The facts
Next edition
Aug 20–22, 2027
Venue
Donald E. Stephens Convention Center
City
Rosemont, Illinois
Organiser
Fan Expo HQ (Informa Connect, a division of Informa PLC)
First held
1972 (as the Chicago Comicon)
Kind
Multi-genre
Masquerade / cosplay contest
Masters of Cosplay qualifier
Prop & weapon policy
No real weapons or metal prop weapons; props checked and tagged at Prop Check Desk
Accessibility
Accessibility page and on-site Accessibility Services Desk
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About Fan Expo Chicago
Fan Expo Chicago traces back to the Chicago Comicon of 1972 and later ran as Wizard World Chicago before joining the Fan Expo HQ lineup. It is held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont, just outside Chicago, and the 2027 dates are August 20–22. The organizer puts attendance at more than 80,000.
The show began with comic books and has grown into a broad pop-culture event with celebrity guests, comic creators, anime, gaming and cosplay. A Masters of Cosplay qualifier is part of the cosplay schedule.
Props follow the Fan Expo HQ policy: no actual weapons, generally no metal prop weapons, and inspection with a visible tag at the Prop Check Desk when security asks. An accessibility page covers the services desk and medical stickers.
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