TAMPA, Fla. — If you're a fan of comics or cosplay and you're looking for something to do this weekend in the Tampa Bay area, there's an event going on for you!
The Tampa Bay Comic Convention is in full swing in downtown Tampa with two more days of events to go. The festivities kicked off Friday at the Tampa Convention Center and will go on until Sunday evening.
Event-goers will be able to meet and take photos or get autographs from celebrities — all for a price of course. There will also be activities and a cosplay contest happening at the convention as well.
Here is everything you need to know before heading over to the Tampa Convention Center this weekend.
Convention hours ⌚
Saturday, July 30
9 a.m. – Box office opens.
10 a.m. – Early entry for VIP & gold pass holders.
10:30 a.m. – Exhibitor hall opens. The first panels begin.
7 p.m. – Exhibitor hall closes.
10 p.m. – Box office closes.
10 p.m. – Last panels end.
Sunday, July 31
9 a.m. – Box office opens.
10 a.m. – Early entry for VIP & gold pass holders.
10:30 a.m. – Exhibitor hall opens. The first panels begin.
5 p.m. – Exhibitor hall & box office closes. Last panels end.
The event's website says the convention hours are subject to change.
Who will be there 👀
Event-goers will be able to take photos with many different celebrities — all for a price of course.
Big names like William Shatner, James "Murr" Murray and Zach Roerig will be at the convention. For a price of $60, fans can snap a picture with the celebrities before moving on to other activities.
See a full list of celebrities who will be there by clicking here.
Experiences 📸
Along with snatching up autographs from some celebrities, comic con attendees can look forward to features and activities as well.
People can buy tickets to see James Murray live, go to a lip-sync competition and also take part in a cosplay contest.
With other events going on at the Tampa Convention Center, people will definitely not have time to be bored.
Tickets 🎫
Even with the event kicking off on Friday, people can still buy tickets to enjoy the comic con on Saturday and Sunday.
Day passes and weekend passes are available along with photo ops for both days. You can also find tickets for the special events on the event's website as well.
- Saturday pass: $40
- Sunday pass: $30
- Weekend multipass: $60
- Weekend gold pass: $125
- Weekend VIP pass: $295
Click here to see the pricing for other tickets as well.
Parking & hotels 🚗🏨
Event-goers can park at the main garage parking facility for the Tampa Convention center. There are also multiple nearby parking garages and lots in the downtown Tampa area open for parking.
More information on parking around the convention center can be found here.
For anyone coming from somewhere outside of the Tampa Bay area, there are multiple hotels to choose from.
- Aloft Tampa Downtown: Starting at $139/night
- Sheraton Tampa Riverwalk: Starting at $159/night
- Courtyard and Residence Inn Tampa: Starting at $149/night
- Hampton Inn Downtown Channel District: Starting at $149/night
- Home Suites 2 by Hilton Tampa Downtown Channel District: Starting at $149/night
- The Westin Tampa Waterside: Starting at $154/night