The list of modern

fan conventions Fan convention (also known as con or fan meeting), a term that predates 1942, is an event in which fans of a particular topic gather to participate and hold programs and other events, and to meet experts, famous personalities, and each other. Some ...

for various genres of entertainment extends to the first conventions held in the 1930s. Some fan historians claim that the 1936 Philadelphia Science Fiction Conference, a.k.a. Philcon, was the first science fiction convention ever held. Others, such as

Fred Patten Frederick Walter Patten (December 11, 1940 – November 12, 2018) was an American writer and historian known for his work in the science fiction, fantasy, anime, manga, and furry fandoms, where he gained great distinction through a substantial ...

and Rob Hansen, make this claim for the January 1937 event in Leeds, England, organized by the Leeds Science Fiction League, which was specifically organized as a conference, with a program and speakers. Out of this came the first incarnation of the

British Science Fiction Association The British Science Fiction Association Limited is an organisation founded in 1958 by a group of British academics, science fiction fans, authors, publishers and booksellers, in order to promote the writing, criticism, and study of science fiction ...

. While a few conventions were created in various parts of the world within the period between 1935 and 1960, the number of convention establishments increased slightly in the 1960s and then increased dramatically in the 1970s, with many of the largest conventions in the modern era being established during the latter decade. Impetuses for further establishment of local fan conventions include: * The return of superhero characters and franchises during the

Silver Age of Comic Books The Silver Age of Comic Books was a period of artistic advancement and widespread commercial success in mainstream American comic books, predominantly those featuring the superhero archetype. Following the Golden Age of Comic Books and an inter ...

(1956-1970) * science fiction adaptations for television serials (e.g., '' Star Trek'') in the 1960s-1970s * the growth of role-playing (in the 1970s and 1980s) as a genre of tabletop, live-action and eventually video/computer gaming, which not only inspired roleplay of favorite characters in full-body costumes but also inspired existing franchises to adapt their themes for said methods of gaming * the growth in home taping (starting with VHS in the late 1970s) of television broadcasts, including popular serials. * the growth of computerized communication, including the Internet and Internet-dependent applications in the 1980s and 1990s.

1930s

* Philcon (1936) * Worldcon (1939)

1940s

Boskone Boskone is an annual science fiction convention ("con") run by the New England Science Fiction Association (NESFA) in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. In the words of the convention organizers, "Boskone is a regional Science Fiction co ...

(1941) *

Eastercon Eastercon is the common name for the annual British national science fiction convention. The convention is organised by voluntary self-organising committees, rather than a permanent entity. Organisation Groups of fans (typically 5–8 in nu ...

(1948) *

Westercon Westercon (occasionally WesterCon; long version West Coast Science Fantasy Conference) is a regional science fiction and fantasy convention founded in September 1948 by Walter J. Daugherty of the Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society. The original ...

(1948)

1950s

* Disclave (1950–1997) *

Midwestcon Midwestcon is a science fiction convention held annually in the Cincinnati, Ohio area by the Cincinnati Fantasy Group. Midwestcon is an informal type of convention known as a "relaxacon," which means that it has no programming. Instead it is no ...

(1950) * Lunacon (1957)

1960s

* MileHiCon (1960) *

Nihon SF Taikai The is an annual science fiction convention held in Japan. Each of these conventions is officially the , but they are more popularly known by the official nicknames given to them based on their locations, e.g. TOKON (when it is held in Tokyo) or ...

(1962) *

DeepSouthCon The DeepSouthCon (DSC) is an annual science fiction convention, which is hosted in different cities in the Southern United States. Site selection is by vote of the membership of a given DSC, for the convention to be held 2 years in the future. DS ...

(1963) * First Long Beach Science Fantasy Convention (1963) * Second Long Beach Science Fantasy Convention (1964)

1965

Academy Con The Academy of Comic-Book Fans and Collectors (ACBFC) was the first official organization of comic book enthusiasts and historians. Active during the 1960s, the ACBFC was established by Jerry Bails, the "father of comics fandom". A vital player in ...

