and cast.
“Being in the position to make this announcement in the midst of the most challenging year our industry has ever faced is a testament to the resiliency, passion, and commitment of my team at FAN EXPO HQ,” said FAN EXPO HQ President, Aman Gupta, who leads a team of 40+ employees in both the U.S. and Canada. “I’m proud that our strategies prioritized and allowed for the large majority of our international team to stay not only together, but strong; they remained determined and never stopping pushing for outcomes like this for our fans. We all eagerly await the day we can safely welcome fans back for a proper celebration.”
“Now, more than ever, we’re proud to welcome partners providing safe and inclusive spaces for people to build vital community connections,” said Bob Sauter, General Manager of the Moscone Center. “FAN EXPO HQ’s reputation as an industry leader precedes them, and their commitment to creating a first-class event here will ripple significant economic impact into our local economy. We look forward to welcoming FAN EXPO San Francisco fans to the Moscone Center for years to come.”
FAN EXPO San Francisco tickets will be available later in 2021. More information can be found at www.fanexposanfrancisco.com, and fans wanting to get first news on dates and tickets can sign up here.