Every year, the USS Hornet Sea, Air & Space Museum opens its doors to a crowd of anime, Vtuber, and pop culture fans for CarrierCon. This convention provides a unique experience, bringing a con environment to an aircraft carrier, where attendees can take photos on the flight deck or participate in panels below deck.
This was CarrierCon’s first outing as a two-day convention, and by the time the doors opened, both days had sold out. So, let’s see how it went…
The Venue (and Crowd Control)
The USS Hornet is a venue like no other, as it’s literally onboard an aircraft carrier. This makes CarrierCon a unique experience where attendees can explore the ship while shopping, checking out panels, and taking cosplay photos. The flight deck was a particularly popular spot for cosplayers to hang out, as it gave them opportunities to take photos in front of historical airplanes, with the bay in the background, or in front of the hangar entrance.
However, some attendees were wary after 2025’s convention, which our previous report described as “the most crowded CarrierCon yet.” Last year, the crowd resulted in exceedingly long lines in the hot sun and a crowded interior that was difficult to navigate.
This year, however, CarrierCon averted that by splitting attendance across two days, with limited ticket sales per day. As a result, the crowd was much more manageable, and the lines moved much more quickly. So, credit where credit is due, CarrierCon saw that the crowds were a problem and made changes to address it.
For attendees who wanted to go on both days, they could book a nearby hotel, or they could get an overnight experience on the Hornet, spending a night in the ship’s bunks (complete with dinner and a tour of the ship).
Cosplay
Of course, CarrierCon provided a great opportunity for cosplayers, and as always, they showed up in full force.
Many cosplayers opted to take advantage of the unique venue with costumes from series like Goddess of Victory: Nikke, Azure Lane, or classics like Neon Genesis Evangelion. Games like Marvel Rivals, Metal Gear Solid, and Resident Evil were also popular choices, but there was no shortage of variety.
Cosplayers also had the opportunity to showcase their skills in the cosplay contest, where cosplayers showed off their best craftsmanship and performances to the crowd and a panel of experienced judges.
CarrierCon also hosted cosplay gatherings throughout the weekend, where cosplayers from the same series could meet up for photos. In addition to many of the series mentioned earlier, such as Nikke and Marvel Rivals, as well as other gacha games (including Azur Lane and Honkai: Star Rail), anime like One Piece and Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, and even EPIC: The Musical.
As always, Star Wars cosplay groups like the 501st Legion and the Bay Area Droid Builders were in attendance, so it wasn’t uncommon to walk past a Stormtrooper or R2-D2.
And for cosplayers in need of some emergency repairs, the Cosplay Cleric had her booth, where she and her crew offered free repairs, including sewing, glue, ironing, or any other repair needs. As any cosplayer who’s experienced a last-minute malfunction can attest, those services are always appreciated.
Panels
CarrierCon offered a good variety of stage shows and panels throughout the weekend, appealing to a wide array of interests. This included such panels as the always-enjoyable “Fandom Taboo! Game Show,” a look at “The US Ships in Kantai Collection,” a “Pokémon Film Review Hour,” and even “Swordfighting 101.” A few naval historian YouTubers also took the opportunity to present at CarrierCon, bringing their knowledge and expertise to a thematically appropriate venue.
The Cosplay Wrestling Federation (CWF) returned to CarrierCon, with defending champ Parappa the Rapper fighting off the verbal assaults from challengers to try to retain the Best Of All Time (BOAT) title. CWF is always a fun show, where the audience gets hyped cheering for their favorites or booing heels, and the winner is determined by audience applause. This year, Skeletor returned to claim the BOAT title, although Bill Ding nearly took it for himself. (Full disclosure: this writer is a member of CWF.)
However, the vast majority of the panels were hosted by Vtuber guests. This meant there were plenty of panels like “VTubing as a Career” and “Meet the Clumsiest VTuber EVER.” The Main Stage also hosted Vtuber panels, with a second stage dedicated to events like a “VFleet Virtual Concert” and large meet & greets.
The panels were held in rooms in the lower decks, which could be difficult to navigate to. That did occasionally result in lower attendance, but those who could find the panel rooms certainly enjoyed them.
Guests
CarrierCon always makes sure to invite a few convention guests, and this year was no exception. The big human guest was Meli Grant, a voice actress known for her roles like Gorgo in Honkai: Star Rail and Kilika Rouran in The Legends of Heroes, as well as her own VTuber character, Melizande.
The other guests were all VTubers, who attended via video streams. There, they could meet and greet fans through headsets and cameras, giving fans an opportunity to meet their oshis. VTuber guests included Vampirate Odessa, Chikafuji Lisa, Vivi Chan the Dragon, and entire groups like VFleet Project and Aegis Link.
On Saturday, attendees wanting to stay late could enjoy the Oshi On Deck concert, featuring a wide array of VTuber performers streaming onto the ship for their entertainment.
And More
CarrierCon featured a nicely sized artist alley, as well as a good assortment of vendors. Not only were there convention staples like artwork, acrylic standees, and keychains, but handcrafted goods like crocheted Pokémon. One vendor was selling new tea blends inspired by VTubers, and even Nintendo had a table for enjoying Switch 2 games and getting some free merch.
Below decks, attendees could sit down to enjoy board games. This included a good assortment of go-to favorites, as well as the “Starfinder” RPG, a science fiction variant of Paizo’s “Pathfinder,” now in its 2nd edition. (While CarrierCon did offer D&D Adventurers League games in 2023, including a Dungeoncraft adventure written in cooperation with the Hornet Museum and set on a Spelljammer version of the Hornet, it has not returned since then.)
And when attendees needed a bite to eat, food trucks outside provided good options (and minimal seating). While there weren’t any food options within walking distance, the convention made sure its attendees wouldn’t go hungry. However, the usual food stand within the Hornet was absent this year, so the food trucks were the only option.
Overall
Credit must be given to CarrierCon for addressing the crowd issue from 2025. Splitting it into two days with limited tickets per day helped ensure the crowd remained at a reasonable level each day while still providing plenty of panels and events.
For VTuber fans, CarrierCon had a ton of guests for them to virtually meet, plus panels and shows to enjoy. For cosplayers, the convention is a unique opportunity to take photos on a real aircraft carrier, not to mention events like the Cosplay Contest and CWF. And for fans of anime, comics, and all other things geeky, it was a fun con to explore, check out panels, buy merch, and meet fellow fans.
Were there some areas that could be improved? Sure. The admissions being capped off meant that would-be museum attendees were turned away at the door, which is admittedly a tricky balance to strike. The panel rooms could be hard to find, the gaming options were a little limited, and the guests only appealed to VTuber fans. But those are all minor issues that can be fixed in time, and as CarrierCon has demonstrated this year, it is listening to feedback and working to improve each year.
So with CarrierCon 2026 behind us, attendees can look forward to setting sail again in 2027 and beyond.