Detroit Triple Fan Fair The Detroit Triple Fan Fair (DTFF) was a multigenre convention generally held annually in Detroit from 1965 to 1977. It is credited for being one of the first comic book conventions in the United States. The Triple Fan Fair also gave balanced c ...

* Lucca Comics & Games — at that point known as "Salone Internazionale del Comics" *

Marcon Marcon is a ''comune'' in the Metropolitan City of Venice, the region of Veneto, northern Italy. It contains the hamlets of Gaggio and San Liberale. It is bordered by Mogliano Veneto, Quarto d'Altino, and Venice Venice ( ; it, Vene ...

1966

Balticon Balticon is the Maryland Regional science fiction convention, sponsored by the Baltimore Science Fiction Society (BSFS). It has been held annually since 1966. The name "Balticon" is trademarked by BSFS. Overview Balticon brings together over 18 ...

1967

* Houstoncon

1968

British Comic Art Convention The British Comic Art Convention (usually known by the moniker Comicon) was an annual British comic book convention which was held between 1968 and 1981, usually in London. The earliest British fan convention devoted entirely to comics, it was al ...

Comic Art Convention The Comic Art Convention was an American comic book fan convention held annually New York City, New York, over Independence Day weekend from 1968 through 1983, except for 1977, when it was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and 1978 to 1979, ...

Minicon Minicon is a science fiction and fantasy convention in Minneapolis usually held on Easter weekend. Started in 1968 and running approximately annually since then, it is one of the oldest science fiction conventions in the midwest United States. ...

1969

Aggiecon AggieCon is the oldest and largest student-run multigenre convention in the United States. Held annually since 1969 by Cepheid Variable at Texas A&M University's Memorial Student Center, it has grown to become one of the larger conventions in Tex ...

* Bubonicon *

ConQuesT Conquest is the act of military subjugation of an enemy by force of arms. Military history provides many examples of conquest: the Roman conquest of Britain, the Mauryan conquest of Afghanistan and of vast areas of the Indian subcontinent, ...

1970s

* Multicon (1970–1982) *

Comic-Con A comic book convention or comic-con is an event with a primary focus on comic books and comic book culture, in which comic book fans gather to meet creators, experts, and each other. Commonly, comic conventions are multi-day events hosted at co ...

— at that point called the "Golden State Comic-Con"

1971

* Arcana * Creation Con * Novacon *

VCON VCON is a fan run fantasy, gaming, and science fiction convention held annually in the metro Vancouver area of British Columbia, Canada. It has been hosted by the West Coast Science Fiction Association (WCSFA) since 1993, and by the Western Cana ...

1972

* Chicago Comic-Con — at that point called "Nostalgia '72" * Eurocon * Salón Internacional del Cómic del Principado de Asturias,

Asturias Asturias (, ; ast, Asturies ), officially the Principality of Asturias ( es, Principado de Asturias; ast, Principáu d'Asturies; Galician-Asturian: ''Principao d'Asturias''), is an autonomous community in northwest Spain. It is coextensive ...

, Spain (1972–2014)

1973

Loscon The Los Angeles Science Fantasy Society, Inc., or LASFS, is a science fiction and fantasy fan society that meets in the Los Angeles area. The current meeting place can be found on thLASFS website LASFS is the oldest continuously operating scienc ...

Windycon Windycon is a science fiction convention held in Lombard, Illinois, on the weekend closest to Veterans Day. ISFiC, the parent corporation that runs Windycon,Pavlac, RossWhat's an ISFiC ISFiC Web Site, retrieved, 2015-11-10 was founded in 1973 in ...

1974

Angoulême International Comics Festival The Angoulême International Comics Festival (french: Festival international de la bande dessinée d'Angoulême) is the second largest comics festival in Europe after the Lucca Comics & Games in Italy, and the third biggest in the world after L ...

ConFusion In medicine, confusion is the quality or state of being bewildered or unclear. The term "acute mental confusion"

LepreCon LepreCon is an annual science fiction convention with an emphasis on art held in and around Phoenix, Arizona usually in May around Mother's Day weekend. It is the second oldest science fiction convention in Arizona. It is sponsored by LepreCo ...

