Everything you need to know about Dragon Con 2026

Ga. (Atlanta News First) – The 40th annual Dragon Con will take over Downtown <a href="https://comicvibe.com/atlanta-star-andre-3000-joins-cast-of-netflixs-scooby/” title=”Atlanta star André 3000 joins cast of Netflix's 'Scooby”>Atlanta starting Thursday!

Thousands of fans from across the country and abroad are expected to attend this year’s convention. Here’s what you’ll need to know if you plan on joining them.

Dragon Con is a major pop culture convention held every Labor Day weekend in the middle of Downtown Atlanta. Thousands of pop culture fans and cosplayers descend on the city to celebrate pop culture for one massive weekend.

The convention includes panels, autograph signings, tabletop games, cosplay meet-ups and a parade through Downtown Atlanta.

Dragon Con is spread across five hotels in Downtown Atlanta and the AmericasMart:

• Hyatt Regency Atlanta
• Hilton Atlanta
• Marriott Marquis
• Courtland Grand (formerly Sheraton Atlanta)
• Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel
• AmericasMart Buildings Two and Three

The Hyatt Regency, Hilton and Marriott Marquis are all connectedand the Courtland Grand is a block away on Courtland Street

AmericasMart Buildings Two and Three, which hold the vendors and tabletop gaming sections, are located west of the hotels on Williams Street.

Dragon Con starts at 5 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 3, and goes until 5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 7.

And we mean those times. Panels and meetups often run until 12:30 a.m., but showings of classic films in the Hilton run throughout the night.

The Vendor and Comic Artists Alley hours are:

• Friday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Saturday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Sunday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Monday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Walk of Fame and Art Show hours are:

• Friday: 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
• Saturday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Sunday: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Monday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Parking and driving will be a mess throughout the convention, but especially on Saturday, when the event coincides with the Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Taking MARTA’sRed and Gold lines to the Peachtree Center station is your best bet. The station is only a block or two away from the convention.

MARTA will provide extra service on Saturday and Sunday for the convention, its parade and the football game.

You can find more information about traveling to the convention and parking here.

Dragon Con’s annual parade will begin Saturday, Sept. 5, at 10 a.m.

The parade will begin at Peachtree Street and Linden Avenue before progressing down Peachtree Street to Andrew Young International Boulevard. It will then go down Andrew Young Boulevard for a block, turn onto Peachtree Center Avenue NE and end in front of the Marriott.

Dragon Con is filled with screenings, panels, parties and interviews.

There are 32 event categories, or “tracks,”at the convention.

• Alternate and historical fiction
• American sci-fi and fantasy media
• American sci-fi classics
• Animation
• Anime/manga
• Apocalypse Rising
• Brittrack
• Costuming
• Digital media
• Diversity in speculative fiction and literature fandom
• Electronic frontiers forums
• Fantasy literature
• “Filk” singing
• Film track
• High fantasy
• Horror track
• Kids track
• Military sci-fi media
• Puppetry
• Robotics and maker fan track
• Science
• Science fiction literature
• Silk Road: Asian cinema and culture
• Skeptics
• Space
• Star Wars track
• Trek track
• Urban fantasy
• Video gaming
• Writers’ track
• X-track
• Young adult literature

This year’s Dragon Con will feature many notable figures from across film, television and publishing.

• author Kevin J. Anderson
• actor Edward James Olmos
• actor Jack Quaid
• actor Alan Tudyk
• writer Chip Zdarsky
• actor Nathan Fillion
• actress Lena Headey
• songwriter Jonathan Coulton
• video game designer Richard Garriott
• actor Michael Ironside
• web series creator Viv Medrano
• actress Katee Sackhoff
• actor Tom Welling
• author S.M. Stirling
• actress Summer Glau
• author Jim Butcher

For the full guest lineup, click here.

While much of Dragon Con takes place inside the hotels, you’ll still need to go outside to get around and watch (or participate in!) the parade.

You can expect it to get hot. Our First Alert Weather forecast is tracking temperatures in the upper 90s, with heat indexes easily reaching into the triple digits. Make sure you stay hydrated out there!

Some rain is expected Saturday and Sunday afternoons, as well as Monday, but it’s unlikely to affect the parade.

Passes are available for all five days of Dragon Con and for specific days.

Here’s how much the passes cost:

• 5-day pass: $180
• Thursday only: $35
• Friday only: $55
• Saturday only: $80
• Sunday only: $65
• Monday only: $30

The convention previously sold “eternal” memberships that grant access to this and every future Dragon Con, but the convention froze those sales this year.

If you want to buy passes, click here.Can’t make it to Dragon Con? There are streaming membership options, too.

There’s also a Dragon Con app for attendees that has everything from schedules and maps to a list of events.

DDon’t be afraid to head a few blocks out to get some grub. Taking MARTA north to Midtown and North Avenue opens up much of Midtown Atlanta, including the restaurants around Piedmont Park. Going south to Five Points opens up Downtown Atlanta, and Ponce City Market and Krog Street Market are a mile’s walk from the North Avenue and King Memorial stations, respectively.

• Give yourself a lot of time on Thursday to pick up your badge at the Courtland Grand. The line often wraps around the block outside the hotel and snakes along the sidewalk.
• Plan out your schedule. You will need to line up for panels ahead of time. Some panels will run out of room, so get there early to guarantee a spot.
• The tabletop gaming sessions cost money and require signups. They often cost $5. Signups can be found here.
• Save the vendors for last! The lines to get into AmericasMart early in the convention are notoriously long. The lines on Monday are much shorter, even if vendors might not have their entire stock.
• Stay hydrated andplan out your meals. Thousands of people will descend on Downtown Atlanta, meaning thousands of people will descend on Downtown Atlanta’s restaurants. Spots at most restaurants, even and especially in Peachtree Center’s food court, are at a premium.

You need to pick up your pass at the Courtland Grand before going to the convention.

Registration and badge pick-up hours are:

• Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• Saturday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Sunday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Monday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

You’ll need to bring your photo ID and email receipt containing your QR code to pick up your badge. If you can’t locate the email, you’ll need to reach out to the Dragon Con office in advance to have them send you a copy.

For more on Dragon Con 2026, click here.Have fun and stay hydrated!

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