Fan Expo Canada
Canada's biggest pop culture convention — four days of fandom.
When
2026: August 27–30, 2026
2027: TBD
2025: August 21–24, 2025
Where
Metro Toronto Convention Centre
Area
Downtown
Cost
Paid · $41–$73 day / $139 4-day
Format
indoor
Attendance
130K+ visitors
Running Since
1994 (32 years)
Family Friendly
Yes
VT Insider Tip
Thursday and Friday are significantly less crowded than the weekend. If you want celebrity photo ops or autographs, book them online in advance — popular guests sell out weeks before the event.
Fan Expo Canada 2026 is next week: Thursday, August 27 to Sunday, August 30 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre (North and South Buildings), 255 Front St. W. Not this weekend. Four days. A badge gets you the show floor and panel/theatre rooms. Celebrity photo ops, autographs, and specially ticketed experiences are extra.
Buy on fanexpohq.com/fanexpocanada/buy-tickets. Prices below are the listed amounts on that page as of August 21, 2026. If the official page disagrees, trust Fan Expo.
Hours
From the official show page. VIP, Ultimate, and advance 4-Day passes get Thursday preview at 2 p.m. VIP also gets a 9:30 a.m. head start Friday–Sunday.
| Day | General admission | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Thu Aug 27 | 4 p.m.–9 p.m. | Preview 2–4 p.m. for VIP, Ultimate, and advance 4-Day |
| Fri Aug 28 | 10 a.m.–7 p.m. | VIP floor at 9:30 a.m. |
| Sat Aug 29 | 10 a.m.–7 p.m. | VIP floor at 9:30 a.m. Biggest day |
| Sun Aug 30 | 10 a.m.–5 p.m. | VIP floor at 9:30 a.m. Show closes 5 p.m. |
Tickets
A pass is floor + panels. It is not a photo op, not an autograph, not John Cena Live, not a merch credit.
Adult single day
| Day | Listed price | Hours on the ticket |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday | $41 | 4 p.m.–9 p.m. |
| Friday | $51 | 10 a.m.–7 p.m. |
| Saturday | $73 | 10 a.m.–7 p.m. |
| Sunday | $56 | 10 a.m.–5 p.m. |
Includes show-floor access, panel/theatre access, and a souvenir badge.
Youth (13–17)
Proof of age may be requested.
| Day | Listed price |
|---|---|
| Thursday | $36 — sold out on the official page as of Aug 21 |
| Friday | $41 — sold out on the official page as of Aug 21 |
| Saturday | $63 |
| Sunday | $46 |
Family (2 adults 18+ and up to 4 children 6–12)
One day. Two souvenir badges and four child wristbands.
| Day | Listed price |
|---|---|
| Thursday | $87 |
| Friday | $107 |
| Saturday | $156 — sold out on the official page as of Aug 21 |
| Sunday | $117 |
Child pass (ages 6–12)
$12, valid all four days. Same floor and panel access as the adult pass you are with. Wristband, not a badge. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Does not cover specially ticketed experiences or merch.
Print the official Kids Free Coupon to redeem up to two free Child Passes at the show. Not Saturday.
Multi-day
| Pass | Listed price | Extra vs a day badge |
|---|---|---|
| 4-Day | $139 | All four days, Thursday 2 p.m. preview, limited-edition T-shirt |
| Ultimate | $179 | Preview, priority entrance, Ultimate lounge, 24-hour photo-op / special-experience purchase window, merch bundle, 10% store coupon, free future single-day GA (no Saturdays) through the next year of Fan Expo HQ shows except Fan Expo Canada 2027 and VidCon |
| VIP | $579 | Advance only. Preview, 9:30 a.m. head start Fri–Sun, shipped badge, VIP lounge + bag/coat check in the lounge, express autograph/photo lines, 48-hour purchase window, bring a friend free on Thursday, 20% store coupon, unlimited future Fan Expo HQ admission through the same window |
VIP is the only listed pass with lounge coat check. There is no public coat check or lockers on the floor.
Other official discounts
- Groups of 15+: request through Fan Expo, not at the door.
- Military / veteran: $5 off a general-admission ticket at the box office with ID.
- Badge replacement: $5, and only if the badge was activated and registered to you at fanexpocanada.com/activate. Wear it visibly. Keep a multi-day badge on you all four days.
Thursday vs the weekend
Thursday is the short night (doors 4 p.m., preview 2 p.m. if you bought the right pass). Friday is a full day without Saturday’s crush. Saturday is the expensive day and the crowded day. Sunday closes at 5 p.m. — do not treat it like a late afternoon drop-in.
If you want artist alley, the floor, or a specific photo op, Thursday or Friday is the play. Saturday is the costume parade people come for and then complain about.
What’s on (official)
Named on the Fan Expo Canada homepage or special-experiences page. Not a complete guest list — that lives on fanexpohq.com/fanexpocanada. Photo ops and autographs are sold separately and sell out.
Homepage headliners: Mel Gibson, John Cena, Elijah Wood, Alan Ritchson, Mr. T, Sean Astin, John Rhys-Davies, Billy Boyd.
