Fan Expo Philadelphia began as one of the Wizard World events. It all began in 1996 when the publishing company Wizard Press (later renamed Wizard Entertainment) decided to venture into the convention business, purchasing Chicago Comicon and rebranding it as Wizard World Chicago Comic Con. This rebranding marked a shift in focus from comic books to all things pop culture.
In 2002, Wizard Entertainment branched out from Chicago and produced Wizard World East in Philadelphia. It is this convention that can be considered the forerunner of Fan Expo Philadelphia. As Wizard Entertainment continued to expand, the Philadelphia convention enjoyed steady popularity.
In 2020, convention businesses worldwide, including Wizard Entertainment, were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. That year, most Wizard World events scheduled for March or later had to be held online. The following year, only six Wizard World conventions were held in person: Chicago, Cleveland, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Portland, and St. Louis.
That August, the company announced that its remaining conventions would be acquired by Fan Expo. The Fan Expo series of events began in 2013, when Informa purchased the organizer of Fan Expo Canada, and extended the Fan Expo brand to a number of other conventions it purchased in the following years: the Dallas Comic Con, the Boston Comic Con, and the Denver Pop Culture Con.
In 2022, the Philadelphia convention was first held under its new name, Fan Expo Philadelphia. It is held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in downtown Philadelphia, which has 1 million square feet of total space and 679,000 square feet of exhibit space. With an annual attendance of more than 50,000, Fan Expo Philadelphia is one of the premier pop culture conventions in Pennsylvania.
As with most major fan conventions, celebrity guest events (Q&As, panels, photo ops, autograph sessions) are one of the main attractions at Fan Expo Philadelphia. For example, notable guests at the 2025 convention included John Cena, Mel Gibson, Charlie Cox, John Boyega, William Shatner, Jodie Whittaker, Andy Serkis, Antony Daniels, Christopher Lloyd, Dolph Lundgren, Giancarlo Esposito, Helen Hunt, Tyler Hoechlin, Sonequa Martin-Green, Catherine Tate, John Rhys-Davies, Priscilla Presley, and many others.
In addition to actors known for their roles in various sci-fi, fantasy, and horror films, television shows, and media franchises, guests at Fan Expo Philadelphia include voice actors working in animation and video games, cosplayers, and comic book creators.
Of course, the convention isn’t just about celebrity guests; it has many other attractions to offer. These include cosplay meet-ups, panels, showcases and contests, games and trivia, karaoke, sketch duels between comic artists, live performances, a gaming zone, scavenger hunts, special activities for kids, and more. There’s something for everyone!
