GalaxyCon 2026 Draws 35,000 Fans to Richmond
RICHMOND, VA — Fans of comics, sci-fi, animation, gaming and pop culture made their way to downtown Richmond this past weekend for the 2026 GalaxyCon event. Hosted annually at the Greater Richmond Convention Center, the four-day convention brings together celebrities, artists, writers, voice actors, cosplayers, entertainers, creators, wrestlers and more for a sprawling celebration of all things great and geeky. Headliners for the 2026 event included the cast of 2014’s “The Flash” series (CW), horror icons Devon Sawa and David Howard Thornton, Lou Ferrigno, Hayden Christensen, and Ming-na Wen - just to name just a few - but celebrity meet-and-greets are only a small part of what makes every GalaxyCon event so exciting for Virginians.
Exhibitors
The Greater Richmond Convention Center boasts more than 178,000 square feet of contiguous space for its main exhibitor hall, and GalaxyCon Richmond makes tight and efficient use of every single inch. Attendees arriving on the show floor will be met by hundreds of vendors and artists with unique and fascinating works to sell. The Exhibit Hall gives these small businesses a space to connect with their target demographics, answer questions and build new brand relationships to help develop local awareness of their products. We only had the opportunity to speak with a few dealers as we browsed the aisles, but we learned something new at every booth and table we visited and we met some of the most talented creators we’ve ever crossed paths with. Some of our favorites from the 2026 include, but are not limited to:
The Drayce Place, an imaginative creator who turns disc and cartridge art from classic video games as well as illustrative art from popular trading cards into stylish rugs of variable size.
Ivory Elk Designs, a husband and wife duo who turn popular animated characters into wooden art pieces through meticulous cutting, layering and painting.
BC Photography, a skilled photographer and digital artist who takes studio-grade images of interested vendors right on the show floor and then paints them into a digital background that suits their cosplay, their character or their general vibe.
Victoria Griffinsong, a pewtersmith who - along with her partner - designs, shapes and polishes custom jewelry pieces to bring a Renaissance feel to every show floor she visits.
True Honey Teas, a team of tea enthusiasts who create custom, pre-sweetened tea flavors with anti-inflammatory properties to help the human body operate at its peak capacity.
This, of course, is to say nothing of all the talented painters, sculptors and digital artists that comprised GalaxyCon’s answer to the typical convention’s “artist alley”. Every artist we saw and/or spoke to had a unique approach to their canvas, with some leaning into familiar styles like that of the Disney renaissance and others choosing to blame their own trail with new techniques and media types. For example, artist Sean Day creates very unique art with one complete painting layered inside another and the two pieces interacting as if seen by X-Ray. Conventions like GalaxyCon Richmond really gives artists like Sean a chance to get out there and showcase his work and his style, which helps his business and his brand to grow and allows him more flexibility to do what he loves. The same can be said of every vendor, dealer and creator on the show floor - and its always worth spending a few dollars here and there to support small business.
Cosplay
The word ‘cosplay’ might be a natural portmanteau of ‘costume’ and ‘play’, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not to be taken seriously. On the contrary, the dedicated cosplayer will pour weeks - sometimes months - of their own blood, sweat and tears into perfecting their costume, coordinating their makeup and bringing their character(s) to life. Cosplay is, in every sense, an art form, and GalaxyCon both recognizes and reveres it as such. In addition to scheduled programming for cosplay enthusiasts, a grueling cosplay contest and a dedicated ‘Cosplay Zone’ for community meetups and photography, GalaxyCon is also committed to recruiting talented cosplay guests who serve to inspire and inform others in the community.
During our brief conversation with one of these guests, Astravoid Cosplay, we asked why she felt it was important that keeping cosplay in the spotlight was so important - and her answer was so poignant that we felt it best to leave it completely unabridged. “Cosplay, I think, is a pivotal part of nerd culture…of Comic-Con culture,” the Twitch streamer and podcast host began, “any convention you go to, you're going to find cosplayers - and it's a safe space for nerds. A lot of us are socially awkward. A lot of us are anxious people who like to stay in our houses. This is like the one time we don't stay in our house, and sometimes cosplaying can help you feel more confident. It helps you to be able to step out of your shell, to meet new people, to make friends and to find people with the same interests as you. I think that that's really beautiful, and I think that that's a really important part of what Comic-Con is.”
She went on to say that it was important to continue hosting cosplay guests at conventions like GalaxyCon for many reasons, chief among them being that it gives young or budding cosplayers someone to talk to and something to aspire to. “You know, it's okay to to show them like - hey, it's actually really cool to be a nerd and it's okay to be yourself”.
Astra has worked hard to hone her craft and learn tools of the trade that make each costume and character better, bolder and more lore-accurate than the last, but she has not forgotten where she started or how rough her early cosplays might have been around the edges. She affirmed for us that everyone starts somewhere and that cosplay truly is for anyone and everyone with passion, enthusiasm and dedication to craft or character. While we might not be particularly adept cosplayers ourselves, we have nothing but respect for anyone who is able to put themselves out there and try on a different character for the day, regardless of whether it’s their first cosplay or their 500th cosplay; and one of the things we appreciate most about GalaxyCon is that it truly creates a safe space for enthusiasts to do just that.
