List of fan conventions by date of founding

The list of modern fan conventions 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 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.

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 (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 (1941) Eastercon (1948) Westercon (1948)

1950s Disclave (1950–1997) Midwestcon (1950) Lunacon (1957)

1960s MileHiCon (1960) Nihon SF Taikai (1962) DeepSouthCon (1963) First Long Beach Science Fantasy Convention (1963) Second Long Beach Science Fantasy Convention (1964)

1965 Academy Con Detroit Triple Fan Fair Lucca Comics & Games — at that point known as "Salone Internazionale del Comics"

1966 Balticon

1967 Houstoncon

1968 British Comic Art ConventionSkinn, Dez. "Early days of UK comics conventions and marts," DezSkinn.com. Accessed Mar. 3, 2013. Comic Art Convention Minicon

1969 Aggiecon Bubonicon ConQuesT

1970s Multicon (1970–1982) Comic-Con — at that point called the "Golden State Comic-Con"Comic-Con Souvenir Book #40 p.61 (2009).

1971 Arcana Creation Con Novacon VCON

1972 Chicago Comic-Con — at that point called "Nostalgia '72" Eurocon Star Trek Lives, New York City Salón Internacional del Cómic del Principado de Asturias, Asturias, Spain (1972–2014)

1973 Loscon Windycon

1974 Angoulême International Comics Festival ConFusion LepreCon OrlandoCon TusCon

1975 Atlanta Fantasy Fair (1975–1995) Comiket, Tokyo, Japan Icon (Iowa) NASFIC SwanCon Unicon (1975–1989) World Fantasy Convention

1976 ConClave Chattacon Stellarcon

1977 Archon CoastCon MidSouthCon Starfest Strip Turnhout Turnhout, Antwerp, Belgium — biennial show Wiscon OKON

1978 MediaWest*Con Norwescon

1979 ArmadilloCon FantaCon, Albany, New York (1979–1990; 2013) NatCon (New Zealand) OryCon Shore Leave Towson/Hunt Valley, MD (1979-2019; 2022-2023); COVID Virtual (2020-2021) Lancaster, PA (2024)

1980s 1980 Ad Astra Mid-Ohio Con

1981 Barcelona International Comics Convention Capricon InConJunction

1982 BayCon Dallas Fantasy Fair (1982–1995) Heroes Convention I-CON (1982) Life, the Universe, & Everything Microcon

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

1984 Con-Version Ohio Valley Filk Fest Polcon United Kingdom Comic Art Convention (UKCAC) Vulkon — at that point known as "Trekon"

1986 Finncon Magnum Opus Con (1986–2001) Polaris

1987 Confluence Dragon Con Readercon WonderCon

1988 Starbase Indy Starfleet International Conference

1989 Festival of Fantastic Films Motor City Comic Con

1990s

1990 Octocon Arisia Gallifrey One DemiCon CONduit MarsCon (Virginia) Visions (1990–1998) A-Kon

1991 Escapade Con DucKon SiliCon

1992 CAN-CON CAPTION Convencion de Juegos de Mesa y Comics FedCon Diversicon Dimension Jump Stripdagen Haarlem World Horror Convention

1993 FACTS MegaCon ConDor

1994 Alternative Press Expo BotCon G-Fest Memorabilia Pittsburgh Comicon Small Press Expo (SPX)

1995 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 ShadowCon Wizard World Chicago — takes over Chicago Comicon

1998 ICon festival (Israel) MOBICON Swecon

1999 Comic Festival — at that point known as "Comic 99" CONvergence EerieCon Festival Internacional de Quadrinhos (FIQ) Générations Star Wars et Science Fiction 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 Vericon

2002 Adventure Con ConCarolinas ConDFW Dallas Comic Con East Coast Black Age of Comics Convention (ECBACC) MAGFest MoCCA Festival Phoenix Comicon Supanova Pop Culture Expo, Australia

2003 Anime Boston Anime Friends Emerald City ComiCon Granite State Comicon (Granitecon) 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 UK PonyCon

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))

2010s

2010 Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2) Massachusetts Independent Comics Expo (MICE) Pensacola Comic Convention SFContario

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" Everfree Northwest GalaCon London Super Comic Convention Rhode Island Comic Con TrotCon Wildcat Comic Con

2013 BronyCAN Ponyville Ciderfest Salt Lake Comic Con

2014 BABSCon Czequestria DashCon 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

2019 Vanhoover Pony Expo

References