The USS Hornet was an aircraft carrier with an impressive combat record in World War 2 and even recovered the Apollo 11 and 12 astronauts after their return to Earth. After it was retired, the ship remained docked in Alameda, CA, where it continues to serve as a museum to this day. For one day a year, it also serves as home to CarrierCon, an anime and pop culture convention held aboard the Hornet.
CarrierCon 2025 was its biggest convention yet, with a packed ship and lengthy lines leading aboard. So, let’s take a look at the con and see how it went…
The Venue
The most unique aspect of CarrierCon is its venue, the USS Hornet. Attendees could tour the ship and museum while taking photos on the flight deck, and their convention’s proceeds help support the museum. The USS Hornet even received a mascot character for CarrierCon, a ship girl called Hornet Chan.
Attendees could explore multiple decks, including the tight corridors of the lower decks and the open air of the flight deck. Exhibits around the ship’s museum covered the history of the Hornet, adding an educational element to the con.
Admittedly, the venue also presented some challenges. The Hornet only had a few entryways, which could only support so many people at once, so entry was slow and lines were long. Inside, the tight corridors and steep stairs made navigating difficult for anyone with large props or camera equipment (although longtime attendees are used to that by now). But that’s the tradeoff for the unique venue.
As for food, the Hangar Deck had two food stalls to choose from. While previous years included food trucks parked outside the Hornet, the options were a little more limited this year, which led to longer lines, but the food was still perfectly fine.
Vtubers
As conventions continue to embrace bringing VTubers as guests, CarrierCon 2025 was no exception. The guest list was filled with a variety of VTubers, including Chikafuji Lisa, Feistyvee, and multiple VFleet Project VTubers. Screens and cameras were set up for meet-and-greets with fans, and the VTubers themselves held panels where their streams were projected onto large screens.
After the con’s main hours, CarrierCon hosted an “Oshi on Deck” event featuring VTuber performers. It was an extra ticketed event, but a huge draw for VTuber fans.
Panels
Of course, the panels weren’t entirely VTuber-focused. While there were plenty of panels for their virtual guests, including Q&A sessions and games with the audience, there were several other panels as well. This included events on the Hangar Deck stage and in the lower decks, featuring subjects ranging from The Royal Manticoran Navy to Cosplay to the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon.
The Hangar Deck stage hosted the largest events, of course, with packed rows of attendees meeting their oshis (favorite VTubers). The crowds remained for the Cosplay Wrestling Federation, where cosplay performers competed for the Best Of All Time (BOAT) title and the audience’s cheers and boos determined the winner (full disclosure: this writer is a member of CWF and competed in the show).
Gaming
For video game fans in attendance, Nintendo had a table where congoers could play Smash Bros or Mario Kart. Nintendo also brought some free goodies for attendees, including Mario-themed sunglasses and sticker sheets, so the table was packed throughout the day.
Below, in the 2nd deck, CarrierCon had a small selection of tabletop games. There was a small gaming library, as well as tables for free play, and a GM running Starfinder games throughout the day (there was no Dungeons & Dragons this year, although D&D players who came a few years ago for Adventurers League games have been hoping it will return). It was a smaller offering than in previous years, but still an option for anyone who wanted to sit down and play some games.
Cosplay
Now we get to one of the biggest aspects of CarrierCon: the cosplay. CarrierCon is a unique opportunity for many cosplayers to get photos on an actual aircraft carrier, and they came prepared. (Yes, the tight hallways and stairs made navigating tricky at times, but it’s a fair tradeoff for the photo options.)
The convention was packed with cosplayers representing everything from ship girls to Sonic the Hedgehog to Gravity Falls. The Flight Deck held many a photoshoot, as well as cosplay gatherings throughout the day, and gave cosplayers a set and backdrop for photoshoots they wouldn’t get anywhere else.
If anyone encountered a cosplay malfunction, the Cosplay Cleric had a table in the Hangar Deck for free repairs, so an unexpected tear or wig trouble could be quickly fixed.
Additionally, CarrierCon featured tables for costume clubs and groups like the Star Wars 501st, Mando Mercs, and Rebel Legion. So not only were there plenty of Storm Troopers, Jedi, and Mandalorians about, but even several Star Wars droids rolling around the deck.
Of course, the cosplay contest was a big draw, featuring fantastic cosplayers showing off their best. The judges were local and experienced cosplayers, with no shortage of contest wins and judging experience, so they knew just what to look for and how to provide fair judgment.
Vendors & Artists
It would scarcely be a convention without some shopping opportunities. Much of the Hornet’s Hangar Deck hosted multiple booths, featuring local vendors and artists. While the convention included some large vendors, such as Nintendo, Phase Connect, and Kawa Entertainment, it also had plenty of room for its artist alley, so local creators and artists could sell their goods.
Overall
With all that said and done, how was CarrierCon?
This was the most crowded CarrierCon yet, and while the VTuber presence likely contributed to the large attendance, it’s also because CarrierCon has kept growing and improving over the years. This did lead to some growing pains, like the lengthy lines, but that’s to be expected as the con draws a larger crowd.
For fans of VTubers, the virtual guests were a huge draw, and CarrierCon made the most of them. The panel selection was nice, and the artist alley gave plenty of shopping opportunities.
Of course, being held on the USS Hornet made CarrierCon a convention like no other, and allowed attendees to learn about the Hornet while enjoying the con and getting photos they wouldn’t be able to take anywhere else.
Are there some areas that felt a bit lacking? Yes, the lack of food trucks meant the food options were limited and had long lines, and the tabletop gaming space had very few options. However, these are also easily addressed in the future (I know that the local D&D Adventurers League community wants to get to game aboard again sometime).
So overall, CarrierCon remains a unique convention for California congoers, filled with cosplay, panels, and shows while supporting the museum.
