Comic Con Cape Town unpacked

4 days of cosplay, comics, competitions, celebrity meet & greets…

Last updated: Wednesday, 2 April 2025

Comic Con Cape Town sells out every single year. It’s an immersive playground, spilling across three floors, and packed with all things gaming and pop culture.

Like celebrity guests (such as Zach Aguilar from Demon Slayer, Michael Trucco from Big Bang Theory, and Ian McDiarmid from Star Wars) free gaming zones, artists from Marvel Comics and DC Comics, and more.

It’s happening 1 May to 4 May at the CTICC. Here’s everything you need to know about Cape Town Comic Con 2025.

More gaming tournaments are still to be announced. Image: Comic Con Cape Town

AFRICA’S BIGGEST COMIC CONVENTION

Cape Town Comic Con 2025 will be divided across three floors (previously it’s only been two floors).

The ground floor will be a hive of activity with international and local guests, panels, cosplay competitions, quizzes and the KidsCon Zone in partnership with ToysRUs.

Floor 1 is for tabletop and board game tournaments and competitions. You can play fan-favourite games like Dungeons & Dragons, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering.

Floor 2 is the Experience Hall. This might be the most epic floor of them all with free-to-play gaming zones and tournaments over all four days. The games include FC25, Tekken 8, Fortnite, Minecraft, UFC5 and more.

And outside is the Food Truck Village with over 10 trucks, including halaal and vegan options, and a Redbull bar.

30 000 to 34 000 people attend each year. Image: Comic Con Cape Town

COMIC CON CAPE TOWN GUESTS

The roster of guests from the world of film, voice acting and anime is fantastic. And there’s even more international names still to be announced.

Zach Aguilar (voice of Tanjiro from Demon Slayer and Aether from Genshin Impact) will take the main stage on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Along with Michael Trucco, best known for his roles in Battlestar Galactica, The Big Bang Theory, and Fire Country.

Anime fans will love the panels led by YouTube content creators Aki Dearest and The Anime Man (Joey Bizinger) on all four days.

Award-winning cosplayer, model, and craftswoman Yuji Koi will be attending on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday to share her expertise and showcase her work.

You might get to take a picture with some of the guests. Image: Comic Con Cape Town

SEE 100+ ARTISTS (BIG NAMES FROM MARVEL)

The Artists Alley, on the ground floor, is the heartbeat of any and all Comic Cons. It’s where you get up close and personal with the minds behind your favourite comic books and graphic novels.

Some of the artists have worked for major publishers like Marvel Comics and DC Comics. International names include Adam Kubert (known for his iconic runs on Wolverine) and Sean Izaakse (he’s worked on The Fantastic Four and Deadpool).

See the full list of guests and artists on Comic Con Africa’s website.

Fans can visit to marvel at artworks, exchange techniques, and even commission artwork from vendors. Image: Comic Con Cape Town

WHAT’S NEW AT KIDSCON ZONE 2025?

Comic Con is really a playground for young and old. Kids can shop from brands like LEGO and Barbie, and play Apex, Minecraft, and Fortnite, at KidsCon.

And they’ll love the meet-and-greets with characters like Mario, Luigi, The Smurfs, Noodle & Bun, and Geoffrey the Giraffe.

The best part? It’s hard to choose just one: The games and meet-and-greets are free and there’s a slushie bar.

Kids under five enter for free. Can claim this free ticket via Howler. Image: Comic Con Cape Town

NOT TO MISS: DAY 1 (THURSDAY, 1 MAY)

As soon as the doors open, attendees have the chance to shop for exclusive merchandise and collectables (like limited edition Funko Pops) on the ground floor.

Cosplay is undoubtedly one of the best parts of Comic Con. Cosplay competitions are hosted on the main stage at 1pm and 4pm daily.

There’ll be plenty of interactive zones too. Fans can take part in an anime quiz, join a Mediaeval Meet and Mingle, and play in game shows such as So You Think You Can K-Pop (a dance crew competition) and Dub It Out where you can reenact your favourite shows, movies or games.

And these are just some of the highlights. Check out the full Comic Con 2025 programme.

There are cash prizes for the main cosplay competition. Image: Comic Con Cape Town

DAY 2 (FRIDAY, 2 MAY)

On the gaming front, attendees can join a Dungeon & Dragons game or Dance Dance Revolution session. There’s also an Alien and Predator quiz where you can compete solo or team up to win prizes.

Fans can join Cape Town Paranormal Investigators in a hands-on workshop, where they teach you the ins and outs of conducting a paranormal investigation. They’ll equip you with the tools and techniques to hunt ghosts like a pro.

Talks include Content Creation: Not One Sizes Fits All with creators Alex and Mischa (Mosh) Atie, and a panel about South African science fiction and fantasy novels with local authors.

Each day brings new events and features to every corner of the convention. Image: Comic Con Cape Town

DAY 3 (SATURDAY, 3 MAY)

Cosplayers, this one’s for you. Two international competitions’ local qualifiers will be held on day three: Extreme Cosplay Gathering (ECG) and World Cosplay Summit (WCS).

The ECG winner will be sent on an all-expenses-paid trip to Paris to compete; the WCS winner to Japan.

Aspiring stars shouldn’t miss “How does one do an e-sport?” The panel delves into where to start, how to grind the ranks and what your e-sport journey could look like (who knows, you might join one of the competitions at Comic Con).

At 5pm there’ll be a Marvel quiz. From Iron Man’s first suit to the multiverse madness of Doctor Strange and Spider-Man, it’ll cover all phases and characters. Once you’re done, pop into the Meet and Mingle for superhero fans.

These are epic opportunities to compete against some of the best cosplayers in the world, only at Comic Con Cape Town. Image: Comic Con Cape Town

DAY 4 (SUNDAY, 4 MAY)

In an epic twist, the final (and perhaps most anticipated day) will fall on Star Wars day. This means Star Wars themed cosplay, collectables, and games. The international guest is Ian McDiarmid (he played Emperor Palpatine).

Of course there’ll be a Star Wars quiz that’ll test whether you know your Wookiees from your womp rats. You can also meet your Luke or Leia at May the 4th Meet and Mingle.

The Cosplay Regional Finals will take place. It will also be the last qualifier and finals for “So You Think You Can K-Pop?” and a performance from C2K, a K-Pop cover dance crew from Cape Town.

Keep an eye out on their Instagram for more announcements coming soon. Image: Comic Con Cape Town

COMIC CON CAPE TOWN TICKETS

Best be speedy. Saturday tickets are already sold out. You can get your Comic Con 2025 tickets on Howler. 

Comic Con Cape Town is happening: Thursday, 1 May to Sunday, 4 May 2025
Opening times: Thursday, 10am to 7pm; Friday, 10am to 7pm; Saturday, 9am to 7pm; Sunday 10am to 6pm 
Find it: Cape Town Convention Centre 2 (CTICC 2)
Cost: From R220 to R650
Contact on: 082 597 9330 | info@comicconafrica.co.za   

By Khadeeja Adams

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