Return of Swindon Film and Comic Con

Stars of the big and small screen will soon be descending on Swindon as the Film and Comic Con extravaganza returns to Steam.

Organisers say the event is back bigger and better, with more prop displays focusing on the upcoming major cinema releases and a star-studded roster of guests from favourite TV series.

On Saturday, 24 June the event, run by Stars of Time who organise the very successful annual Comic Con at the Tropicana in Weston-Super-Mare, will allow fans of Batman, Doctor Who, Star Wars and Indiana Jones and many more iconic films and programmes meet and experience different aspects of their favourite universes in brand new zoned areas for 2023. 

New for this year, visitors will have a chance to release their inner Jedi and learn the latest lightsaber moves and tactics at the show. The ever-popular cosplay competitions are back alongside gaming and photo opportunities with TV and film heroes. 

Harry Burrows, Event Organiser at Stars of Time, said: “We are delighted to be returning to Swindon this summer with more sci-fi magic, following the success of our first event in 2022.

"As well as being able to meet lots of well-known TV and movie personalities David Bradley, best known for playing Argus Filch in the Harry Potter movie series along with his most recent Doctor Who role portraying William Hartnell’s first Doctor, visitors will be able to talk to some of the UK’s most talented artists and creators, including Ben Krefta who has written several ‘how-to’ books on the topic of drawing manga.

“The event will be an out-of-this-world experience and we look forward to inviting visitors to immerse themselves in their favourite universes. 

"Extraordinary displays will include a Batman Zone, a large Doctor Who Zone, and with the big release of the Dial of Destiny later this year, the event will feature brand-new Indiana Jones props and photo opportunities. The guest list continues to grow, with more updates expected to be announced soon!”

Visitors to the event will be able to come face-to-face with some iconic villains including Daleks, Storm Troopers and Cybermen.

Pop-culture fans attending the Comic Con are invited to arrive dressed-up as their favourite TV, film or other fictional character and will be able to enter a free cosplay competition during the weekend to win cash prizes. 

The virtual reality experience is also back with a huge range of different games for the whole family to enjoy at a small additional charge.

Collectables will be on sale from the UK’s top traders including replica props, clothing and original artwork, plus cinema posters and banners from the movies. Many talented artists and creators will also be on hand, producing unique commissions from genres such as anime, manga, sci-fi and fantasy. 

Cllr Marina Strinkovsky, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Culture, Heritage, said: “As a certified comics nerd I couldn’t be more delighted to welcome ComicCon back to Swindon. It’s going to be an exciting experience with lots to get stuck in to for both kids and, well, older kids. 

"Very fittingly the event will be held in our beautiful Steam museum, connecting what was futuristics in the past to what is futuristic to us today; anyone who’s interested in Daleks and lightsabers is going to relish clambering around the gleaming engines, so make sure you take in the museum display included in the ticket.”

Admission prices are £17.50 for adults, £13.00 for children and £49.50 for family tickets (either two adults and two children, or one adult and three children). Under threes go free! Tickets include entry to the event, plus admission into Steam’s award-winning museum displays.

Tickets for the event are on sale at www.steam-museum.org.uk

For updates on the programme, people should follow Steam on Facebook and Instagram (@SteamMuseum), or Twitter (@Steam_Museum).