By Jim Carchidi
March 20, 2026
Four days of pop culture fandom kicked off on Thursday, March 19, when the doors opened at Orange County Convention Center's West Concourse. MegaCon Orlando is drawing fans of every genre with gaming, parties, exhibits, and community.
Strong numbers
MegaCon typically draws massive crowds and this year’s attendance is expected to top 160,000. The benefits go beyond the convention center with hotel stays and spending on food, entertainment and transportation creating an economic impact of $405.8 million. But despite the size, the event is welcoming. Fans make fast friends as they wait in lines, explore exhibits, and share the expressions of a dynamic cultural experience.
Giving props
Fan-made exhibits are among the biggest draws at MegaCon. World-wide Star Wars club, The 501st Legion, and fellow organizations, Rebel Legion and Mando Mercs, are prime examples with detailed costumes and props built by members. The nonprofit clubs are licensed by Lucasfilm to use the official designs and logos. Collections benefitting local charities are accepted with raffles and scavenger hunts organized to bring everyone in on the fun.
Droid building clubs create remote-controlled and animatronic props. Some club members have even produced droids for Star Wars films and Disney parks.
The Ghostbusters franchise also has its share of fan clubs with equally high prop building standards. Frank Shaw and Stephen Herron cosplay as Ghostbusters, David Krajewski as Vigo the Carpathian from "Ghostbusters II" and Kaitlyn Cahalen as a stylized Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.
Herron modeled his props after a line of Kenner toys from "The Real Ghostbusters" animated series.
Companies specializing in set building and makeup also exhibit at MegaCon. Kayla Swanberg, co-owner of CosFX Studios, cosplays as Lydia Deetz from "Beetlejuice" at her company's photo-op. CosFX builds immersive, movie-accurate photo booths and special event sets.
The Vocational Academy of Makeup and Prosthetics created a bust of Vecna from "Stranger Things." Students were on hand for prosthetics demonstrations on the exhibit floor.
Fierce style
Cosplayers were out in force throughout the convention center on the first day of MegaCon 2026. The event also offers a special cosplayer zone for meet-ups, exhibiting creations, and photos. The Masters of Cosplay juried competition is happening Saturday, and daily runway shows are a chance to show off in front of a crowd and have photos taken. Nicole MacDougall and Jacob Schioppo represented the Wizarding World in their best Death Eater garb. Meanwhile, Maria DiBiasio, Bex Dillon, and Katie Chandler cosplay as Heather McNamara, Heather Chandler, and Heather Duke from the 90s film and rock musical, "Heathers."
Gotham Sirens: Theresa Zomok (Catwoman) Katie Bernhardt (Harley Quinn) and Kaleigh Clark (Poison Ivy) show off their favorite versions of the popular DC comics characters.
The first cosplay runway event of the weekend attracted a host of participants that included a family dressed as "KPop Demon Hunters" and a colorful Skull Kid from "The Legend of Zelda."
Alissa Morton as Oran the Red from the "Baldur's Gate 3" video game.
Thirl Hupp as Beast from The X Men.
Collectors' paradise
Limited edition, hard to find, and hyper-realistic merchandise from every genre was available in the vendor area. And day-one buyers had their pick of the stock.
Action figures are big business and the vendor hall is filled with vintage, modern, and imported items.
Comic book collectors have no shortage of choices as vendors from across the country offer every title, variant cover, and special issue.
Carlos Cortes and Eric Hatzel grab a selfie while waiting in line for the first of four exclusive shirts by the RSVLTS apparel company. A different pop-culture design will drop each day, and will only be available at MegaCon.
Alkemie & Artistry is among the artisan vendors offering hand-made, one-of-a-kind items. Owners Stacie and Kenneth Randolph create paintings and sculptures, including their OctoCuties line.
The event continues with more than 240 celebrity guests. Cast member reunions include "Lord of the Rings," "The Goonies" and "The Mummy" while comic artist exhibits and signings and panel discussions fill the schedule through Sunday, March 22. Check the MegaCon 2026 schedule for the rest of the weekend lineup, and read The Orlando Real MegaCon preview for what to know before you go.
Sponsor: The Orlando Real is sponsored by the Pozek Group — the #1 real estate team in Orlando and the Official Real Estate Team of the Orlando Magic.
About the Author
Jim Carchidi is an Orlando journalist and photographer with previous work at the Orlando Sentinel and Orlando Business Journal. He covers development, arts, culture, and local stories for The Orlando Real.
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