5 cool things to do at PopCon Indy 2026
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Ask Rudy if he was offsides when Sean Astin pops into PopCon Indy this weekend. Photo: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images
Indianapolis's homegrown pop culture convention returns this weekend with super heroes, cosplay competitions and one of film's most beloved Hoosier sports icons.
Why it matters: PopCon Indy has grown from Kickstarter roots in the early 2010s into a large-scale, locally-owned convention now celebrating its 13th year.
- More than 4,000 people are expected to attend.
Zoom in: If you have plans to be among those thousands of pop culture fans, here are five attractions worth checking out.
🏈 Meet Rudy, Sailor Moon and a KPop demon
- Bring a Sharpie to collect autographs from dozens of celebs, including Sean Astin who played Samwise Gamgee in "The Lord of the Rings" and the lead role in classic 1993 underdog story "Rudy."
- Also on the celeb floor: Billy West (Fry from "Futurama"), Patrick Warburton (Joe Swanson from "Family Guy"), Linda Ballantyne (the voice of Sailor Moon) and Alan Lee (Mystery Saja from "KPop Demon Hunters").
🦸 Strike a pose
- This is the annual main event for costume veterans and curious bystanders alike. PopCon's free Ultimate Cosplay Contest draws competitors from amateurs to seasoned pros.
- A kids' cosplay contest runs on Sunday.
🤖 Rise of the robots
- The Circle City Clash is PopCon's BattleBots-style robot combat competition.
- Also in the arena zone, Vernon Vanguard Armored Combat — a Southern Indiana medieval armored combat team — will do battle with swords and shields.
🎞️ Catch a movie
- The 7th annual PopCon International Film Festival will be screening short and feature films across sci-fi, fantasy, horror, anime and more with filmmaker panels.
🪩 After-hours action
- When the convention floor closes, Club PopCon opens. Themed entertainment, live DJs and interactive experiences for fans who want to keep the party going until 11pm Friday and Saturday.
If you go: PopCon Indy runs Friday through Sunday at the Indiana Convention Center.
- The show is open 1pm-11pm Friday, 10am-11pm Saturday and 10am-5pm Sunday.
- Daily passes start at $42 for Friday and Sunday, and $48 for Saturday. Three-day general admission starts at $71.
- The full schedule can be found here.