Comic book fans, cosplayers and pop-culture diehards are gearing up for Hampton Comicon's return to the Hampton Roads Convention Center, a multi-day gathering organizers describe as bringing together thousands of fans and enthusiasts for a packed slate of panels, vendors and celebrity appearances. The event is being promoted as a convention for attendees of all ages, with programming built around comics, cosplay and fandom culture.
Scheduling details for the event have varied across sources. The venue's own event page, from thehrcc.com, describes 2026 Hampton Comicon as a three-day event dated October 17, while a separate event snippet from hamptoncomicon.com lists the dates as October 17-18, 2026. Meanwhile, WAVY.com reports the convention running October 18-19, 2026, with hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the first day. Hoodline has not been able to resolve the discrepancy among these sources.
What's Inside the Exhibition Hall
Whatever the exact dates turn out to be, the draw is the same: a massive exhibition hall featuring comic book creators, artists and voice actors, according to the venue's listing. Organizers also promise hundreds of vendor booths stocked with rare back issues, original artwork, custom apparel and hard-to-find collectibles, plus toys and other pop-culture merchandise, per the same listing.
Beyond the shopping, the convention leans heavily into interaction. Photo opportunities, autograph sessions and live Q&A panels with special guests are part of the lineup, the venue's page notes, alongside what's billed as the region's most competitive cosplay showcase. An expanded gaming zone is also part of this year's programming, featuring free-play console arenas, retro setups and tabletop gaming tournaments, according to the same source.
A Growing Local Tradition
Hampton Comicon's programming has historically spanned a wide range of fandom interests, with past listings on hampton.gov describing celebrities, artists, vendors, comics, anime, board games, video games, trivia, cosplay and panels all under one roof. Earlier Hampton Comicon events have also been pitched as family-friendly outings, with special guests, vendors, cosplayers, panels and contests aimed at comic book and pop culture fans, according to the city's calendar listings.
This isn't the only Hampton Comicon on the 2026 calendar. A separate one-day event was scheduled for February 21, 2026, according to thehrcc.com, featuring special guest Mark Hildreth alongside comic creators, a vendor market, Artist Alley, cosplay and gaming. Tickets for that earlier event ran from $16.55 to $26.90, with children 10 and under admitted free alongside a paid adult pass — the same free-kids-with-adult-ticket policy carried into the fall event.
Ticket Prices for the Fall Event
For the convention now approaching, single-day admission is listed at $30 for Friday, $45 for Saturday and $35 for Sunday, according to the venue's page, with a full-weekend badge priced at $75. As with the February event, children ages 10 and under get in free with a paid adult ticket.
On Instagram, the account @hamptoncomicon describes itself as “Hampton Virginia's Pop Culture & Comic Convention,” pointing fans toward the Hampton Roads Convention Center for this fall's gathering. For locals who caught the smaller February edition, the fall convention promises a bigger footprint — more vendors, an expanded gaming pavilion and a cosplay showcase organizers call the region's most competitive yet.
