ICC WALES is preparing to welcome two large-scale fan events to Newport this August, with Comic Con Wales returning for its fifth consecutive year and the Warhammer Open Series Games Workshop making its Welsh debut.
The growing popularity of gaming and fan culture events at ICC Wales has contributed more than £10m to the local economy since 2022, highlighting the venue’s ability to attract high-footfall consumer events and strengthen Newport’s appeal as a destination for fans and visitors.
Comic Con Wales returns to the venue on 8-9 August, extending its successful partnership with the venue into its fifth consecutive year. Since first arriving in Newport back in 2022 with a surprise appearance from wrestling star John Cena, the event has grown into one of the UK’s largest fan conventions, drawing visitors from across the UK and beyond for celebrity guests, photo opportunities, autograph sessions, live stage panels and cosplay competitions celebrating film, television, gaming, anime and comics.
Organised by Monopoly Events, Comic Con Wales continues to bring thousands of fans, exhibitors and special guests to Newport each year.
Andy Kleek, CEO of Monopoly Events told us…..
“We always look forward to returning to ICC Wales for Comic Con Wales. The venue offers a fantastic experience for both guests and exhibitors, with excellent facilities, strong accessibility links and a dedicated team that supports us in delivering a high-quality event.
The space works well for an event of this scale and allows us to continue growing the show year-on-year. The surrounding location also provides a great atmosphere for fans travelling in.”
A week later, ICC Wales will host the Warhammer Open Series Games Workshop from 14-16 August, marking the event’s first ever visit to Wales. Hundreds of players are expected for three days of Grand Tournaments across Warhammer 40,000, Warhammer Age of Sigmar, Kill Team and Warhammer Underworlds, alongside hobby workshops and the travelling Warhammer store. Many will be vying for a place at the World Championships of Warhammer in Barcelona.
The growing popularity of gaming, collectables and fan culture events at ICC Wales is reflected in strong repeat business from organisers choosing to return to the venue, highlighting its ability to deliver large-scale consumer experiences alongside its established meetings and conferences portfolio.
Badz & Bears Events hosted The Celtic Card Show at ICC Wales in June, bringing together collectors, traders and enthusiasts for a dedicated trading card event featuring rare cards, exclusive merchandise, trade-ins and more. Following the success of the event, the company has committed to a further four to five events at the venue, with future dates set to be announced shortly.
Alex Badham, Owner of Badzgaming and Co-Owner of Badz & Bears Events said…..
“We were incredibly impressed by ICC Wales. The venue is modern, spacious and easy to access, while the events management team have been outstanding to work with. The feedback from both vendors and customers has been overwhelmingly positive and, because of how successful the move has been, we’ve now secured the next four to five events with ICC Wales and are excited to continue growing the Celtic Card Show with ICC Wales as our flagship venue.”
Earlier this year, the venue also hosted a successful Orbit Card Show, bringing collectors and traders together for one of the UK’s biggest events dedicated to sports cards, Pokémon, trading card games and collectables, with visitors buying, selling and trading across the weekend.
Wales’ growing games events calendar reflects the country’s wider reputation in the sector. The Welsh Government cites that the global video games industry is now worth $250 billion, with more than three billion players worldwide.
Wales is also home to more than 100 video game companies, with around half founded in the last decade. Studios such as Penarth-based Wales Interactive, whose horror title Maid of Sker has attracted more than a million players, and Rocket Science Group, which opened a European base in Cardiff in 2023, have helped establish Wales as a serious player in the sector.
Amy Phillips, Head of Sales at ICC Wales told us…..
“Five years of Comic Con Wales demonstrates the strong relationships we build with organisers and the confidence they have in ICC Wales as a venue partner. Gaming is one of Wales’s fastest-growing creative sectors, and our events calendar reflects the breadth of experiences we can offer – from trading card shows, tabletop gaming and fan conventions to the conferences and corporate events we’re renowned for.
Whether it’s an international convention or a consumer event, our ambition is the same – to give organisers the confidence to return and grow their events with us year after year, while continuing to bring thousands of visitors into Newport and the wider region.”
For details on all the events coming to ICC WALES go HERE.
