GalaxyCon returned to San Jose for its 2026 show, bringing with it several guests from across movies, comics, anime, and more. The event is part of the GalaxyCon family of conventions, hosting shows across the country to give fans a chance to meet celebrity guests, attend panels, and do a bit of shopping.
The San Jose show ran from August 28-30 in the San Jose Convention Center, home to conventions like Fanime, Further Confusion, and more. So let’s take a look at GalaxyCon San Jose 2026 and see how it went…
Guests
One of GalaxyCon’s biggest draws is the guests that it brings in. Each year features a multitude of fantastic guests from across entertainment, from movies to comics, and this year was no exception.
One of the biggest names was Hayden Christensen, best known for playing Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. He was in such high demand, in fact, that he had an entire room in the convention just for holding his autograph lines, while the lines for his multiple photo ops filled the area. Despite that demanding schedule, he still took the time to greet everyone who came to meet him.
Christensen wasn’t the only Star Wars guest either. GalaxyCon San Jose’s guest list included Temuera Morrison (Jango Fett in the prequels and Boba Fett in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett) and Eman Esfandi (Ezra Bridger in Ahsoka).
For fans who prefer Star Trek to Star Wars (or like them both, there’s no reason to pick just one), GalaxyCon brought George Takei (Hikaru Sulu in the original series) and Brent Spiner (Data in The Next Generation).
Or, for those who prefer a little more Muppet magic in their entertainment, Dave Goelz (the muppeteer for Gonzo, Bunsen, and more) and Steve Whitmire (Kermit, Rizzo, Beaker, and more) were in attendance. Like One Piece? Baroque Works agents Mr. 9 and Mr. 5 actors Daniel Lasker and Camrus Johnson also had booths.
What about Cheech and Chong? They were both there too.
Jurassic Park also got some love, with actors Joseph Mazzello, Ariana Richards, and Wayne Knight making appearances. All those names are barely getting into the guest list, which included everyone from Sean Gunn to Cassandra Peterson (Elvira) to Brian Posehn.
For animation fans, GalaxyCon brought plenty of voice actors too, such as Janet Varney (Korra in Avatar: The Legend of Korra), Colleen O’Shaughnessey (Sora in Digimon Adventure, Tails in Sonic the Hedgehog, and more), and George Newbern (Superman in the DC animated universe), just to name a few.
There were plenty of comic guests in attendance as well, such as comic book legend Marv Wolfman (writer of Crisis on Infinite Earths and creator of many iconic characters), writer Ryan North (known for Dinosaur Comics, The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl, One World Under Doom, and more), and artist Mark Bagley (known for his work on Venom, Ultimate Spider-Man, Justice League of America, and so much more). Again, these are just a few of the many guests GalaxyCon had to offer.
The list went on and on, including professional wrestler Gangrel, VTuber Amara Aquashell, cosplayers, fan groups like the Rebel Legion and Mando Mercs, and more.
Suffice to say, there were a lot of guests in attendance. Attendees could line up to meet their favorites for an autograph or quick hello, or in many cases buy tickets for a professional photo.
Panels
GalaxyCon also had several panels throughout the weekend, including Q&A sessions with guests, industry panels, and even the occasional game show. These provided fans with opportunities to ask celebrities questions, learn the basics of cartooning, and get voice acting tips from professionals.
For instance, celebrity guest Barry Bostwick held the “Making Megaforce” panel, which included a screening of the documentary and a Q&A session. Cassandra Peterson had a special ticketed event, “Spill the Tea with Cassandra P.,” which gave guests the rare opportunity to chat with the actress over snacks and drinks.
However, there were notably fewer panels this year than in the past. Those that they had were still well worth checking out, but attendees noted that programming was a little lighter this year. Similarly, while there are usually After Dark events at GalaxyCon, those were canceled this time around.
Shopping
GalaxyCon featured a large dealer’s hall, so of course there was plenty of shopping to do. The dealer’s hall featured multiple booths selling everything from lightsabers to action figures to card games and more, providing ample opportunity to buy something neat.
