Phoenix Fan Fusion’s highly successful 2026 weekend

PHOENIX (KYMA) - Over the weekend, Downtown Phoenix saw its busiest weekend of the year, largely due to the Fan Fusion convention at the Downtown Convention Center.

Visitors lined up for blocks to get their badges, walk in and let their passions run wild. A big part of the convention was its cosplays and vendors, with fans dressing up as their favorite characters and supporting small businesses from all over the U.S.

"We love coming to these events because it's a great way to showcase some things that we make, and it always inspires everybody else to come out here and bring their all," said Allison Munn, a cosplayer.

Another major part of the event is their inclusion of celebrity guests that fans can meet, take photos with and get autographs from.

Some of those guests this year included John Cena, several stars of the TV series, Supernatural, and the entire cast of Critical Role.

It also featured a comic book and author section, where you can meet the authors of some of your favorite comic books and novels.

"Last year showed just how passionate this community really is," said Joe Boudrie, Convention Director for Phoenix Fan Fusion. "With the response we're seeing already, 2026 is shaping up to be even bigger and we're ready for it. Fans are securing their badges early, and availability is becoming extremely limited."

Following the record-breaking success of the previous Fan Fusion in 2025, which saw over 130,000 attendees, this year's event may have even broken the record books for the convention, especially since the full event passes were fully sold out merely a month before the event began.

That success didn't go without challenge, however, as the high attendance this year caused the main entrance to be closed for several minutes after the convention center reached maximum occupancy, despite lines reaching about half a block away full of people waiting to get in.

Despite the delays, fans were eager to meet with people with the same interests, meet their heroes, and have a great time.

Some vendors had their most successful year in their own history, including Az Hive, an Arizona-born non-profit that raises money for the Arizona Animal Wellfare League, the biggest no-kill animal shelter.

AZ Hive is a group that travels all throughout the state, raising money and awareness for animal shelters, as well as doing raffles, cosplay and prop displays, and selling homemade props, all in the theme of the popular video game franchise Resident Evil.

The organization saw their most successful raffle yet, with several attendees donating more than $100 towards the raffle, and selling out of several of their goods.

"A big event like this means we can spread more awareness and raise more money for the shelter, just by the sheer amount of people that are here," said Sarah Murphy with AZ Hive.

Not only is the event an incredible success for vendors and celebrities coming from everywhere, but it also generates a significant economic impact for the Valley, bringing tens of thousands of visitors into local hotels, restaurants, entertainment districts, and small businesses throughout convention weekend.

Fan Fusion continues to inject millions of dollars into the local economy. 

Phoenix Fan Fusion also announced AEGITz as its Official Tech Partner, expanding the event's technology foundation with always-on, secure connectivity, bonded multi-carrier data, live network monitoring, on-site technical support, and event display infrastructure.

With another extremely successful year under their belt, Phoenix Fan Fusion hopes to continue the trend into next year.