New York Comic Con 2026: Schedule, Panels, Guests and Tickets

The direct answer: NYCC dates, venue and opening hours

New York Comic Con 2026 takes place from Thursday, October 8 through Sunday, October 11 at the Javits Center, 429 11th Avenue in Manhattan. The public show floor is scheduled for 10:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, then 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. on Sunday. Artist Alley and Writers Block remain open until 8:00 p.m. on the first three days. All times in this guide are New York local time.[1]

Programming runs on a different clock: 10:00 a.m.–10:00 p.m. Thursday, 11:00 a.m.–11:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Sunday. A panel ending after the show floor closes is not an extension of shopping hours. Build each day from the official session time, then allow for the walk between Javits levels, security and the arrival rule attached to a reservation.[1] [3]

The full New York Comic Con 2026 schedule is already live, but it is not frozen. Rooms, speakers and timing can be revised. The safest plan is to choose a few priorities, save them in the official app and check alerts before leaving home and again inside the building.[4] [5]

Which NYCC 2026 tickets are still available?

At 3:28 a.m. EDT on September 28, the official ticket page offered Thursday adult badges for $103.98, a new Thursday After 3PM ticket for $54.98, Sunday adult badges for $109.42 and Thursday Kids tickets for $38.65. It marked Friday, Saturday, 4-Day, VIP and Sunday Kids tickets sold out. The displayed prices include the ticket cost, service fee and 8.8% sales tax.[2]

That is a timestamped inventory report, not a promise that Thursday or Sunday stock will remain. Use only the official NYCC purchase route and review the final checkout screen. The ordinary badge covers admission for its stated day and access to the show’s general areas, but it does not include paid celebrity photos or autographs, separately ticketed events, or a guaranteed seat in a panel that needs a reservation.[2]

The September 14 shipping deadline has passed. NYCC says US purchases made after that date should be collected at Will Call with the confirmation email and QR code; international orders also use Will Call. Do not travel on the assumption that an online order will be mailed. Once a physical badge is in hand, activation is required before event entry and is also how eligible reservations connect to that badge.[2] [6]

Thursday and Friday panel highlights

Thursday begins with the Final Fantasy VII Revelation English voice-cast session at 11:00 a.m. on the Main Stage. The current published anchors then include Dexter: Resurrection season 2 at 12:30 p.m. on the Main Stage, Marvel Television and Marvel Animation at 4:15 p.m. on the Empire Stage, and the Crystal Lake first-look screening at 6:30 p.m. on the Empire Stage. Entertainment Weekly independently reported the same early programme and described it as a developing slate.[4] [12]

Friday’s large-stage sequence includes Avatar: Seven Havens at 11:15 a.m. on the Main Stage and the ONE PIECE English-dub panel at 12:45 p.m. on the Empire Stage. The AMC+ presentation covering several series is listed at 3:30 p.m. on the Main Stage. Violent Night 2 and BlumFest share one Empire Stage session at 5:30 p.m.; the published description says the room will not clear between those two parts.[4]

These are planning anchors, not a complete day-by-day listing. Thursday’s general admission opens at 10:00 a.m., while the reduced Thursday After 3PM badge starts at 3:00 p.m.; that later badge cannot be used for morning or early-afternoon sessions. Friday badges were sold out at the latest official check, so a panel listing is not evidence that a new buyer can enter that day.[1] [2]

Saturday and Sunday panel highlights

Saturday’s published schedule includes the Star Trek Universe session at 3:15 p.m. on the Empire Stage, NARUTO: What’s Next? at 5:00 p.m. on the same stage, and a Percy Jackson and the Olympians season 3 conversation with Walker Scobell at 6:00 p.m. on the Main Stage. The Crown Championships of Cosplay are listed for 8:00 p.m. on the Main Stage. Saturday admission was sold out on September 28, and every Main or Empire Stage session still needs its own reservation.[3] [4]

Sunday opens its Main Stage programme with NCIS: New York at 11:00 a.m. The current schedule also places R.L. Stine on Tubi at 12:15 p.m. in Room 409, The Rookie at 2:15 p.m. on the Main Stage, and a Tokyo Revengers screening and talk at 3:30 p.m. on the Empire Stage. Sunday’s show floor and programming both end at 5:00 p.m., so leave enough time for final purchases and exits.[1] [4]

The official announcement uses future-facing language about previews, footage and guests. It does not establish what will actually be revealed, whether a surprise will occur, or whether every listed participant will appear. Treat titles and times as the plan at this check, and wait for the event or rights holder to confirm any announcement afterward.[4]

