It’s the most wonderful time of year — at least for fandoms far and wide: It’s Phoenix Fan Fusion 2023! From June 2 – 4, enthusiasts and obsessives of Sci-Fi, fantasy, anime, cosplay, comics and more will gather at the Phoenix Convention Center (100 N Third Street, Phoenix AZ 85004) for a star-studded, event-filled, merch extravaganza fit for the masses — and there will be masses!
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If Fan Fusion is anything like last year, guests of this year’s event should anticipate hefty crowds. Last year’s turnout for the entirety of the three-day festivities was somewhere in the vicinity of 45,000! As with previous years, attendees are privy to a wealth of events, activities, celebrity sightings and meet-and-greets and more things to purchase than there are Ewoks on the forest moon of Endor.
Added attractions
There are quite a few new happenings at Fan Fusion this year, including:
- A newly designed party room with lighting and props.
- An Anime Rave on Friday (room 120).
- The Villains Ball on Saturday (room 120).
- The Addams Family Reunion on Sunday afternoon (room 120).
- The newly expanded gaming hall includes more than 30,000 square feet of tabletop, collectible card, RPG and video games with scheduled tournaments, a game library and more (room 120BCD).
- Fan Fusion Mascots, Sunset and Meteor, who are also featured in a story in the official Fan Fusion program guide.
Alongside Fan Fusion’s new line-up above, return guests and first-time fusioners can partake in various talent table greetings and autograph sessions.
Fan Fusion 2023 Featured Actors
Among the talent on this year’s roster:
Anson Mount, known for his role as Captain Christopher “Chris” Pike in the Star Trek television series Discovery, Short Treks and Strange New Worlds.
Ashley Eckstein, actress, entrepreneur and author, also voicing Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars.
Ken Page, who served as the voice of Oogie Boogie in The Nightmare Before Christmas.
James Phelps and Oliver Phelps, who depicted J.K. Rowlings infamous twins, Fred and George Weasley in the Harry Potter film franchise.
Katee Sackhoff, who appeared as Battlestar Galactica’s “Starbuck,” and more recently portrayed Bo-Katan Kryze in The Mandalorian.
William Shatner, the OG Captain Kirk, Boston’s Legal’s Denny Crane, and many, many more TV and movie appearances.
Sonequa Martin-Green, widely praised for depicting Star Trek: Discovery’s formidable Michael Burnham.
Mind you, this is an extremely abbreviated list! Be sure to visit the actor’s tab on the Fan Fusion site for a full list. In addition to the lengthy list of actors, Fan Fusion goers also have opportunities to meet featured authors and comic book creators and artists.
More activities and events
While celebrities and cosplay are part of what Phoenix Fan Fusion is known for, there are so many more activities and events for fans in which to partake and enjoy, of almost every genre you can think of.
Panels and forums involve anything from Harry Potter: Battle of the Houses Triwizard Trivia Challenge (North 224AB Fantasy) and Padawan Lightsaber Training (West 106ABC Activities and Special Events) to Kaiju Battle Sketch Off! (North 130 Sci-Fi) and All Across the Spider-Verse (North 131ABC Panels and Events). The list goes on and on and on, which is why you’ll definitely want to peruse the Phoenix Fan Fusion schedule before you arrive.
As for sustenance, there’s a smattering of food and drink vendors inside and outside of the convention center, with easy access to eateries in close proximity to the venue.
To attend, visit www.phoenixfanfusion. Passes are still available and are only sold online.
