The first major convention held in Liverpool was MCM Liverpool Comic Con, organized by the MCM (Movies, Comics, Media) Expo Group. The first edition took place at Exhibition Centre Liverpool in early March 2016 and attracted over 23,000 fans. Several months later, the organizers signed a four-year deal with the venue to host the show annually through 2020.
MCM Liverpool Comic Con returned to the venue for its second edition in March 2017. However, several months later, MCM and all its UK events were acquired by ReedPOP, a US-based pop culture event organizer. The new owners scaled back on regional events, discontinuing comic cons in Liverpool, Telford, and Northern Ireland.
After MCM withdrew from Liverpool, Exhibition Centre Liverpool reached out to Andy Kleek, the CEO of Monopoly Events, asking him to continue the tradition of fan conventions in the city. The inaugural Comic Con Liverpool took place at the same venue as its predecessor in March 2018. Notable celebrity guests included Sophie Aldred, Manu Bennett, Lou Ferrigno, Paul McGann, Nigel Parkinson, and Spencer Wilding, as well as Dirk Benedict, Ian McNeice, Joonas Suotamo, and Dave Taylor, who were making their first UK convention appearance.
Over the next few years, the event grew so much that, in 2021, it expanded to include ACC Liverpool, the neighboring sister venue of Exhibition Centre Liverpool. That same year, the organizers announced that Comic Con Liverpool would be held twice a year, in the spring and fall. In 2023, the convention expanded again to include a third adjoining venue on the Liverpool event campus: the Liverpool Arena.
With an annual attendance of over 40,000 people, Comic Con Liverpool is one of the largest pop culture events in the UK. One of its main attractions is celebrity guests from the entertainment world who are known for their work in popular films, television shows, anime, and video games. The guest list for the fall 2025 edition, for example, included John Boyega, Emilia Clarke, Geena Davis, Erica Durance, Lou Ferrigno, Jennifer Grey, David Giuntoli, Luis Guzmán, Brie Larson, Christopher Lloyd, Michael Rosenbaum, Katee Sackhoff, Elisabeth Shue, Elizabeth Tulloch, and Tom Welling, among others.
In addition to Q&A panels, autograph sessions, and photo ops with celebrities, Comic Con Liverpool’s program includes cosplay events (a championship and a masquerade), prop and set exhibits, several gaming areas, a trader zone, an Artists and Makers zone, an Artists Alley, and other attractions.
Like all Monopoly Events conventions, Comic Con Liverpool offers several types of entry tickets, as well as tickets for celebrity autographs and photo ops, which must be purchased separately and are not valid without an entry ticket. Saturday, Sunday, and weekend tickets are available in three age/price categories: standard (ages 10 and up), concession (ages 5–9), and toddler (ages 0–4, free of charge).
Photo: comicconventionliverpool.co.uk
