San Diego Comic-Con 2027 runs Thursday, July 22 through Sunday, July 25, 2027, with Preview Night on Wednesday, July 21, at the San Diego Convention Center. The first chance to buy badges comes much sooner: Returning Registration opens Saturday, October 17, 2026, and Open Registration follows on Saturday, November 14, 2026.
Comic-Con International has already posted 2027 badge prices, which are up $3 per day over 2026. Guests, programming, and hotel details come later. This guide covers what is confirmed now, pulled from Comic-Con’s badge, policy, shuttle, and accessibility pages as of September 28, 2026, so you can get ready for badge day.
The quick version
| When | Thursday, July 22 through Sunday, July 25, 2027. Preview Night is Wednesday, July 21. |
| Where | San Diego Convention Center, San Diego |
| Badge sales | Returning Registration: Saturday, October 17, 2026. Open Registration: Saturday, November 14, 2026. |
| Badges | Adult $88 Thursday, Friday, or Saturday; $67 Sunday or Preview Night; plus a $15 handling fee per member |
| Ages | Kids 12 and under free with a paying adult. Junior (13 to 17), senior (60 and up), and active-duty military badges are half price. |
| ID | Photo ID required. The name on your badge must match it. |
| Refund deadline | May 6, 2027 |
| Official site | comic-con.org |
Badges and prices
Every badge is bought through a Comic-Con Member ID account. If you do not have one yet, make it and confirm it well before November 14. Here is the 2027 price list from Comic-Con’s badge page:
| Day | Adult | Junior, senior, military |
|---|---|---|
| Preview Night (Wednesday, July 21) | $67 | $34 |
| Thursday, July 22 | $88 | $44 |
| Friday, July 23 | $88 | $44 |
| Saturday, July 24 | $88 | $44 |
| Sunday, July 25 | $67 | $34 |
- Preview Night is an add-on. You can only buy it if you also buy Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. An adult with all five comes to $398 before the handling fee.
- Handling fee: $15 per member.
- Kids: Children 12 and under are free with a paying adult, up to two per adult. Anyone 13 or older needs their own badge.
- Discounts: Junior badges cover ages 13 to 17, senior badges are 60 and older, and the military rate is for active duty with ID.
- No transfers. Badges are non-transferable, and the name on the badge must match your photo ID.
- Refunds: The deadline is May 6, 2027.
For a deeper look at the returning sale, see our story on SDCC 2027 badge pricing and registration dates.
Your badge day game plan
Comic-Con sells badges in two online sales. Both use a virtual waiting room and a random draw, so there is no prize for being first in line, but there is a penalty for being late.
Returning Registration: Saturday, October 17, 2026
- Who can buy: People who attended Comic-Con 2026 with a paid attendee badge, plus eligible kids who completed the child to junior validation. First-timers, professionals, exhibitors, vendors, volunteers, staff, and complimentary badge holders are not eligible.
- Timing: The waiting room opens around 7:30 a.m. Pacific. The sale starts at 9 a.m. Anyone who arrives after 9 goes to the back of the line.
- How it works: When the sale starts, everyone in the waiting room is randomized and sent into 15-minute registration windows until badges sell out. Taking part does not guarantee a badge.
- Buying for friends: You can buy for up to three people total, and you do not have to include yourself. Everyone you buy for must also be eligible. You need each person’s Member ID and exact last name.
Open Registration: Saturday, November 14, 2026
Anyone with a valid, confirmed Member ID can try, including first-timers. Trying in October does not affect your eligibility in November. Waiting room details for this sale had not been posted as of this writing.
Before either sale
- Log in to your Member ID account ahead of time and make sure it works.
- Collect your group’s Member IDs and last names, and agree on which days everyone wants.
- Comic-Con advises one browser on one device, and says the system is not built for phones or tablets.
- Have a Visa, Mastercard, Discover, or American Express card ready.