OrlandoCon OrlandoCon, also known as O'Con, was a long-running comic book fan convention which was held annually between 1974 and 1996 in Orlando, Florida. The first comic book convention held in the Orlando area, OrlandoCon billed itself as a "Central Florid ...

* TusCon

1975

Atlanta Fantasy Fair The Atlanta Fantasy Fair (AFF) was a multigenre convention which took place once each summer in Atlanta, Georgia from 1975 to 1995. Organized by A.C.F.F., Ltd., the convention was a nonprofit entity designed to promote the fantasy genre in the A ...

(1975–1995) *

Comiket , more commonly known as or , is a semiannual ''doujinshi'' convention in Tokyo, Japan. A grassroots market focused on the sale of ''doujin'' (self-published) works, Comiket is a not-for-profit fan convention administered by the volunteer-run ...

, Tokyo, Japan * Icon (Iowa) *

NASFIC NASFiC, a.k.a. the North American Science Fiction Convention, is a science fiction convention scheduled only during years where the Worldcon is being held outside the North American continent. NASFiC bids are voted on by the membership of the Wor ...

* SwanCon *

Unicon Unicon, previously known as UNICON, is the World Unicycling Convention and Championships sanctioned by the International Unicycling Federation (IUF). The IUF sanctions a biennial world unicycling convention and competition, the major event on ...

(1975–1989) * World Fantasy Convention

1976

ConClave A papal conclave is a gathering of the College of Cardinals convened to elect a bishop of Rome, also known as the pope. Catholics consider the pope to be the apostolic successor of Saint Peter and the earthly head of the Catholic Church. Co ...

* Chattacon * Stellarcon

1977

Archon ''Archon'' ( gr, ἄρχων, árchōn, plural: ἄρχοντες, ''árchontes'') is a Greek word that means "ruler", frequently used as the title of a specific public office. It is the masculine present participle of the verb stem αρχ-, mean ...

* CoastCon * MidSouthCon * Starfest * Strip Turnhout Turnhout, Antwerp, Belgium — biennial show * Wiscon *

OKON Okon is both a surname and a given name. Notable people with the name include: Surname: *Paul Okon, Australian footballer * Akpan Okon, 17th century African king * Kakpokpo Okon, 17th century African prince * Effiong Okon, Nigerian boxer *Rick, Ok ...

1978

MediaWest*Con MediaWest*Con is one of the largest and longest running media-based (TV shows/film) fan-run conventions in the United States. It is held annually over Memorial Day weekend in Lansing, Michigan. The convention emerged in the late 1970s, beginning ...

Norwescon Norwescon is one of the largest regional science fiction and fantasy conventions in the United States. Located in SeaTac in Washington state, Norwescon has been running continuously since 1978. "Norwescon" was also the name of the 8th World ...

1979

ArmadilloCon ArmadilloCon is a science fiction convention held annually in Austin, Texas, USA, since 1979. As the second longest running science fiction convention in Texas, it is sponsored by the Fandom Association of Central Texas and is known for its empha ...

* FantaCon, Albany, New York (1979–1990; 2013) * NatCon (New Zealand) * OryCon

1980s

1980

* Ad Astra *

Mid-Ohio Con The Wizard World Columbus Comic Con, formerly known as Mid-Ohio Con and then the Wizard World Ohio Comic Con, was a comic book convention held during the fall in Columbus, Ohio, United States, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. Initially ...

1981

* Barcelona International Comics Convention *

Capricon Capricon is a science fiction convention held annually in the Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footn ...

* InConJunction

1982

* BayCon * Dallas Fantasy Fair (1982–1995) *

Heroes Convention Heroes Convention, or HeroesCon, is a comic book convention that takes place in June (often over Father's Day weekend)Hargro, Carlton. "Best. Convention. Ever," ''Creative Loafing'' (June 17, 2009), p. 25. in Charlotte, North Carolina. The convent ...

I-CON I-CON (short for "Island CONvention") was a (roughly) annual fan convention, held on various college campuses in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. First held in 1982 on the campus of Stony Brook University, I-CON became a very eclectic ...

