Fan Conventions & Pop-Culture Events – Spring 2025

Calling all geeks, gamers, and pop-culture lovers! Arizona’s fan convention scene is thriving in 2025, with events for every fandom. Comic conventions, anime festivals, and fan gatherings are popping up throughout the spring. Cosplay is absolutely welcome – even encouraged – at these events where you can meet celebrity guests, attend panels, shop for collectibles, and geek out with fellow fans. Here are the big upcoming fan conventions in AZ for March, April, and May 2025:

Anime Arizona 2025 (March 21–23, 2025)

• What & Where: An anime and Japanese pop-culture convention held at the Renaissance Phoenix Glendale Hotel & Spa in Glendale, AZ​. This is Anime Arizona’s third year running, and it’s growing fast as a go-to event for anime enthusiasts in the Southwest.
• Highlights: Voice Actor Guests from popular anime series will be signing autographs and doing Q&A panels. Expect cosplayers everywhere – from Demon Slayer Hashira to My Hero Academia students – with formal cosplay contests as well as casual meetups. There’s a full slate of programming: anime screenings, art workshops, cosplay chess, and late-night karaoke. The vendor hall will be packed with anime merch, artwork, manga, and imports (bring spending money for that rare figurine or plushie!). Since this con is relatively new, the vibe is super friendly and fan-driven. It’s a perfect place to wear your cosplay all weekend and make new otaku friends.

Anime Arizona proves you don’t have to wait for the big summer cons to celebrate your fandom. Pro tip: If you plan to attend all three days, snag a weekend pass early – last year’s sold out. The hotel venue means you can also find rooms on-site (so convenient for costume changes or dropping off merch hauls). And don’t skip the anime rave dance on Saturday night – it’s a high-energy dance party with DJs spinning J-pop, K-pop, and anime remixes that’s become a highlight of the con. Whether you’re into shounen, shojo, or Studio Ghibli, Anime Arizona is the spring gathering for the anime community.

Wild Wild West Steampunk Convention (March 20–23, 2025)

• What & Where: The 13th annual Wild Wild West Steampunk Convention – one of the most unique fan events – taking place at Casino del Sol in Tucson, AZ​. This convention celebrates steampunk culture, a blend of Victorian-era aesthetics and sci-fi technology. It’s essentially a giant themed costume party with a retro-futuristic twist!
• Highlights: This year’s WWWC will feature immersive Wild West Steampunk activities: think dueling with nerf guns at high noon, parasol dueling contests (yes, that’s a thing), and a Victorian fashion show. Attendees go all out with incredible steampunk outfits – expect goggles, top hats, corsets, and creative gizmos galore. There will be special guest authors and makers in the steampunk genre, plus live entertainment like Tea Dueling ceremonies, dirigible (balloon) races, and a penny-farthing bicycle parade. By night, enjoy the Steampunk masquerade ball with dancing and live period-style music. The con also has workshops on DIY prop-making (learn to build your own ray gun or modify Nerf guns to look old-timey) and a bustling vendor bazaar selling handcrafted steampunk jewelry, costumes, leatherwork, and gadgets.

Set in a resort, this convention creates an atmosphere like you’ve stepped into an alternate 19th century. You can wander an Old West town one moment and an airship pirates’ lounge the next. New to steampunk? No worries – there are newbie workshops and everyone is welcoming. Grab a cup of tea at the High Tea service and mingle with inventors and explorers from an era that never was. Don’t forget your camera – the costumes and contraptions make for amazing photos. Wild Wild West Steampunk Con is a testament to fan creativity and a chance to live in a fantasy world for a weekend.

Game On Expo (April 4–6, 2025)

• What & Where: A multi-genre gaming convention at the Phoenix Convention Center, celebrating video games, tabletop games, and pop culture​. Game On Expo is now in its 11th year and has become the Southwest’s premier gaming event​.
• Highlights: Gaming tournaments everywhere! From esports contests in modern games (think Smash Bros., Street Fighter, Fortnite) to retro gaming competitions on classic arcade and console games, there’s something for every gamer. They’ll have a massive free-play arcade with vintage pinball and arcade cabinets, LAN areas for PC gamers, and console setups spanning Atari to PS5. Tabletop more your style? There’s a whole hall for tabletop RPGs, board games, and TCGs (expect Magic: The Gathering drafts and maybe a Pokémon card tournament). Special Guests: You can meet renowned game developers, YouTube/Twitch gaming personalities, and voice actors from famous games. The vendor hall is a treasure trove of geek merch: retro game cartridges, rare collectibles, custom art, and indie game demos. Families will enjoy the kid-friendly gaming zone and cosplay contests (gaming character cosplays encouraged!).

