L.A. Comic Con turns 15 on Halloween weekend. The show takes over the Los Angeles Convention Center Friday, October 30 through Sunday, November 1, 2026, with Nicolas Cage, Hayden Christensen, Christopher Lloyd, a big chunk of the Breaking Bad cast, and members of Critical Role on the guest list. Add indoor trick-or-treating, a kids costume contest, and a haunted after party, and this is the most costume-friendly weekend on the local calendar.
Weekend passes are $119, kids 12 and under get in free with a kids pass, and both VIP tiers have sold out. Parking will be tight because of construction at the convention center, so plan your ride now. Everything below comes from the convention’s FAQ, ticket, parking, and policy pages and the convention center’s event listing as of September 28, 2026.
The quick version
| When | Friday, October 30, 3 to 9 p.m.; Saturday, October 31, 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, November 1, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. VIPs get in one hour earlier each day. |
| Where | Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90015 |
| Headliners | Nicolas Cage, Hayden Christensen, Aaron Paul, Bob Odenkirk, Giancarlo Esposito, Christopher Lloyd |
| Tickets | Weekend $119; single day $42 to $60; VIP sold out |
| Ages | Kids 12 and under free with a kids pass. Under 16 must have a parent or guardian present. |
| Payment | Bring a card and some cash. ATMs on site. |
| Parking | Extremely limited because of construction. Transit recommended. |
| Official site | comicconla.com |
Guests and programming
Film and TV
Nicolas Cage (Spider-Noir, Ghost Rider, National Treasure), Hayden Christensen (Star Wars), and Christopher Lloyd (Back to the Future, Nobody) lead the list. Breaking Bad fans get something close to a reunion: Aaron Paul, Bob Odenkirk, Giancarlo Esposito, Dean Norris, and Krysten Ritter are all announced. The first guests revealed back in July were KPop Demon Hunters voice cast members Arden Cho, May Hong, and Ji-young Yoo. “K-Pop Demon Hunters has been one of the most requested properties we’ve seen in the last year,” Comikaze Entertainment CEO Chris DeMoulin said in that announcement.
Tabletop
Critical Role cast members Liam O’Brien, Sam Riegel, Taliesin Jaffe, Whitney Moore, Luis Carazo, and Alexander Ward are on the guest list.
Around the floor
- Panels: More than 200, plus the Main Stage.
- Akiba Station: An anime and Japanese pop culture area in West Hall, curated by Otaku Collectives, with installations, a stamp scavenger hunt, anime voice actor appearances, cosplay meetups, and the Mugen Arcade.
- Artist Alley, which the convention calls “the true soul of L.A. Comic Con.”
- Also on the list: a Gaming Hall, the Sam Heughan Experience, a Marvel portfolio review, and the Cosplay National Championships.
Halloween weekend cheat sheet
Saturday is Halloween, and the convention leans in. Here is what is on the calendar for costumed fans:
| If you want… | Go to |
|---|---|
| Candy without knocking on doors | Indoor Trick-or-Treating, billed by the show as L.A.’s largest indoor trick-or-treat |
| A stage moment for your kid | Kids Costume Contest, Sunday, November 1, on the Main Stage |
| A night out after the floor closes | The Official Haunted After Party (separate ticket) |
| Serious cosplay competition | The Cosplay National Championships |
| Anime photo ops and meetups | Akiba Station in West Hall |
Kids Costume Contest details: It is open to kids 12 and under and presented by the Los Angeles Public Library. Registration opens at 10 a.m. Sunday to the right of the Main Stage and is first come, first served, capped at 50 entrants. Contestants need to be there by noon, and the contest starts at 1 p.m.
Badges
Passes are sold only through the official ticket page, which checks out through Leap. Prices as listed on September 28:
| Pass | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Weekend Pass | $119 | Three days |
| 1-Day Pass | $42 to $60, depending on the day | One day |
| Premiere VIP | $319 (sold out) | Early access to both exhibit halls, VIP lounge, VIP viewing area |
| Headliner VIP | $539 (sold out) | Premiere VIP perks plus expedited autograph and photo op lines and a varsity jacket |
| Kids, ages 0 to 12 | Free | Add a kids pass at checkout |
- Mail or pick up: Order by Friday, October 2 to have badges mailed (mailing starts in early October). After that, pick up in the South Hall Lobby: Friday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sunday 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
- Pickup rules: Anyone 16 or older must be there in person to pick up their badge. Badges for younger attendees can be picked up by someone else.
