Fan Expo New Orleans was established in 2011 as Wizard World New Orleans. It was operated by Wizard World (later renamed Wizard Entertainment), a former publishing company that shifted its focus to producing multi-genre fan conventions across North America.
Wizard Entertainment’s operations were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Most conventions were canceled that year, and only six were held offline in 2021: in Chicago, Cleveland, New Orleans, St. Louis, Philadelphia, and Portland. In August 2021, Wizard Entertainment sold its remaining conventions, including the New Orleans convention, to Fan Expo.
Fan Expo rebranded the six conventions it acquired from Wizard Entertainment in 2022, and so Fan Expo New Orleans was born. Held at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center with its 1.1 million square feet of exhibit space, it is the ultimate event for science fiction, fantasy, horror, anime, video games, and all things pop culture in New Orleans.
Like all major pop culture conventions, Fan Expo New Orleans has a long list of celebrity guests, including actors, voice actors, gaming stars, comic book creators, and cosplayers. In 2025, for example, guests included Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd from Back to the Future, Andy Serkis (Lord of the Rings, MCU), William Shatner (Star Trek), Heather Locklear (Melrose Place), Anthony Daniels (Star Wars), Giancarlo Esposito (The Mandalorian), Tom Welling (Smallville), Brandon Routh (Superman Returns, Legends of Tomorrow), Manny Jacinto (The Good Place, The Acolyte), Tyler Hoechlin (Teen Wolf, Superman & Lois), Elizabeth Tulloch (Grimm, Superman & Lois), James Marsters (Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and many more.
Celebrity guest events at Fan Expo New Orleans include Q&A sessions and cast panels, where stars share behind-the-scenes stories and answer fan questions, as well as autograph sessions and photo ops.
Other major events at Fan Expo New Orleans include cosplay events (the Cosplay Red Carpet, Cosplay Showcase, cosplay contests, panels, workshops, photo ops, meet-ups, and more), comic book attractions (meet and greets with comic book creators, autograph sessions, panels and workshops, sketch duels, Artist Alley, Drink & Draw), anime attractions (meet and greets with voice actors, panels, Anime HQ, IdolFest), sci-fi, fantasy and horror events, gaming attractions (meet and greets with voice actors, panels, gaming tournaments), karaoke, Kids’ Zone with fun activities for the whole family, the Community Zone for fan gatherings, a market with an impressive selection of merchandise, and more. There is something for everyone, regardless of age or fandom!
Fan Expo New Orleans offers several types of tickets: multi-day (3-day, Ultimate, and VIP), single-day (Friday, Saturday, and Sunday), family passes (single-day admission for two adults and up to four children ages 6-12), youth single-day passes (single-day admission for teens ages 13-17), and child passes (admission for children ages 6-12). Autographs and photo ops must be purchased separately.