How Main Stage and Empire Stage reservations work

A ticket and a panel reservation solve different parts of the visit. NYCC says every Main Stage and Empire Stage panel is handled through first-come reservations. The portal opened September 10 at noon ET, and ticket holders may reserve only for days represented by a badge assigned to their email. The stated caps are four panels Thursday, five Friday, five Saturday and three Sunday.[3]

Reservation holders are told to reach the Main Stage queue in Hall 1C or the Empire Stage area on Level 5 at least 35 minutes before the panel begins. Overlapping sessions cannot both be reserved. Moving a badge to another person cancels reservations tied to it, and the physical badge must be activated under the reservation email before use.[3] [6]

A reservation is the strongest route to those two rooms, but attendees should still follow their confirmation and onsite instructions. NYCC describes standby as very limited and does not guarantee admission. Panels in other rooms are generally first come, first served unless the event is separately ticketed. The random request window for Funko exclusives and private autographing has closed; notifications are due from September 30 through October 2.[3]

Guests, autographs and photo ops are separate plans

The announced guest pool spans screen, comics, books, games and voice acting. ReedPop’s programme release names Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, Lena Headey, Matt Smith, Jamie Campbell Bower, Frank Miller, Jim Lee and Rick Riordan among the wider roster. The current Epic guest-interaction store also listed paid products connected to names including Sebastian Stan, Nicolas Cage, Rosario Dawson and Charlie Cox when checked.[4] [9]

Do not read that roster as a four-day attendance promise. A guest may appear only on selected days, sell different products, reach capacity or cancel. Epic states that admission for the same day is required before buying a guest interaction, and that talent, group numbers, times, products and prices may change. A photo-op purchase is not a panel reservation, and a panel appearance is not an autograph entitlement.[9]

The right sequence is to confirm the person in the current official directory or vendor store, select the correct date, hold valid admission for that date and check the issued time again. The initial guest announcement is useful history, but it is not the final attendance record. Never base a trip on an old promotional graphic or an unverified fan list.[9]

Will Call, entrances, transit and accessibility

Will Call is in the Javits Center’s Crystal Palace. Current hours are 5:00–8:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 6; 8:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m. Wednesday; 7:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. Thursday; 8:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m. Sunday. Bring the confirmation QR code and photo ID. The organiser urges advance pickup on Tuesday or Wednesday because Thursday lines can be long.[1]

The Javits campus stretches from West 34th to West 39th streets. The official travel page places the Blue entrance for Will Call, VIP and ADA access at the Crystal Palace near 11th Avenue and 34th Street. General-admission Green entrances are listed near 38th Street and on 34th Street between 11th and 12th avenues. The 7 train’s 34 St–Hudson Yards station is the closest subway stop, about one block away.[7]

For accessibility help, the dedicated Blue/Crystal Palace entrance operates during show hours, and ADA stickers are available onsite at the registration desk without an advance application. A valid event ticket is still required. Priority panel seating is offered only as available, not guaranteed. The organiser also lists a quiet room in Javits 1A04–05 and directs accommodation questions to NYCCADA@reedpop.com.[8]

Entry plans remain operational facts. Subway service, queues, door assignments and room locations can change. Check the current map and alerts before departure, allow time for bag checks and keep the badge visible inside. If a specific accommodation is essential, contact the accessibility team rather than relying only on a general web-page description.[1] [7] [8]

App, livestream status and the final pre-show check

The official NYCC app is the practical day-of companion. Its listed tools include the panel schedule with reminders, guest and exhibitor directories, personal favorites, interactive Javits maps, reservation access, badge activation and push notices for guest changes. Downloading it does not reserve a seat, but it puts the most changeable information in one place.[5]

Remote viewers should be precise about what is confirmed. Popverse says it expects to film many major panels and has a 2026 viewing hub ready, but the page also says the exact filming and livestream list is still being worked out. Do not assume every Main Stage or Empire Stage panel will be live, free, available worldwide or posted afterward. Check the hub when the convention begins.[10]

Wednesday, October 7 is not a fifth general-admission day. Variety reports that NYCC’s professional programme starts with Retailer Day and continues through the weekend under listed industry credentials; only limited aspiring-professional places are opened to eligible fan badges for participating weekend sessions. Standard attendees should follow the public October 8–11 schedule unless their credential says otherwise.[11]

Before leaving, confirm five items: active badge, correct day, reservation email, current guest or panel listing, and the latest entry map. Ticket availability, stage capacity, signings and streams can all move after this September 28 check. The dates, venue and published public hours are the stable framework; everything tied to inventory or a person’s appearance deserves one final official check.[1] [2] [3] [5]