Tag Archive for: DRAGON CON 2026

40 YEARS OF DRAGON CON

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 9/17/26

Dragon Con is like transporting to another world and it is outside of the box. You step into a realm of endless possibilities from unforgettable cosplays to star studded panels to real life droids to a real lifelike Tardis to ribbon swaps to photo ops and the best parade you’ll see. And Dragon Con has been doing this for 40 years, and it is 40 years in the making.

Trends

This year the trends always pretty much include a hot new show or movie or a big show ending. Like, I saw groups and a lot more of the “The Boys” this year after this year’s finale. One big trend this year was the Dungeon Master Carl. You found him sporting white boxers with tiny hearts. I had never even heard of the books until this con. And of course there are the typical trends this year. The ribbon wars have heated up and they get funnier and bolder every year. You will see even the regular person walking around with 10 of them on their badge. Plus, the usual big movies like Star Wars still draw lots of cosplay and the droids people build these days are really lifelike. We always see a R2, a BB8, and a Wall-e every year and the droids keep growing including some Project Hail Mary rocks! And you can’t ever miss the running of the heard. The T-rex heard has grown into every type of inflatable from Pikachu to unicorns and everything in between.

Panels

This year I went to two panels. The first was a “The Boys” panel with Jack Quaid and the gentlemen who plays, Frenchie, Tomier. They talked about the shenanigans on the set, their favorite moments, seasons, and who was their favorite characters. It was fun to see them interact with the crowd and how normal they are in real life. You just don’t see that in such a dark show. Then, the second I went to was with Erica Durance of Smallville. Tom Welling didn’t end up coming that day, but it was fun to hear her and — talk about the show and how it has been a decade since it aired. They went over their favorite things and we got to know the actresses a little more intimately.

Something for Everyone

And like I love to say, there is something for everyone at Dragon Con. You can learn new things, take a workshop, listen to poetry and literature, meet an author or cartoonist, buy artwork, people watch, enjoy panels, and everything in between.

40 Years

Boy has Dragon Con grown from it’s start to over 75,000 guests per year. They have expanded to gaming, anime, and every genre you can think of now in 40 years. They have wrapped in Netherworld Haunted House for haunts. They’ve collected a bunch of returning musical artists to play around the con or late night. They have aquired hotels from the Mariott Marquis to the Hilton Atlanta to the Hyatt and expaned to the Courtyard, Westin, and America’s Mart. Needless to say, Dragon Con is now on most ATLiens map for Labor Day Weekend.

DRAGON CON CELEBRATES 40 YEARS OF GAMING WITH LEGENDARY CREATORS, TALENTED VOICE ACTORS, AND THOUSANDS OF WAYS TO PLAY

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 7/25/26

More Than Three Acres of Gaming Lets Gamers Do It All

Dragon Con, celebrating its 40th year as one of the nation’s largest gaming conventions, brings together game designers, voice actors, and streaming stars for panels and live events alongside one of the Southeast’s largest collections of playable games.

Highlights of this year’s programming include:

·         Game designer and astronaut Richard Garriott, a guest at Dragon Con’s first convention in 1987, will discuss his efforts to regain control of his pioneering video game Ultima.

·         Celebrity Dungeon Master Mark Meer will lead a new D&D Live with the cast of Hades II, including Amelia Tyler, Erin Yvette, Jason Marnocha, Judy Alice Lee, Becca Q. Co, and Ashley Barrett.

·         Game designer and Origins Hall of Famer David “Zeb” Cook will draw on his 18 years’ of designing Dungeons & Dragons campaigns to lead fans on discussions of game design.

·         Peter Bramhill, Sena Bryer, and Javier Prusky, voice actors from Final Fantasy XIV, will be on hand to talk about their experiences creating the game. 

·         Popular Twitch streamer AnEternalEnigma returns to perform his Silent Hill speedrun showcase.

An estimated 75,000 attendees are expected to descend on downtown Atlanta for the five-day convention held over Labor Day Weekend (Sept. 3 – Sept. 7), filling the Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Marriott Marquis, Hilton Atlanta, Westin Peachtree Plaza, and Courtland Grand Hotel, as well as AmericasMart Buildings Two and Three.