Game On Expo is basically gamer heaven for a weekend – a place to bond with fellow players and revisit the nostalgia of games you grew up with. Try out the newest VR experiences one minute, then enter a high-score contest on Pac-Man the next. The energy is electric: you’ll hear 8-bit music, arcade sound effects, cheers from a fighting game tourney, and maybe a life-size Pikachu wandering by. Insider tip: Sign up early for any limited-seating tournaments or D&D sessions via their website, as spots fill fast. And if you’re chasing retro games, hit the vendor hall early for the best selection (and bring your old games to trade or sell!). Whether you’re a hardcore gamer or a casual fan, Game On Expo is an inclusive celebration of all things gaming and geek.

Phoenix Fan Fusion 2025 (June 6–8, 2025) – Coming Soon!

Arizona’s biggest pop-culture convention actually takes place in early June, but we’d be remiss not to mention it so you can plan ahead. Phoenix Fan Fusion (formerly Phoenix Comic Con) will return to the Phoenix Convention Center on June 6–8, 2025​. This is the Comic Con mega-event of the year in Arizona – a giant convergence of comics, sci-fi, fantasy, anime, and pop culture across all genres.

• Why Mention It Now: Tickets go on sale early and hotels book up fast, so spring is the time to start planning if you want to attend. Phoenix Fan Fusion draws tens of thousands of attendees and major celebrity guests from movies, TV, comics, and literature. Past years have featured stars from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, popular TV series, voice actors, best-selling authors, and more.
• What to Expect: Imagine a massive exhibit hall packed with geeky vendors and artists, plus over a dozen programming tracks of panels, workshops, signings, photo ops, and cosplay showcases. You can attend a Q&A with your favorite actor, get a comic signed by its artist, learn how to build cosplay armor, and debate sci-fi theories on fan panels all in one day. The cosplay presence is huge – you’ll see amazingly crafted costumes everywhere (don’t be shy to dress up!). There are also evening events like a masquerade costume contest, dance parties, and after-hours fandom meetups. It’s an all-ages affair by day (lots of families and kids in cosplay), with some 18+ content in the late hours.

Consider Fan Fusion the Comic-Con of Arizona – it’s on par with some of the big national cons in terms of scope and guest lineup. In fact, 2025 marks the con’s 24th year​, so they know how to put on a great show. Keep an eye on their official announcements for guest reveals; rumor has it some first-time guests to Arizona will be appearing (perhaps a few big-name superheroes or sci-fi icons). If you love anything pop culture, you’ll find your community here – whether it’s the Star Wars fan club doing lightsaber training, the Browncoats (Firefly fans) singing shanties, or the Disneybounding meet-up group snapping photos. Start preparing your cosplays and savings now – early June will be here before you know it, and Phoenix Fan Fusion 2025 is poised to be epic.

Other Fan Events & Pop-Culture Highlights:

• Horror & Monster Conventions: Horror fans, take note – while the big HORROR FEST in Arizona isn’t until October, there are smaller gatherings in summer like Mad Monster Party Arizona (usually July in the Phoenix area) and Days of the Dead horror con (July 11–13, 2025 in Phoenix​). These events bring horror movie celebs, FX artists, and spooky merch vendors. If you love all things creepy, keep an eye out for these after spring. They’re a great place to celebrate Halloween vibes year-round with fellow horror aficionados.
• King-Con (May 24–25, 2025 in Kingman, AZ): A newer pop culture convention serving fans in northern AZ. King-Con is a smaller, community-driven con held at the Mohave County Fairgrounds​. It features a bit of everything – comics, sci-fi, anime – with local artists, panel discussions, and cosplay contests. It’s wonderful to see fan culture spreading to all corners of Arizona, not just the big cities. Road trip to Kingman over Memorial Day weekend and support a growing fan event; you might meet some indie comic creators or snag vintage collectibles in a more intimate setting.
• Detonation – Wastelanders Weekend (May 5–11, 2025): One of the most offbeat fan gatherings, Detonation is an immersive post-apocalyptic festival in the Arizona desert​. Held at a remote area called Uranium Springs (east of Holbrook), it’s like stepping into a Mad Max film. Attendees create a temporary post-apocalyptic town complete with themed camps, costuming, and role-play. There are barter markets (no money, just trade goods), Thunderdome-style combat games, and nightly parties around bonfires with cars rigged out like war machines. It’s 18+ and not for the timid, but if the idea of a weekend LARP in a Fallout-esque wasteland excites you, Detonation is the ultimate escape from reality. Pack your goggles and spiked shoulder pads, and get ready to get dusty!

Arizona’s fan convention scene truly offers something for every flavor of geekdom. Cosplay your heart out, be respectful to fellow fans, and most importantly, have fun and embrace the welcoming community at these events. Whether it’s hunting autographs, discovering a new indie comic, or dancing with fellow nerds at a con rave, you’ll make unforgettable memories. As they say in the con world: keep calm and cosplay on! And don’t forget to pre-register when you can – these events often offer early-bird discounts and insider newsletters so you won’t miss a thing.