A Day Out at Birmingham’s MCM Comic-Con

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Table of contentsShow:

How Did We Find Out About MCM Comic Con?
What Is MCM Comic Con?
How To Get To Comic Con
Arriving At MCM Comic Con
Getting Our Comic Con On!
Food And Drink
Is It Worth Going?
Into The Comic Con-verse!

Are you into all things awesome? Whether you’re into comics, TV, movies, wrestling, anime, sci-fi or gaming – MCM Comic Con is the convention for you!

Are you ready to unapologetically celebrate your favourite fandoms, nerd out over your favourite superheroes and get the exclusive scoop on the latest games? MCM Comic Con is a convention unlike any other – and it’s my favourite part of the year!

It is a day of fun, magic, wonder and family.

Follow along for my experience at Birmingham’s MCM Comic Con 2023!

*cue the Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 1 soundtrack*

How Did We Find Out About MCM Comic Con?

Like most families, I grew up watching superhero movies and anime shows with my dad and soon enough developed the same love for extraordinary people wielding mind-blowing powers to save the world and the intricate and incredible world of Japanese cartoons.

My dad and I found out about MCM Birmingham in 2016, and we have been going every year since (with the exception of 2020). It has become a father-daughter tradition that I genuinely look forward to every year.

So, we both actually keep up to date with all things popular culture and Comic Con throughout the year.

We bought Saturday Priority Entry tickets, costing £26 each. There is also a general entry ticket for £22, but we wanted to have more time at the convention. (Psst…Kids under 10 go free.)

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People playing computer games at the convention

What Is MCM Comic Con?

MCM Comic Con is an epic three-day weekend celebration of all things pop culture; comic books, TV, anime, gaming, movies and more! It’s a convention filled with exclusive previews, your favourite characters, amazing guests, tabletop games, merch, new releases and more. It’s the perfect destination for families who want to immerse themselves in the world of popular culture.

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How To Get To Comic Con

MCM Comic Con takes place at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham. It is near Junction 6 of the M42 and is next to Birmingham Airport and Birmingham International Railway Station.

We decided to drive to the NEC and took the M42. It was a really easy journey and took us about 20 minutes from Solihull.

The NEC has lots of parking available and the car parks are signposted with people directing you to where you need to park (which was super helpful!). Top tip: we prepaid for parking online as it is £5 cheaper when you prebook online. The prepaid parking cost us £12.95 but it would be £17.95 if you pay for parking on the day.

Location Get directions

National Exhibition Centre,
Pendigo Way,
Marston Green,
Birmingham
B40 1NT

Opening Times

Friday Priority: 10am - 6pm
Friday General: 12pm - 6pm
Saturday Priority: 9am - 6pm
Saturday General: 11am - 6pm
Sunday Priority: 10am - 5pm
Sunday General: 12pm - 5pm

Pricing

Friday Priority: £21
Friday General: £16
Saturday Priority: £26
Saturday General: £22
Sunday Priority: £25
Sunday General: £21
Weekend Ticket (3 days): £60

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Arriving At MCM Comic Con

Once we had parked at the NEC, we made our way over to the convention halls. One of my favourite parts of the convention is trying to spot all the different characters people have cosplayed as, on the way to the halls! My dad and I are always on the lookout for our favourite characters!

This year, we saw Fat Thor, Santa Stitch and Wolverine (to name a few)! It was amazing! There were way more people cosplaying this year – it was amazing to see all these incredible characters come to life! There are plenty of photo ops throughout the day – with the celebrity guests and cosplayers. I even got a picture with Santa Stitch, who gave me a chocolate coin too!

We also saw a family dressed up as the Incredibles and the Justice League – super adorable!

You honestly never know which characters you will see as you wander around the convention – we were in awe of the cosplayers!

Why not Cosplay together as a family? It’s such a fun way for everyone to take part in the fun.

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Getting Our Comic Con On!

Digital tickets are sent to your email address so you can print them off or download the QR codes to your phones as we did. We were given a wristband for the day and off we went.

