Comic Con Portugal: the great pop culture adventure has begun

The entertainment, cosplay and gaming convention expects 140,000 people until Sunday at Parque das Nações, in Lisbon. JN was on the first day.

There are people of all ages, backgrounds, tastes and styles at Comic Con. The great pop culture bazaar kicked off this Thursday and continues at full speed until Sunday, at Parque das Nações, in Lisbon.

Nowhere else can you find Pikachus, Super Men, Spider-Men, Jack Sparrows, assorted characters from “Game of Thrones” and zombies of all sizes and shapes, in many cases with incredible detail in the preparation and final assembly of the costume and makeup.

Cosplay, or disguise as a tribute to the heroes that each one has within themselves and which spills over here, has its own area but is transversal to the biggest pop culture event in the country. It’s the ultimate form of expression and tribute for visitors of all ages, for parents with children or grandparents – it’s part of the magic itself.

The reasons to go are, in some cases, mere curiosity – for those who are debuting -, or a ritual for those who mark their presence every year, or even the passion for cosplay, gaming, content creators.

The side of cinema and cult series also occupies more and more space, brings more and more famous names and attracts more people, coming from all over the world.

Neither the weather warnings nor the storm that hit Lisbon the day before scared the visitors who headed to the first day of Comic Con Portugal 2022, this holiday on December 8th.

Tickets were in cases bought months ago; prepared facts. Expectations were high after the pandemic and there are those who look forward to each new edition of the event that brings together cosplay, comics, anime, gaming, literature and entertainment and which arrived in Portugal nine years ago.

At the end of the opening day, the weather ended up holding up and expectations were met: queues had been queuing for the opening since 10.30 am and those who passed through Parque das Nações were clearly satisfied.

Like Núria, 11 years old, and in a cosplay version, Beatriz, 26, and Miguel, 27 years old, from Lisbon. “It’s very good; we always liked this universe and we were curious, but we had never been there. There are many activities, and the venue is big”, they explained to JN.

Flávia, 26, and Inês, 28, dressed as heroines, told JN that they have attended Comic Con every year, already in a kind of “routine”. This year, they say, “it’s amazing”; there is “more space and more outdoor areas”, allowing for better circulation. The opinion is corroborated by Inês and Fernanda, from Montijo, mother and daughter, or by two young Portuguese people incredibly dressed as Jack Sparrow and Hatter – and a friend of theirs from Switzerland, embodying a sublime Eduardo Mãos de Soura and whose name we asked. The answer: Edward – of course!

In Parque das Nações, which includes the Altice Arena, there are more entertainment spaces this year. Eight auditoriums include a Cosplay Stage, a Gaming Stage with zones for creator tournaments, a Kids Stage or a Live Stage, among others. One room is dedicated to the television universe, with meet & greets with actors, numerous brand activations that include experiences or a giant throne in replica of “Game of Thrones”, a classic target of long queues.

In Altice’s largest space is the Golden Theater, which welcomes the main guests, while outside areas multiply – The One Theater auditorium, a very popular Geek Market that is a dream of merchandise, t-shirts, cosplay and action figures – and where you can also learn to play “Magic” and “Yu-Gi-Oh” for free – plus a large Food Court and tent for content creators.

In addition to this whole environment, there are also strong names confirmed on the poster for the eighth edition: Porta dos Fundos, Daniel Gillies, from “Vampire Diaries”, Zachary Levi, from the movie “Shazam!”, Alan Tudyk, from “Resident Alien” or Jacob Batalon, from the “Spider-Man” movies, among others.

Comic Con arrived in Portugal in 2013, having first been hosted at Exponor, in Matosinhos, where the first four editions took place. In 2018 it moved to Passeio Marítimo de Algés and with the pandemic ended up settling in Parque das Nações, where the eighth edition will be held until Sunday, the 11th.

Eyes are, from the beginning, set on a record: to exceed the presence of 140 thousand people.

In a year and at an event that intends to be more sustainable and environmentally friendly than ever, the motto is a simple and very appropriate “We can be heroes”.