Portsmouth Comic Con'25

Each Spring I look forward to attending Portsmouth Comic Con at the Guildhall, and discovering the exciting additions and developments the organising team have made to the event. This year was no different; on Saturday 3rd May I made my way to the first day of this year's Portsmouth Comic Con.

On arrival I picked up a booklet with schedules for talks, panels and activities, also with a site map. Last year was the first time I think these were introduced, and they are so handy for working out whats on, when and where. Even when just wondering around it was helpful to check the map to make sure I hadn't missed anything. That said, I did skip some things because they were busy when I happened to go past. I think this year I walked round in a much more casual way, and more than anything just enjoyed being at the event.

Panels

In addition to the new exhibitions and experiences, each year there is also rotating topics for panels, workshops and speaker sessions. So plenty of new conversations and insights to enjoy each year.

This year I tried to get to a few different sessions, and it's funny how quickly the time goes when you are moving between panels and activities. I also realised on my way home, that this year I took way less photos. I think I was more focused on just enjoying wondering around and making sure I got to a few of the panel sessions.

While I jumped into a few more, the panels I attended (and stayed at) were: Truth, Justice & a New Direction for Superman, a Discussion with Portsmouth Comic Con Organisers, Wicked and Wild: Musical Theatre Adaptions, NuWho at 20 and the Cosplay Parade. Attending 5 sessions doesn't seem like much now, when (checking the programme) there was 28 panel sessions, 5 workshops and 6 meet and greets; and that's just on the Saturday!

Truth, Justice & a New Direction for Superman, was an interesting conversation about the tone of movies, characters, and filming style/ colours. Very interestingly three of the panels (Superman, Musical Theatre and NuWho) all talked about the different tones, feels and acceptance for revivals and adaptations. It is also a conversation I have heard used around other franchises; so this felt really engaging and thought provoking, not just for Superman but those other franchises too.

Wicked and Wild: Musical Theatre Adaptions, included reflection on live theatre performances and the fact each performance is different and will not look the same way in 10 years as it did today. Where as, movies will always be as they were on publication. Something that sounded obvious when it was said, but was also something I wouldn't necessarily have considered. That led into a conversation about the different reasons people rewatch theatre vs movies. Theatre maybe has a more exciting rewatch with the potential for new or returning cast members, apposed to a movie where that's more likely being rewatched for comfort and familiarity.

There was a beautiful mention of why we like musicals, and why they work for some people. That being because they create an environment, kind of like a Eutopia. Where everyone says what they are thinking or feeling. Where suddenly, completely unplanned everyone comes together in unison with the perfect dancing and singing. Something I think some of my neurodivergent and mental health pals may find a kinship with.

NuWho at 20, my main takeaway was Clara is seemingly everys faviourte companion. While I agree, I was suprised this was so unaniomious. Again, there was an interesting conversation around toneal shifts and the changes that come with a rotating lead; mirrioring some of the Superman and Theatre to Film, to Theatre conversations from earlier in the day. There was a real synergy to the panels I attended.

The Cosplay Parade as always was amazing. Everyone put in amazing effort and created such awesome costumes, personas and attires. There was a larger number of cosplays/ characters this year that I was unfamiliar with. Is that the perils of being in your late 30's?

Dream Team again hosted this activity excellently. They always do an amazing job in keeping the true vibe of Comic Con, creating a friendly, welcoming, accepting and accessible environment.

I also enjoyed listing to the panel discussion with Portsmouth Comic Con Organisers, and hearing them talk through their experiences and insights from creating the first Portsmouth Comic Con in 2018 and their journey through to today, and even starting to look forward to next year. It was a good follow on from my conversation with Nick and Olly two years ago - which you can listen to here. There's also my follow on conversation with Olly last year here.

Experience Zones and Exhibitions

There were three experience spaces Ghostbusters, Star Trek and Star Wars, along with Dr Who and Jurassic Park exhibitions. These, along with the panels and workshops, make really good use of the space available at an amazing venue like the Guildhall. The organising team manage a balance between repeating popular spaces, but also holding space for new or rotating experiences or exhibitions, keeping the event fresh each year.

There was a Court of Fantasy and Fae, which was a wonderful space to walk through. Also outside was the Ghostbusters immersive experience, with actors and props from the 80's movies. The Jurassic Park Zone, with those wondrous gates and jeep inside, are just a constant attraction.