Guests and programming
No 2027 guests or panels have been announced. Programming usually fills rooms across the convention center, including Hall H and Ballroom 20, and Comic-Con International also runs the Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park. After the 2026 show, Times of San Diego reported that the museum plans to add Con-style panel programming with fan submissions. “Our hope is to get it started this year,” said Eddie Ibrahim, Comic-Con’s senior director of programming.
Cosplay and props
These rules come from Comic-Con’s convention policies page as posted for 2026, the most recent version. Check for a 2027 update before you pack.
- Props get checked every day at a Costume Props Desk.
- No functional or sharp-edged props or weapons.
- Projectile replicas need bright-colored caps. Real arrows must have the tips removed and be bundled.
- No realistic first responder costumes.
- Big costumes may be asked to leave exhibit areas at peak times, and coat check will not hold props that were not approved.
What to leave at home
- Selfie sticks, GoPro poles, and wearable cameras. All banned inside convention spaces.
- Vapes, e-cigarettes, and cigars. No smoking of any kind at any Comic-Con space.
- Alcohol, drones, helium balloons, and fireworks.
- Bikes, scooters, and Segways on convention grounds.
- Pets. Service animals are allowed.
Inside the convention center
- Tap in and tap out. Badges carry RFID chips. Tap at the gate scanners on the way in and on the way out, or you risk being denied re-entry.
- Wear your badge at all times. Security runs random ID checks.
- Strollers are not allowed in programming rooms, but stroller parking is available.
- Panels: Recording footage shown on panel screens is prohibited. Personal recording is for private use only.
- No running, and no sitting in exhibit hall aisles.
Getting there
Comic-Con has not posted 2027 transportation details yet. In 2026 it ran a free shuttle to the convention center from official hotels downtown, in Mission Valley, and near the airport on Shelter Island and Harbor Island, with no service between 1 a.m. and 5 a.m. Expect a similar setup, and check the official shuttle page once 2027 routes are posted.
Accessibility
One change is already set for 2027: no attendant badges will be sold on-site. If you need an attendant, buy their badge in advance during one of the two online sales in late 2026.
In 2026, Deaf and Disabled Services operated from Lobby A. Services included pre-scheduled ASL interpreters in Hall H, Ballroom 20, and Room 6BCF, with requests for other panels taken at the Deaf Services desk; wheelchair, Deaf, and ambulatory seating in programming rooms (all on a seats-available basis); free wheelchair loans with a three-hour limit; scooter rentals; rest areas; and comfort rooms for nursing, medication, or sensory needs. Only trained service dogs are allowed, not comfort or support animals. Questions go to cci-info@comic-con.org.
A little history
Comic-Con traces its roots to the early 1970s, when it met at the El Cortez Hotel in downtown San Diego. It has been at the San Diego Convention Center since 1991, and recent editions have topped 130,000 attendees. The show is run by Comic-Con International, a California nonprofit that also produces WonderCon in Anaheim and the Eisner Awards. If you want a spring warmup, our WonderCon 2027 badge story has that show’s prices, and our 2027 Southern California convention calendar lists everything else announced so far.
Still to come
Guests, the programming schedule, daily hours, hotel sales, 2027 shuttle routes, the Open Registration waiting room details, and any 2027 update to the convention policies have not been announced. The 824 Journal will update this guide when they are.
Sources
- Comic-Con, official site
- Comic-Con, Badges (2027 dates, prices, age categories, refund deadline, ID rules)
- Comic-Con, Returning Registration (waiting room, device and payment rules)
- Comic-Con Toucan blog, The Comic-Con 2027 Returning Registration Essentials
- Comic-Con, Convention Policies (2026)
- Comic-Con, Shuttles (2026)
- Comic-Con, Deaf and Disabled Services
- Comic-Con International, About
- San Diego Comic-Con Unofficial Blog, 2027 Returning Registration Information (September 2026)
- San Diego Comic-Con Unofficial Blog, 2027 Dates, Including Registration, Revealed (July 2026)
- Times of San Diego, SDCC announces 2027 dates, plans to increase programming at Comic-Con Museum (July 26, 2026)
Featured photo: vagueonthehow via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