Covering more than three acres in AmericasMart Building Three, Dragon Con’s gaming floor offers something for every kind of gamer, latest hit video games and international arcade cabinets to rarely seen board games and fan-favorite tabletop titles. “Every corner of Dragon Con’s gaming hall offers a new adventure,” said David Cody, senior director of Gaming and IT. “You can challenge friends in a tournament, try a game you’ve never heard of, meet the people who helped create the games you love, or join an epic tabletop campaign. Whatever kind of gamer you are, there’s a place for you here.”

As always, Dragon Con offers a place to connect, learn, and play. Panels and discussions led by some of gaming’s most influential designers, developers, and voice actors take fans and gamers alike inside the games they love to play.

New this year, Dragon Con will feature an expanded footprint of Virtual Reality equipment that supports multiplayer games, giving gamers an only-at-Dragon Con VR experience.

At the same time, the convention’s gaming volunteers will host sessions to teach new board and collectible card game players the most popular, award-winning games introduced over the last few years, including the highly interactive games Terraforming Mars, Wingspan, Wyrmspan, Galactic Cruise, The Gang, and World Order.  On the collectible card game side, Dragon Con will continue to lead sessions to help players master Disney’s Lorcana, an easy-to-learn game for hardcore gamers and casual Disney fans alike. 

After the sun goes down, the Heroes & Villains Ball and the 8-Bit Bash give gamers a chance to unwind and celebrate their favorite fandoms.

Fans can explore traditional arcade cabinet favorites and from across the Pacific in the ever-popular Japanese and Asian arcade game section, all free to play for convention members.  Atlanta’s own Joystick Game Bar returns with a pop-up version of its retro arcade in Peachtree Center Mall.

Werewolf and other social deception games will once again claim a central spot in late-night gaming. Known for its accessibility and high energy, Werewolf is often an entry point for the gaming curious while retaining its appeal among veterans.

About Dragon Con

Dragon Con is the internationally known pop culture convention held each Labor Day weekend (Sept. 3 – Sept. 7, 2026) in Atlanta. Organized for fans, Dragon Con features more than 3,500 hours of comics, film, television, costuming, art, music, and gaming over five days. For more information, please visit http://www.dragoncon.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Discord.

DRAGON CON MARKS 40TH ANNIVERSARY WITH LEGENDS TIMOTHY ZAHN AND TONY DITERLIZZI AS LITERARY AND ARTIST GUESTS OF HONOR

Posted by Liz and John Attaway, 7/14/26

Dragon Con, celebrating its 40th anniversary as Atlanta’s internationally known pop culture, fantasy, sci-fi, and gaming convention, has named author Timothy Zahn and artist Tony DiTerlizzi as its 2026 Literary and Artist Guests of Honor.

Dragon Con’s 2026 convention runs from Thursday, Sept. 3 through Monday, Sept. 7 with events and activities across five host hotels – Hyatt Regency Atlanta, Marriott Marquis, Hilton Atlanta, Westin Peachtree, and Courtland Grand Hotel – and AmericasMart Buildings 2 and 3.

Since its first convention in 1987, Dragon Con has spotlighted the authors and artists whose creative contributions have breathed life into the realms of fantasy and science fiction as Literary and Artist Guests of Honor. Both Zahn and DiTerlizzi will be recognized throughout the event and will be on hand to meet fans and participate in panels to provide insight into their success and love of fandom.

Zahn is a Hugo Award winning and New York Times bestselling author whose work has helped define modern science fiction. A member of the Dragon Con family since his first appearance in 1995, Zahn is best known for creating the iconic Grand Admiral Thrawn and the bestselling Thrawn Trilogy. He has written more than 60 novels, nearly 90 works of short fiction, and multiple collections, with over eight million copies of his books in print. In addition to his influential Star Wars novels, Zahn’s extensive body of work includes original series such as Cobra, Quadrail, and Dragonback, as well as contributions to major franchises like StarCraft. For more information, visit https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Timothy-Zahn/432874

Tony DiTerlizzi is a bestselling author and acclaimed illustrator whose work has shaped modern fantasy across gaming, books, and film. He first rose to prominence for his distinctive artwork in Dungeons & Dragons and for illustrating iconic cards for Magic: The Gathering, helping redefine the visual language of both franchises. DiTerlizzi is the co-creator of the internationally bestselling The Spiderwick Chronicles series (with Holly Black), which has been adapted into a feature film and a television series. His imaginative storytelling continues with projects such as the WondLa series. Blending classical illustration influences with a whimsical, otherworldly style, DiTerlizzi remains one of the most recognizable and influential artists in contemporary fantasy. For more information about DiTerlizzi, visit https://diterlizzi.com.