(1982) *

Life, the Universe, & Everything ''Life, the Universe, & Everything: The Marion K. "Doc" Smith Symposium on Science Fiction and Fantasy'' is an academic conference held annually since 1983 in Provo, Utah. It is the longest-running science fiction and fantasy convention in Utah, ...

* Microcon

1983

* Comix Fair (1983–c. 1996) — Houston, TX *

SFeraKon SFeraKon is a science fiction convention that takes place in Zagreb, Croatia every year at the end of April. Organised by SFera, it is the largest and the longest running science fiction convention in southeastern Europe. The first SFeraKon un ...

* SoonerCon

1984

* Con-Version *

Ohio Valley Filk Fest Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

Polcon Polcon is the oldest Polish speculative fiction convention, organized each year in a different place by the local speculative fiction club. The Janusz A. Zajdel Award is awarded during the convention. The first Polcon was held in 1985 in Bła� ...

United Kingdom Comic Art Convention The United Kingdom Comic Art Convention (UKCAC) was a British comic book convention which was held between 1985 and 1998. As a complement to UKCAC, from 1990 to 1995 the organizers put on the Glasgow-based Glasgow Comic Art Convention (GlasCAC), ...

(UKCAC) * Vulkon — at that point known as "Trekon"

1986

Finncon Finncon is the largest science fiction convention in Finland and, with up to 15,000 participants, one of the largest SF conventions in Europe. Finncon is unique among SF conventions because it has no participation/membership fee, and is funded p ...

* Magnum Opus Con (1986–2001) * Polaris

1987

Confluence In geography, a confluence (also: ''conflux'') occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main stem); o ...

Dragon Con Dragon Con (previously Dragon*Con and sometimes DragonCon) is a North American multigenre convention, founded in 1987, which takes place annually over the Labor Day weekend in Atlanta, Georgia. , the convention draws attendance of over 80,000, ...

Readercon Readercon is an annual science fiction convention, held every July in the Boston, Massachusetts area, in Burlington, Massachusetts. It was founded by Bob Colby and Eric Van in 1987 with the goal of focusing almost exclusively on science fiction/ ...

* WonderCon

1988

* Starbase Indy * Starfleet International Conference

1989

* Festival of Fantastic Films *

Motor City Comic Con The Motor City Comic Con is a fan convention held in Novi, Michigan, United States, at the Suburban Collection Showplace. It is traditionally a three-day event (Friday through Sunday), usually held in May of each year. The Motor City Comic Con was ...

1990s

1990

* Octocon *

Arisia Arisia is a Boston-area, volunteer-run science fiction convention, named for a planet in the Lensman novels by E. E. "Doc" Smith. The name was chosen in response to an older Boston-area con, Boskone, which took the typical ending for a conve ...

Gallifrey One Gallifrey One is an annual North American science fiction convention focusing primarily on the British television series ''Doctor Who'' and its spin-offs, ''Torchwood'', '' K-9'' and '' The Sarah Jane Adventures'', with an additional emphasis on ...

* DemiCon *

CONduit Conduit may refer to: Engineering systems * Conduit (fluid conveyance), a pipe suitable for carrying either open-channel or pressurized liquids * Electrical conduit, a protective cover, tube or piping system for electric cables * Conduit curre ...

* MarsCon (Virginia) * Visions (1990–1998) *

A-Kon A-Kon is an annual three-day anime convention held during June at the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas and Toyota Music Factory in Irving, Texas. First held in 1990 with just 380 people in attendance, A-Kon is North America's longest ru ...

1991

* Escapade Con * DucKon * SiliCon

1992

* CAN-CON *

CAPTION Caption may refer to: * Caption (text), explanatory text about specific published photos and articles *An element of comics where words appear in a separate box, see Glossary of comics terminology#Caption * Caption (comics convention), a small pr ...

* Convencion de Juegos de Mesa y Comics *

FedCon FedCon (short for Federation Convention) is a science fiction convention, also including a bit of fantasy, in Germany. It focuses on Star Trek. FedCon is the biggest Star Trek convention in Europe. History It has been held each spring since 199 ...