This year’s convention was massive! There was so much stuff to see and do that we genuinely didn’t know where to start. BUT, as self-proclaimed comic con experts, we had a plan. We made our way to one end of the convention and worked our way up and down the stalls and activities (from one end to the other). We did this a few more times, throughout the day, to ensure we had seen everything. It was amazing to see how many new things we’d find in each round of the convention. There was always something new to discover.

Dad ended up buying a few comics from the Comic Village as well as a mystery t-shirt and hoodie bag… while I got a BTS t-shirt and some cute Nintendo Switch thumb grips.

We stopped by Pop Asia to watch a K-pop-inspired group perform and a live band playing covers of anime songs. We even tried our hand at origami (I was surprisingly really good at creating little swans – must be a new skill of mine).

Dad and I then made our way to the Artists Alley. It was amazing to see how talented people are and the beautiful work they have created. Some of the independent artists would even draw a portrait of you in their art style.

They even had an actual live Dungeons and Dragons maze for you to take part in.

Festive Fun at Comic Con!

And guess what! Santa Claus came to Comic-Con as well! He was sat in his chair by the fireplace (in the Treehouse) reading stories to the children and finding out what they wanted for Christmas. The Treehouse had a bunch of tables scattered around for families to sit, take a break and get their creative juices flowing. There were loads of comic book and festive activities and games for you to take part in.

They even had a section for retro-style gaming – I’m talking the big Pac-Man and Space Invaders machines! There was so much for us to do at MCM Comic Con that we ended up spending the whole day there. We got there at 9 am and didn’t leave until 5:30 pm (it closes at 6 pm).

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Food And Drink

I had bought packed lunches for us, so we sat by the wrestling ring and watched the shows while eating lunch. The wrestlers were amazing at hyping up the crowd and by the end of our lunch we were cheering and clapping along.

There were actually loads of different food trucks at the event, including Halloumi Fries, a Pizza Truck, a Greek Truck and a Punjabi, Indian Truck, to name a few. So, even if you didn’t bring your own food – you had plenty of choice!

This was the first time they had included a variety of vendors at the convention and we had to try some of the food. We ordered the vegetable and meat samosas as well as Chic-a-chips (chickpea curry on chips). Everything was delicious!

Oh, and I almost forgot! Do you like Bubble Tea? Bubble Ci Tea was there too! They actually created delicious, comic book-inspired bubble tea, including Teakachu, God of Mischief and Into the Bubbleverse.

I also entered the lucky dip and won 20% off my next Bubble Tea purchase! Buzzing!

Is It Worth Going?

As Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory says: “Ah, Comic-Con, the one time of year when the world makes sense to me”. So, yes, 100%! I cannot recommend it enough.

There really is something for everyone at MCM Comic Con. Dad and I were always on the go, trying new things, admiring the incredible cosplayers and taking part in fun activities. It is the perfect nerdy day out where you can unapologetically celebrate your interests and be you.

I asked my Dad what he thought of our day out to MCM Birmingham and he said: “It was so much better than last year! We had a really great time”

If you’re a family from the West Midlands (or further afield) or you are looking for a fun date day, then I would definitely check out Comic Con, Birmingham.

Into The Comic Con-verse!

MCM Comic Con puts together conventions throughout the year. If you are interested in this fun, nerdy day out, check out the latest con dates:

MCM Comic Con will return to NEC Birmingham next winter.

Explore Birmingham’s Comic-verse!

But if you don’t want to wait until next Winter. MCM London will take place in May 2024.

Explore London’s Comic-verse!

Make sure to check back regularly as I will be updating you on all things MCM Comic Con and popular culture conventions!

Get ready for more from the world of incredible superheroes, wondrous wizards and galaxies far far away.

And if you can’t wait until your next comic fix, why not check out the nearest comic shops to you? Or why not experience Marvel Magic with Disneyland Paris’ Marvel Hotel? While you are there, why not head on over to our reviews page to find out what we thought about Fairgame Canary Wharf?

Looking for more things to do in Birmingham? How about joining Legoland’s Bricktacular celebration or embarking on your own adventure to West Midlands Safari Park? Journeying out of the Midlands? Then check out London’s bubblicious Bubble Planet, guaranteed to leave you feeling refreshed.