Pull out those Jedi robes, wizard wands, and keep those cameras close. The Tampa Bay Comic Convention is back starting today at the Tampa Convention Center.
The massive downtown event brings together about 12,000 folks across a plethora of fandoms from “Harry Potter” to “The Lord of the Rings” for signings, photo ops, a massive market, and a slew of experiences. Tickets run $30 for a single-day pass, $60 for a multi-day pass, and kids 10 years old and under get in free with an adult.
Here’s our guide to the magic + a few tips for attending. May the force be with you.
Activities
- Foam combat arena
- Anime showings
- Haunted Hints Escape Room
- Tech PlayZone
- Trivia and beer tastings with Nerdbrew
- NASA experience
- Lip sync contest
- Artist Alley
Stars in attendance
- Matthew Lewis from “Harry Potter”
- Grace Van Dien from “Stranger Things”
- Corey Feldman from “The Goonies,” “The Lost Boys,” and “Stand By Me”
- Giancarlo Esposito from “Breaking Bad” and “The Mandalorian”
- Maile Flanagan from “Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs” and “Naruto”
- Jeremy Shada from “Adventure Time”
- Dominic Monaghan, Sean Astin, and Billy Boyd from “The Lord of the Rings”
- Grant Gustin from “The Flash”
- Jim Cummings from “Winnie the Pooh”
Parking pro tips
- Instead of vying for a parking spot against thousands of your fellow fans, we suggest grabbing one of the HART buses or booking an Uber.
- If you do need to park, the Tampa Convention Center Parking Garage is just steps from the event at 141 E. Brorein St. , and runs $5-$12 per day.
The need-to-know
- Download the event’s app for a map and programming guide.
- Why not use your downtown visit to try out a new restaurant like Lona or The Dan ? Or invite your new friends to a festive happy hour hang .
- Book mobility scooters and other equipment before the event.