I didn't get into the Star Wars exhibition, each time I walked past the queue was long and I was enjoying wondering around. However, having now seen some of the videos and photos from people that went in; what was I thinking, it looks so good. I totally should have just queued for 20 minutes.

The replica of the Starship Enterprise Bridge was great, plus seeing so many people in Star Trek uniforms in the space made it look even better. I liked the increase of photo opportunities/ spots for attendees that felt added this year; along with the Starship Bridge, there were two Tardis', Daleks, ET on that bike, better meet and greet spaces, Ecto-1 and I'm sure a few more.

Plus, the Reto Gaming Zone with Game Over. This year I played a few machines, and found out I'm actually quite bad at a lot of games now. I still havent made it to the Game Over basement cafe, but my aim is to go before next year's Comic Con.

Exhibitors (that I had conversations with)

Marc Silk - What can I say about Marc I haven't said before? He is so welcoming and engages with everyone wanting to talk. He says hi to seemingly every single person that walks his way. His range of voice acting roles will mean you will definitely know at least one of his characters and be drawn into a conversation.

Andy's Man Club - Andy's Man Club is a men’s suicide prevention charity, offering free peer-to-peer support groups across the United Kingdom and online. Its great to again see this type of peer support present and promoted at such a large community event like Comic Con. I believe that really helps to break down some of the stigma around accessing support and having conversations about mental health. Whether it's for yourself or someone else, knowing a little about what Andy's Man Club does is a helpful signpost to add to your knowledge list.

Pompey Pride - It was great to see Pride representation at Comic Con. Plus, a great reminder of the upcoming Pompey Pride event on Saturday 7th June.

Tim and Bash - It was awesome to talk with one of the creators of Tim and Bash. An online series about a firefighter who adopts a dragon. The webcomic series has been publising videos monthly since December 2022, with a vision to produce a long-format Youtube series which tells the story of Tim and Bash, through a documentary crew who follow their adventures. It was great to hear more about the creative process and the longer term aspirations the creators have. Watch their videos on YouTube and Instagram.

Art & Craft stalls - There was a nice number of art and craft stalls and a range of the type of items they had as well. The Marketplace likewise had a good range of comics, toys, art, memorabilia and exciting things to discover.

Summary 

Portsmouth Comic Con was an amazing event, that improves year on year; and dare I say... I'm expecting it'll improve again for next year.

My only down for this year was it felt like potentially there wasn't as much of a variety in the food options/ stalls this year. It's a small thing, but if you are there all day, maybe two days I think having a couple more vendors would be nice (I'm sure there were last year).

This year my highlights were the panels (as they were last year), I happened to fall into a really nice flow of conversations about different tones, revivals and adaptations. And again I missed loads of other awesome panels and workshops; gone are the days of thinking you could attend most sessions. Now you really need to look at the program, because there's so many amazing things happening. The local events, support, spaces like Portsmouth Pride, Andy’s Man Club and Game Over is great. And, of course, the amazing cosplay exhibitors and attendees; Dream Team Portsmouth continue to be a must have.

While panels have been my favioute thing about Portsmouth Comic Con for the last two years, I think there would be a big spread of opinions as to what was best, your experince will depend on what you want to get from the event, and what you put in. I'm sure many people would pick the cosplay, the experience zones, or the workshops as their favorite part over panels. That's maybe one of the best things about Portsmouth Comic Con, there's so many different things that could be 'your thing'.

A huge well done to everyone involved in organising and hosting Portsmouth Comic Con, which welcomed over 8,000 guests this year, wow!

Thank you to the Guildhall and Comic Con Teams for inviting me along to share my insights and photography. If you, like me, are already excited for next year - get your tickets for 2nd and 3rd May 2026 now. Here's what to look forward to in 2026:

"Welcoming some of the greatest writers and illustrators in the industry, alongside stars of the screen and the wonderful world of cosplay! With panels, displays, exhibitions, gaming, VR, and an incredible range of merch and collectables. If you’re serious about comics, love Marvel/DC and cult series or are simply looking for a fun day out for all the family – this is the event for you." - Portsmouth Comic Con Team

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Blogger's note: This post does include sponsored content; as I was provided a media pass for the event. However, Portsmouth Comic Con (and all exhibitors and speakers) did not ask to and have not seen this post before it is published, nor have they instructed me on what to say. The views, experiences, thoughts and insights expressed in this post are my own. The links included in this post are direct web links and are not affiliate links.