Official special experiences:
| Experience | When | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| John Cena Live | Sun Aug 30, 4:15 p.m. | Separate ticket. Photo ops and autographs are also sold separately |
| An Evening with the Hobbits | Fri Aug 28, 7 p.m.; Sat Aug 29, 7:30 p.m. | Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd. Saturday listed sold out |
| Second Breakfast with the Hobbits | Sun Aug 30, 8 a.m. | InterContinental Toronto. Outside show hours |
| Colin O'Donoghue VIP Meet & Greet | Sat Aug 29 and Sun Aug 30, 2 p.m. | Room 710. 25-minute Q&A + selfie. Separate ticket |
| Frank Miller Experience | Sat Aug 29, 6 p.m. | Autographs / Dark Knight Returns collectibles / sketch packages |
| Joe Quesada Experience | Thu Aug 27 and Fri Aug 28 | Autographs, merch, stage packages |
| Greg Capullo Comics Experience | Sun Aug 30, 10:30 a.m. | Room 703 |
Cancelled, per the official celebrities page: Alec Baldwin, Josh Holloway, Robert Davi, Henry Ian Cusick, Michael Johnston, Cara Buono, Mike Colter. Do not plan around them.
Kids’ Zone (official family page): Kids' Cosplay Red Carpet, Harry Potter Sorting Ceremony, comic artists including Sam Noir and Keith Grachow, slime making, Book Nook, free-to-play Retroware Japanese arcade games in Anime HQ. Check the show schedule for times.
Badge pickup
Bring the e-ticket. That is the proof of purchase. Advance (pre-show) pickup hours were still TBD on the official FAQ.
Show-day pickup, both buildings, same hours:
| Day | Pickup hours |
|---|---|
| Thu Aug 27 | 12 p.m.–8:30 p.m. |
| Fri Aug 28 | 9 a.m.–6:30 p.m. |
| Sat Aug 29 | 9 a.m.–6:30 p.m. |
| Sun Aug 30 | 9 a.m.–4:30 p.m. |
- North Building, Level 300, Hall A. Front Street toward John Street, West Ramp into Hall A.
- South Building, Level 800, base of the South Ramp on Lower Simcoe, south of Bremner.
Picking up a ticket for a different day: ALL TICKETS line. If that line is closed, Customer Service in South Building, Room 501.
Cosplay and props
Official costume policy and props policy. Security has the last word.
- Opaque coverage of breasts, genitals, and buttocks. No nudity, no “nude illusion” bodysuits.
- No racist, obscene, or derogatory costumes (including Nazi / KKK imagery, ahegao prints).
- No chemical effects: helium balloons, smoke, pyrotechnics, anything that expels liquid or gas.
- No real weapons. Generally no metal or wooden prop weapons. Foam / lightweight melee is the allowed version. Do not swing them.
- Replica metal/resin firearms stay home. Nerf is allowed with no darts loaded. Bows and slingshots: no projectiles. No laser pointers.
- Prop Check Desk issues a sticker. No sticker, you leave or you store it. The desk is not a cloakroom. Anything left past Sunday close is disposed of.
- Buy a metal sword on the floor? Keep it in the original packaging until it is in a hotel room or car, or take it to Prop Check in the packaging.
Travel with props bagged. Toronto does not love you walking Union with a replica rifle.
Getting there
Do not drive unless you need accessibility parking (see MTCC). Union Station is the move.
- Address: Metro Toronto Convention Centre, 255 Front St. W.
- TTC / GO / UP: Union Station, then the Skywalk into the Centre. Weather-protected.
- GO add-on: Fan Expo sells a round-trip GO add-on from any GO station to Union. Compare it to a normal GO fare on gotransit.com before you buy.
- Airport: UP Express, Pearson to Union in 28 minutes, every 15 minutes. Tickets at upexpress.com or the machines.
Bags, strollers, food
Official FAQ: no coat check, no lockers, no storage. Bags are allowed and may be searched. Strollers are allowed; the floor will fight you on Saturday.
VIP lounge includes complimentary bag and coat check for VIP badge holders. That is not a public cloakroom.
Eat before you go in or budget convention-centre prices. There is no official “bring food” promise.
Accessibility
Official accessibility policy.
- Accessibility Services Desks: South Building, Bremner entrance outside Room 501 (near the woodpecker statue); North Building, Front Street entrance beside Second Cup.
- One medical companion can get a complimentary same-day general-admission pass at that desk. Multi-day attendees pick it up each day. Companion stays with the patron. No merch bundle, no line-jumps of their own. VIP areas are open to the companion only while assisting a VIP patron.
- Medical sticker: identifies you to staff. It is not a ticket and not early entry.
- Accessible seating at panels is first come, first served. Official advice: be there 15 minutes early.
- No priority at autograph lines unless you have a VIP pass. Have someone hold the line.
- MTCC is accessible; accessibility parking is on site — check mtccc.com. Fan Expo does not rent wheelchairs; MTCC has a limited free first-come supply at info desks.
- ASL interpreters for main-theatre panels: request at least two weeks out via canadatickets@fanexpohq.com. On-site requests are not accommodated.
- Guide dogs and service animals: leashed, identified, you are responsible for them.
Official
Guests, hours, and prices move. If fanexpohq.com disagrees with this page, trust Fan Expo.