- No refunds unless the event is postponed or rescheduled.
- Autographs and photo ops are sold separately and may be available on site, subject to availability. The convention recommends buying in advance. If a guest cancels, prepaid autographs and photo ops are refunded.
Venue and getting there
The show fills West Hall A, South Hall GHJK, Concourse Hall, Kentia Hall, and meeting rooms in the 300 and 400 series. The convention warns that parking is “extremely limited due to ongoing construction” and likely reduced this year, and it encourages taking LA Metro to avoid traffic, parking costs, and congestion.
- Convention center garages: Flat rates of $27 to $42, depending on the event and location. The venue points attendees to the West Hall and South Hall garages.
- L.A. Live West Garage, Gate B (entrance on Chick Hearn Court): $40 flat, paid on exit.
- L.A. Live West Garage, Gates E and F (entrance on Georgia Street): $10 for the first two hours, then $10 per 30 minutes, capped at $40.
- L.A. Live East Garage (entrance on Olympic Boulevard): Same hourly rates, capped at $40.
Cosplay and props
Everyone goes through safety screening, and props that pass get a tag. Security can confiscate anything it considers unsafe. From the prop and weapon policy:
- Allowed: Lightsabers, wands, unstrung bows, foam-tipped arrows, shields without sharp edges, plastic bats, staffs, zip-tied whips, and foam, plastic, or cardboard swords. Sci-fi blasters are fine if they do not look like real guns and cannot launch anything.
- Not allowed: Realistic or replica firearms, tasers, glass or stone props, projectile weapons, brass knuckles, anything that simulates explosives or ammunition, sharp metal or wood swords, and loud items like airhorns.
What to bring, what to leave
- Backpacks are allowed.
- Food: Outside food is not allowed under venue policy, with two exceptions: small sealed water bottles and personal lunches.
- Strollers are fine. Oversized strollers, wagons, handcarts, and large rolling items may be restricted.
- Pets stay home. Service animals are allowed.
- Money: The convention suggests carrying both a card and some cash for vendors and artists.
Accessibility
The convention calls itself a fully accessible event and lists its accommodations on a dedicated ADA page. One note from the FAQ: ADA accommodations do not guarantee panel seating. Questions go to info@comicconla.com.
A little history
The show started in 2011 as Comikaze Expo, founded by Regina Carpinelli and her brothers, and has been at the Los Angeles Convention Center from the start. It became Stan Lee’s Comikaze in 2012, Stan Lee’s L.A. Comic Con in 2016, and L.A. Comic Con after Lee’s death in 2018. Comikaze Entertainment runs it, with Chris DeMoulin as CEO. The convention says more than 130,000 fans came in 2025. Last year’s show ran in late September, so the Halloween slot is a change for 2026. For more on the date move, see our fall 2026 Southern California convention guide.
Still to come
The full panel schedule, guest appearance days, indoor trick-or-treating times, and Haunted After Party details (time, place, price) had not been posted as of this writing. The 824 Journal will update this guide when they are.
Sources
- L.A. Comic Con, official site (guests, experiences, ticket tiers)
- L.A. Comic Con, FAQ (hours, badge pickup, minors, bags, food, parking, payment, accessibility, refunds)
- L.A. Comic Con, Tickets
- L.A. Comic Con, Parking
- L.A. Comic Con, Prop and Weapon Policy
- L.A. Comic Con, Akiba Station
- L.A. Comic Con, Kids Costume Contest
- L.A. Comic Con, See You Oct. 30 to November 1, 2026
- Los Angeles Convention Center, L.A. Comic Con 2026 (hours, halls, parking)
- The Convention Collective, Los Angeles Comic Con 2026 Kicks Off Guest Announcements (July 2026)
- Los Angeles Magazine, The 2025 L.A. Comic Con Is Now Underway (September 28, 2025)
- Wikipedia, L.A. Comic Con (history)
Featured photo: Kevin Paul via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
