San Diego Comic-Con Málaga

San Diego Comic-Con Málaga is the first official international expansion of San Diego Comic-Con. The first edition ran September 25–28, 2025 at FYCMA, Málaga's fair and congress center, with Arnold Schwarzenegger as guest of honor. The second edition ran October 1–4, 2026 and has been promised through at least 2027, with no dates announced for that edition yet.

The first edition's success came with problems. The organizers' revised figure was 95,784 attendees, but overcrowding, hours-long queues and high prices drew more than 550 complaints to the consumer groups Facua and OCU. For 2026, the show expanded its exhibition space from 10,800 to 19,600 square meters, added a second covered outdoor pavilion, grew the video game zone from roughly 280 to over 2,000 square meters, opened a 400-seat auditorium, and capped attendance at 90,000 total (22,500 per day). Water fountains, rest areas and permission to bring outside food were also added, and day tickets rose to around €84.80 including fees.

The 2026 lineup included Elijah Wood and Sean Astin, Anthony Mackie with a Marvel/Disney panel, Richard Dean Anderson, Karl Urban and the One Piece cast led by Iñaki Godoy, plus comics artists John Romita Jr., Pepe Larraz and Jorge Jiménez. Bandai Namco showed Ace Combat 8 and Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3, and tabletop and role-playing games got their own areas.

For gamers and tabletop fans, the 2026 changes matter most. Video games now have their own Gaming Plaza of over 2,000 square meters indoors, and board games and role-playing games got separate, more visible spaces rather than a corner of the hall. Guests are announced day by day, which helps visitors choose which of the four days to attend, and the organizers have said the show has been granted the status of an event of exceptional public interest, with its place on the calendar secured until at least 2027.

Málaga itself sweetens the trip. The city has reinvented itself over the past decade into a cultural destination anchored by the Picasso Museum (Picasso was born here), a historic old town beneath the Alcazaba fortress, and some of the best tapas and seafood on the Costa del Sol. Organizers say 78.5% of attendees travel from outside the city.

Practical notes: FYCMA sits a short taxi or bus ride from central Málaga, and Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport has direct flights from across Europe. Check the official site for the next edition's dates, buy tickets and any free reservations as soon as they are released, and book accommodation early.