Happy Comic Con Cape Town 2026! The fourth edition of the Mother City’s pop culture celebration kicks off today, Thursday, 30 April to Sunday, 3 May. With Thursday the only day not already sold out, 34,000 fans will be hitting up the CTICC 2 over the next four days, making the event the biggest one yet.
If you’ve attended a Comic Con in South Africa before – including CCCT’s big brother Comic Con Africa, in Johannesburg – you should have a good idea of what to expect by now. Think celebrity guests (including paid photo and autograph opportunities); three stages devoted to panels, presentations and workshops; unique shopping opportunities; loads of casual and competitive cosplay; walk-in gaming competitions, escape rooms and other activations; a whole tabletop gaming section; After Dark off-site comedy shows and comic professional interactions; and that’s to start.
On top of this, the CCCT organisers always ensure something novel, and below are our cherry-picked new offerings to check out.
1) A fresh line-up of guests
Every year brings a fresh crop of international and local celebrity guests, with, in some rare cases, stars making a return to South African shores. So in 2026, fans can see Harry Potter’s Luna Lovegood, Evanna Lynch, in the flesh, alongside veteran anime voice actors Christopher Sabat (Dragonball’s Vegeta) and Jason Liebrecht (Dabi in My Hero Academia). On top of that, several One Piece cast members will take to the stage, like Callum Kerr (Smoker), Steven John Ward (Mihawk), and Jazzara Jaslyn (Miss Valentine).
Legendary Yaya Han and Jaremi Carey are representing on the cosplay front, while CCCT partner FanCon – which runs Artists Alley – has brought in such comic industry talent as thee John Romita Jr., Ron Marz, Heather Antos, and Phil Hester alongside accomplished locals Bill Masuku, Anand Ramcheron, Sean Izaakse, and Andy Mason.
2) Big-name sponsors and bringing something special
While Toyota and Telkom are still around, powering up Comic Con’s gaming offering, CCCT has some new brands on board. The biggie is bank Capitec, which is Comic Con Africa and Comic Con Cape Town’s headline sponsor for the next three years. Along with the Fandom Force HQ, which includes fun competitive superhero training challenges, and cosplayers bringing home-grown superheroes to life, a Capitec dome next to the main stage is packed with activities and opportunities to recharge, with a view. Meanwhile, with a big activation area on the top floor, Burger King is bringing their recently launched Mandalorian & Grogu range in the form of special merchandise (just note that they won’t be selling food on-site).
3) An anti-AI and pro copyright shopping experience
If you, like us, are anti AI “art”, you’ll likely be pleased to hear that Comic Con has taken a similar welcome stance. At CCCT 2026, Artists Alley and its neighbouring Crafters Pavillion section are all about unique human, handmade creativity. No prompted slop and cheapie grey products. You can buy from small businesses and support local creators who have put in the work, so please do so.
4) Cape Town International Animation Festival is back
After skipping the show in 2025, partner event Cape Town International Animation Festival is back at CCCT this year, and is offering something special for aspiring animators. Every day in the top floor Experience Hall, they’ll be hosting daily workshops and screenings designed to educate and inspire kids 12–18. The workshops are included with your Comic Con ticket, with no additional charge, and you can find the CTIAF Stage schedule here.
