Momocon 2026 Turns Up the Heat!
Momocon 2026 started this summer off with a bang! They brought the heat to Hotlanta with activations over 646,000 square feet for over 67,000 people. For 21 years, Momocon has merged the worlds of gaming, anime, costuming, and comics for families and connoisseurs of all ages. This year, Momocon expanded their coverage across two buildings of the Georgia World Congress Center and the Omni Hotel.
Rain did not keep attendees at home, and if you didn’t want to walk, Momocon had bus shuttles all weekend that stopped near five different hotels in the downtown area. The building is also in close proximity to the GWCC MARTA station, Atlanta’s public transit system. Upon arrival, you can expect to be stunned by the large number of people dressed as their all-time favorite characters. Registration was a breeze and convenient as there were many friendly volunteers ready to assist!
Building B hosts the main exhibit hall, panels, manga library, main photo shoot area, the AFK room, Karaoke and Performance rooms, the craft corner, screenings, and workshops! The Main Exhibit Hall was full of a diverse array of art, trinkets, media, comics, clothing, swords, figures, and so much more from small business owners of all backgrounds. In Artist Alley, I found so many new comics and graphic novels from artists who are ready to take readers by storm. Though finding black women comic creators was difficult, I stumbled upon Epoch Sonder, a writer/novelist with two books out now who created a 6ft+ statue of one of the characters from her works.
On the left side of the Main Exhibit Hall, supporters lined up to receive autographs from their favorite voice actors such as AJ Beckles, Marisha Ray, Robbie Daymond, and more. On the opposite side, they have a car showcase where fandom and car lovers meet to show vehicles decorated with bright colors and printed stickers of their favorite personas, and next to them are wrestling shows where you can enjoy seeing a powerbomb in real life! The Manga Library is tucked away for those seeking a little peace amidst all the excitement. It is filled with books from Shōnen to Shōjo to horror, allowing you to take a break from your world and step into a new one.
Momocon was filled with over 100 panels for students of life to learn, engage, discuss, and educate others on various topics from “Magical Girl Summit” to “Baseball in Japan:101” to “Journalism in Nerd Culture.” This year, Pages and Panels was invited by Off Blxxk Magazine to speak on that panel. I was able to sit alongside Tyanna Watts and Aran Lee to discuss the role journalism plays in nerd culture and how to navigate that industry.
Building A was where the gaming hall, maid cafe, cosplay repairs, AMVs and movie screenings, panels, and workshops were held. The Gaming Hall was massive with an area for each type of gameplay including: Mahjong, D&D, VR, Handheld, PC, console, retro gaming, and UVS, RPG board arcade, and dancing games. This is also where the Stream Zone and gaming tournaments took place. The party doesn’t stop there! The Omni hotel hosted LARPs, Fan organized photo shoots, panels, workshops, and raves.
Momocon exceeded attendee expectations and has grown to include so many different areas of nerd, geek, and pop culture. You are bound to find a place where you fit in. We cannot wait to see what is in store next. Learn more about Momocon here: https://www.momocon.com/