Celebrity Guests
Pop culture conventions often bring an impressive lineup of celebrities, and GalaxyCon was no different. In addition to the headliners already mentioned, several members of various “Star Trek” crews were also in attendance, including Colm Meaney, Terry Farrell, Nana Visitor and Armin Shimerman (“Star Trek: Deep Space Nine”), Jess Bush and Christina Chong (“Star Trek: Strange New Worlds”), Eugene Cordero (“Star Trek: Lower Decks”), Ethan Peck (“Star Trek: Discovery” and Star Trek” Strange New Worlds”) and William Shatner (“Star Trek Original Series”). DC Comics fans were also able to meet and greet three different “men of steel” in Tom Welling (“Smallville”), Tyler Hoechlin (“Supergirl” and “Superman & Lois”) and Brandon Routh (“Superman Returns”). For us, the highlight was the “Flash” reunion of Tom Cavanagh, Grant Gustin, John Wesley Shipp, Danielle Panabaker and Carlos Valdes - nearly all of the original ‘Team Flash’ from the hit CW series. Danielle Panabaker, who is also known for her starring roles in “Friday the 13th”, “The Crazies” and “Sky High”, had nothing but great things to say about her convention experience.
““I love coming to conventions like these because there’s a real sense of community. Everybody who comes here is a fan of something and very passionate about it - and I love that it brings people together.””
Above: The cast of the CW’s “Flash” series were reunited at GalaxyCon Richmond 2026, and we absolutely had to get a professional photo op!
Naturally, we had to get a professional photo with the Flash cast while they were all gathered in one place! Professional celebrity photo ops can be purchased in advance or on site, but can sell out depending on guest’s popularity. The photos are instantly printed and make great souvenirs or items to be autographed later. Keep in mind that the professional photos are not a meet and greet opportunity, and run like a well-oiled machine; if you want a chance to chat with your fandom hero, consider purchasing an autograph and/or table “selfie” to get a more personal interaction. It’s also worth noting that celebrity experiences and long lines go hand-in-hand, so if you’re planning (or hoping) to meet a celebrity at GalaxyCon or any similar event, wear comfortable shoes and be prepared to wait!
Additional Programming
Though much of the GalaxyCon experience takes place on the main show floor, there is additional programming to be sought out in quieter areas of the convention center. For starters, the main panel stage and several smaller panel stages and podiums can be found across the skybridge from the main show floor and the mass of exhibitors therein. Panels are another way to hear from and interact with celebrity guests, albeit in a slightly more formal setting. We were able to catch a few minutes of the David Howard Thornton panel and got to hear some great stories about the origin of Art the Clown from the “Terrifier” franchise. If a panel interests you, celebrity-centric or not, make sure to arrive early as seating is first-come, first-served for general admission attendees. There are also a number of large rooms carved out for niche audiences and enthusiasts, such as…
Video Gamers, who can enjoy LAN parties, arcade games and full-scale movement titles like DDR, Rock Band and Guitar Hero along with independently-developed games still in beta.
Tabletop Gamers, who have a dedicated space for board games, card games and roleplaying games across various genres and titles.
Tattoo Artists & Enthusiasts, who can get fresh ink applied by a slew of incredibly talented artists in real time at Tattoo Row in the halls of the convention center.
Families with Younger Attendees, who have a (quiet) dedicated space for family-friendly content and activities such as coloring, crafts and sensory play that will keep the kids entertained all day long.
Adult Attendees, who have a dedicated 21+ hall which can only be accessed by presenting valid government-issued ID and can access a variety of adult-oriented vendors, presentations and content.
Note that much of the event programming will not be announced or scheduled until the full weekend’s schedule falls properly into place, so check back often as the convention weekend draws nearer in order to be sure that you’re the first to know when the final schedule for each event year drops on https://galaxycon.com/pages/galaxycon-richmond.
Upcharge Experiences
Select convention experiences are unique, targeted or popular enough to merit a surcharge to manage capacity. These will be things like the official event Afterparties, Drag Shows, Private Celebrity Experiences and GalaxyCon After Dark programming, all of which might draw a large crowd that would be difficult to manage if not for ticketed admission. Afterparties and Drag Shows are often hosted off campus at local hotspots under contract with the convention, but GalaxyCon After Dark - which burlesque performer Ginger Oh Snap characterizes as ‘Nerdy Naughty Nighttime Fun’ - takes place right on the main panel stage, albeit long after the rest of the convention has shut for the day and attendees without separately-ticketed experience admission have gone home for the day. The same is true of celebrity experiences like a live commentary of “Muppet Treasure Island” with Steve Whitmire, longtime voice and puppeteer for Kermit the Frog, which had a reserved theatre in the convention center despite occurring simultaneously with daytime programming. Each and every one of these experiences will sell out long before the event date, so it’s important to look ahead when the schedule is posted and snag tickets as early as you can if any of this programming that interests you.
GalaxyCon is a massive event that truly offers something for everyone, and even with four days it would be hard to do and see it all. Nevertheless, we had an incredible time at the convention and we want to extend a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to the staff for inviting us to cover the event. GalaxyCon will return to Richmond from March 18-21, 2027, and tickets are already on sale at https://galaxycon.com/pages/galaxycon-richmond-tickets. For a firsthand look at our experience from the 2026 show, you can check out our vlog below!