* Diversicon * Dimension Jump * Stripdagen Haarlem *

World Horror Convention The World Horror Convention was an annual professional gathering of the World Horror Society and other interested parties that ran annually for 26 years, from 1991 through 2016, before being discontinued. Site selection The annual World Horror ...

1993

* Fantasy Anime Comics Toys Space, FACTS * MegaCon * ConDor

1994

* Alternative Press Expo * BotCon * G-Fest * Memorabilia (event), Memorabilia * Pittsburgh Comicon * Small Press Expo (SPX)

1995

* Armageddon (convention), Armageddon * Fan Expo Canada — then known as the "Canadian National Comic Book Expo" * Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3)

1996

* Albacon * Big Apple Convention — then known as "Halleluja Con" * Festival fantazie * Jornadas de Cómic (Aviles, Spain)

1997

* Conestoga (convention), Conestoga * ShadowCon (Memphis), ShadowCon * Wizard World Chicago — takes over Chicago Comicon

1998

* ICon festival, ICon festival (Israel) * MOBICON * Swecon

1999

* Comic Festival — at that point known as "Comic 99" * CONvergence (convention), CONvergence * EerieCon * Festival Internacional de Quadrinhos (FIQ) * Générations Star Wars et Science Fiction * MarsCon (Bloomington, Minnesota), MarsCon (Minnesota) * Star Wars Celebration * WillyCon * Pyrkon

2000s

2000

* Baltimore Comic-Con * DeepCon * Gatecon * New York International Sci-Fi and Fantasy Creators Convention (2000–2002) * Small Press and Alternative Comics Expo (SPACE) * Trinoc*coN (2000–2008) * UnCommonCon (2000–2001)

2001

* Capclave * Coco Bulles (2001–2009) * ConGlomeration (convention), ConGlomeration * Vericon

2002

* Adventure Con * ConCarolinas * ConDFW * Dallas Comic Con * East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention (ECBACC) * MoCCA Festival * Phoenix Comicon * Supanova Pop Culture Expo, Australia

2003

* Anime Boston * Anime Friends * Emerald City ComiCon * TCAF * Toronto Comic Con * Monster-Mania Con * ConBust Smith College Science Fiction/Fantasy Society Convention

2004

* ApolloCon * Comic Expo (Bristol International Comic & Small Press Expo) * Comics Salon (2004–2007) — Slovakia * FenCon * Itzacon * Linucon (2004–2005) * London Film and Comic Con * Stumptown Comics Fest

2005

* Hypericon * Komikazen * MomoCon * STAPLE! * TimeGate

2006

* BabelCon * Central Canada Comic Con — at this point known as the "Manitoba Comic Con" * Lille Comics Festival * Montreal Comic-con * New York Comic Con *RavenCon

2007

* Lazy Dragon Con * Geek.Kon * Åcon

2008

* Comicpalooza * Comics Fest India * Hi-Ex * SpoCon * Gamescom (formerly Games Convention)

2009

* Brasil Game Show (BGS, formerly Rio Game Show (RGS)) * The North American Discworld Convention

2010s

2010

* Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) * SFContario (2010) * Pensacola Comic Convention (2010)

2011

* BronyCon * Comikaze Expo * Treklanta (formerly TrekTrax Atlanta)

2012

* Chicago Alternative Comics Expo (CAKE) * Denver Comic Con (DCC) * East Coast Comicon — then known as the "Asbury Park Comicon" * London Super Comic Convention * Rhode Island Comic Con * Wildcat Comic Con

2013

* Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo (MICE) * Salt Lake Comic Con

2014

* Comic Con Experience (CCXP) * Kreepy Geek Con * RuffleCon * CONjuration

2015

* Asia Pop Comic Convention * Cartoon Crossroads Columbus * Gamercom * For the Love of Sci-Fi * Rupaul's Drag Con

2016

* Silicon Valley Comic Con

2017

* Warsaw Comic Con

2018

*Comic Con Africa *Comic Con Liverpool *Comic Con Scotland *Empire City Con: A Steven Universe Fan Convention *For the Love of Horror

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fan Conventions By Date Of Founding Lists of events Science fiction conventions,