Malaga will be the first European headquarters of the emblematic fair San Diego Comic-Con Internationalone of the most important pop culture quotes in the world. For the first time in their More than 50 years of historythe Convention will cross the Atlantic to be held outside the United States. Thus, the Andalusian city will host this comic, cinema, television and video games from September 25 to 28, 2025 at the Palace of Fairs and Congresses (FYCMA).
Three insured editions and institutional support
Comic-with the announcement in Malaga is the result of one year of negotiations between the Junta de Andalucía, the Malaga City Council and Comic-Con International. The agreement initially foresees Three consecutive editions, from 2025 to 2027 and includes the opening of a permanent office in the city to coordinate the event. The organizers estimate an assistance from around 60,000 people in the first editionof which about 70% will be foreign visitors. The economic impact also promises to be considerable, with a global impact calculated at more than 30 million euros. It is worth clarifying that this European expansion will not replace the original appointment. That is, the Comic-with will continue to be held in San Diego on its usual dates, while Malaga will have its own annual Andalusian flavor event.
Presentation in style
The official presentation of San Diego Comic-Con Málaga 2025 was held on March 10, 2025 at the Gran Hotel Miramar, with a deployment of personalities of the political and cultural world. The act, conducted by the actor and director Santiago Segura, was attended by the president of the Junta de Andalucía Juanma Moreno, the mayor of Malaga Francisco de la Torre, the director of Comic-Con International David Glanzer and the president of Dentsu Media Jaime López-Franco, among others. More than 200 guests attended the launch, including recognized filmmakers, actors and creators such as Icíar Bollaín, Álex de la Iglesia, Natalia Verbeke or Carlos Areces.
David Glanzer, communication director of Comic-Con International, explained that they had been working for more than a year to make the arrival of the comic-with Europe, because “we all share the same language of art, creativity and passion.” For his part, Jaime López-Franco stressed that this event has been the scenario where “films, series and videogames have been presented more expected during the last 55 years”, and said that this extension implies “a unique opportunity to position Malaga in the center of entertainment and pop culture globally.”
President Juanma Moreno celebrated that the Comic-Con in Malaga “transcends Malaga, Andalusia and Spain”, being convinced of the “total success” of this initiative. He also said that the event will consolidate Andalusia as an international reference in Pop and Digital Art, demonstrating that “Andalusia is an incontestable cultural and tourist power.” Similarly, Mayor Francisco de la Torre highlighted the affinity between San Diego and Malaga, stating that “they are very similar cities” and that the Costasolaña capital is “the synthesis of the Californian spirit of Andalusia.” De la Torre said that bringing this event for the first time outside the USA “will allow more tourism to attract and strengthen our pop culture sector”, wishing “long life” to this new union beyond “the three years planned and those who come.”
Half a century of history
The original comic-with was born in San Diego (California) in 1970 as a Modest Meeting of Comic and Science Fiction fansand today it has become a global phenomenon. At present, San Diego Comic-Concon brings together more than 130,000 attendees in the city’s convention center, with the usual participation of the main studies of Hollywood and streaming platforms to present its great premieres. With more than five decades of history, the largest and most influential entertainment convention in the world is considered, covering the comic, fantasy literature, cinema, television series and video games.
A new era of pop culture on the Costa del Sol
The choice of Malaga as the European Comic-Conco headquarters reinforces the positioning of the city as a cultural epicenter. As Juanma Moreno pointed out, Andalusia has demonstrated the ability to attract great international events – such as the Goya and the Latin Grammy Awards – and now adds to its calendar the most important pop culture fair worldwide. The arrival of Comic-with thus supposes another step in the consolidation of Malaga as a key destination for the entertainment industry. In addition, it will provide an international showcase to local talent: illustrators, developers, creators and Andalusian companies will have the opportunity to show their work against thousands of fans from all over the world.
With this horizon ahead, Malaga prepares to live in 2025 an unprecedented celebration of Geek culture. The International Comic-with on the Costa del Sol will attract legions of comic and science fiction enthusiasts, and make the city into the meeting point of the global entertainment industry. The expectation is enormous; Organizers, institutions and fans are confident that this event will make history, opening a new annual tradition that will consolidate Malaga on the world map of pop culture.