Alongside the dealer’s hall, the artist alley gave local artists the chance to sell their crafts to convention attendees, with fan works ranging from fantastic posters of fan-favorite series to crocheted Pokémon. Fan artists at conventions always bring a selection of amazing artwork, crafted with passion for the series they love, and this con was no exception.
(But absolutely no one came to the con to buy music from those two dudes hanging outside the convention center and pestering passersby to check out their album, no matter how much they shouted at attendees.)
However, there was a booth at GalaxyCon that stood out for one reason: cats. Yes, The Dancing Cat, a local nonprofit cat adoption lounge, had a booth at the con. They had plenty of adorable kittens for attendees to see (and some merch to buy), and attendees could sign up on an interest list to potentially adopt one of them.
Cosplay
As we’ve said before, a convention without cosplay is a boring convention. Fortunately, that wasn’t an issue for GalaxyCon.
This year, the most popular series to cosplay from was Star Wars, due in no small part to the guests in attendance. There were multiple fan groups in attendance, so the convention center had no shortage of Mandalorians, stormtroopers, and droids. But even outside of those groups, there were plenty of cosplayers dressed as Padme Amidala, Darth Vader, and Grand Admiral Thrawn (as Thrawn’s creator Timothy Zahn was also among the guests).
Of course, that’s just the start. There were cosplayers from a wide variety of series, including anime like One Piece and Hunter X Hunter, comics like Deadpool and X-Men, cinema classics like Labyrinth, and even the famously bad Manos: The Hands of Fate.
Attendees with confidence in their cosplays could enter contests, including the Runway Costume Contest for a lighthearted contest for all skill levels, a Craftsmanship Costume Competition for handmade cosplays, and the Masquerade Competition that combined cosplay and performance. Children could also enter the Kid’s Costume Contest, a low-stakes event for the younger attendees.
Near the end of the dealer’s hall, cosplayers could meet up for gatherings or mingle in the Cosplay Zone. This featured several backdrops for photos, making it a popular spot to snap a picture of cosplayers without blocking the halls.
Gaming
GalaxyCon’s game room moved this year, taking a large hall upstairs rather than filling a downstairs area. While it was smaller, there were still plenty of games to enjoy, including tabletop games, video games, and arcade games.
On the tabletop side, GalaxyCon included a library of board games attendees could borrow, including games like Munchkin, Ticket to Ride, and Lords of Watereep. There were also learn-to-play games for RPGs, including Pathfinder and Starfinder. (Although marketing emails mentioned there would be Pathfinder Society and a Dungeons & Dragons Epic, I saw neither of those on the schedule for the con.)
The tabletop area also included a “bounty board,” where attendees could take photos of certain cosplayers, complete silly tasks, or answer trivia questions to win tickets. Those tickets could then be exchanged for small prizes, including sets of dice from Misty Mountain Gaming.
On the video game side, GalaxyCon had rows of monitors and consoles set up for attendees to enjoy. Next to the gaming stations, several arcade cabinets provided opportunities to play fighting games, pinball, and even skeeball.
Overall
GalaxyCon San Jose 2026 is known for being an industry con with a great selection of guests, and if you go in expecting that, you won’t be disappointed. It was filled with opportunities to meet actors and creators, plenty of great cosplays, and a decent selection of panels and events.
Admittedly, the con did feel a little smaller than previous years. There weren’t quite as many panels and the gaming area was smaller, leaving the downstairs area of the convention center unused. Certain events, like the After Dark shows, were missing this year.
However, that didn’t stop GalaxyCon from being a fun, chill event with great guests. With the variety of guests they had, there was absolutely someone worth meeting for everyone, which has always been one of the biggest aspects of the convention.
For attendees looking to meet celebrity guests, do some shopping for nerdy goods, or hang out and enjoy Q&A panels or other events, GalaxyCon was a good way to spend the day or weekend.
