Co-written by and additional reporting by Emese Gaal.
Hall H is Comic-Con’s main stage — the place where Hollywood drops its biggest trailers, stars surprise fans, and once-in-a-lifetime moments happen. But getting inside can be a confusing process, particularly for those who haven’t been to San Diego Comic-Con before.
From Next Day Lines to late-night wristbands and early-morning scrambles, here’s a clear, step-by-step FAQ to help you navigate one of the most iconic experiences at San Diego Comic-Con. It’s all really confusing for the uninitiated, and the rules change each year — so any or all of this is subject to change. But here’s a helpful infographic (click to view larger):
But now, let’s walk you through the step-by-step process.
What’s the Next Day Line — and When Does It Start?
Before you can even line up for Hall H the night before, you’ve essentially got to line up… to line up. The Next Day Line forms two days before the panel you’re targeting. For example, if you’re trying to get into Saturday’s Hall H panels, the Next Day Line will form sometime on Thursday night into Friday morning.
On the Embarcadero Park South behind the convention center (see map below), security and Comic-Con staff will drop a literal green flag at an unspecified time (typically late night or early morning), which indicates that fans can officially begin lining up in the Next Day Line. The flag is usually dropped sometime after the previous day’s groups have been moved under the tents to sleep overnight.
You’re not supposed to linger ahead of time, but in practice, people will typically shuffle along in the area until the flag is dropped, and then scramble to get in line. Note that this is mostly the die-hards, though, who want to sit up front. Because die-hards tend to work in large groups, expect a bit of chaos as the line officially forms. Remember to be kind to each other, and remember that everyone’s here to have fun, so be good fans. If you’re there when the line forms, you’ll have excellent seats, even if you’re not “first”.
What Happens After the Green Flag?
Once the Next Day Line forms, you have many hours of sitting in line to look forward to. Basically, you’re waiting for the official wristband distribution to happen. Comic-Con will announce the official distribution time for each day as we get closer to the con.
In general, the distribution will happen some time after the final panel for the previous day ends in Hall H. So if you’re waiting in the Saturday line, wristband distribution will be after the last panel ends in Friday’s Hall H. In theory, this gives someone attending Friday’s panels a chance to get in line for Saturday. In practice, this will depend on whether you have a group saving a spot for you or if you’re trying to join the end of the line, how popular or crowded that day’s lines are. Keep in mind, the walk from Hall H to the Next Day Line area is not “short”. You may need to do some cardio.
Line Wristbands, the Pre-Wristband Wristbands
Comic-Con heard you guys liked wristbands, so they made some wristbands to get wristbands. For the first time last year, Comic-Con introduced the concept of “line” wristbands to address the overcrowding in the competitive front part of the Hall H line. This area is a common source of complaints every year, typically because too few people hold spots for too many others.
To manage this, Comic-Con handed out a new type of “line” wristband to those physically present in line at a random time. Each person with a line wristband was then allowed to secure official seating wristbands for themselves and up to two others. The goal wasn’t to grant access to Hall H directly, but to control the number of people spot-saving and better estimate line size.
There was no official schedule for handing out these line wristbands to prevent people from gaming the system. In practice, they were distributed a few hours before the official seating wristbands, but the timing varied daily. Unlike the seating wristbands (more on that in a moment), last year at least your entire party did not have to be present to receive these — but they were checking how many line wristbands your group had versus how many were requesting seating wristbands.
It’s unclear whether this system will return for 2025.
Wristband Distribution
The reason you’re spending so many hours in line is to get the official Hall H wristbands. These are also known as “Toucan Trackers” or “First Seating Wristbands”. They are colored and labeled into four different zones — Zones A, B, C, and D. They are a rough estimation of 25% of the capacity of Hall H each, so if you get wristband B, you can probably assume you’re going to be sitting somewhere in around the middle of the Hall H panel room.
Distribution times for 2025 are not yet available, but here are the times from 2024:
- Wednesday, July 24: Wristband distribution for Thursday panels in Hall H will begin at 7:30 PM in the general Hall H line in Plaza Park.
- Thursday, July 25: Wristband distribution for Friday panels in Hall H will begin at 7:30 PM at the front of the Next Day Line.
- Friday, July 26: Wristband distribution for Saturday panels in Hall H will begin at 8:00 PM at the front of the Next Day Line.
Your entire group must be present to receive their wristbands — otherwise, if your original group has already received their wristbands when they get there, they’ll be going to the back of the line to get a wristband, which may be in a different color/zone than yours, and they will be unable to join you. And as mentioned above, last year at least, they were checking the number of “line” wristbands versus how many were requesting the “seating” wristbands. So if you only had two people with line wristbands, but you were now requesting 20 “seating” wristbands — that’s a problem.
Wristband distribution continues until 7:30AM, or until all wristbands have been given out, whichever comes first.
While wristbands don’t “officially” guarantee you a spot in Hall H, there’s only been one instance we’ve ever heard of where wristbanded folks did not make it into Hall H.
How Does Wristband Distribution Work?
The official wristband distribution group is informally known as the “Blinky Blinks” because of the blinking red light vests they wear to stay visible at night.
Before wristband distribution begins, you’ll see a large group of them appear near the front of the line in their unmistakable uniforms. You can check their status on Twitter at @CCBlinkyBlinks and you may see chatter about them on other social media sites as people will report their status as they move through the line.
It often takes many hours for them to give out thousands of wristbands, so be prepared to wait a while. Don’t make nighttime plans you can’t skip, and bring a snack if you haven’t had dinner yet. The closer you are to the front of the line, the sooner you’ll get your wristband, but even then, it may be many hours after the officially given distribution time.
Last year’s “line” wristbands created an additional wrinkle to the official seating wristband distribution. If they keep this system, the wristband distribution group will check for the “line” wristbands and ask who else you were saving spots for. Like usual, they’ll also need to check your badge or see an email confirmation of your valid badge for the next day.
Once enough wristbands have been given out to the front of the line, they’ll start moving anyone who is staying out overnight underneath the tents near the Convention Center.
Do I Have To Stay in Line the Whole Time?
No, you definitely do not!
If you’re working with friends or a group, you can hold space for up to two additional people each. That means that if you’re a group of six adults, at least two people must be in line, because each person in line could hold space for up to two people. The “line” wristband last year tried to account for this spot saving with mixed success.
Any additional people beyond those two will be asked to leave and may rejoin the end of the Next Day Line or wristbanded line, depending on where you are in the process.
The one exception to this is during wristband distribution time, when your entire party must be present to receive their wristband.
What About After I Get My Wristband?
Once you receive a wristband, you have two choices:
- You or someone in your group can choose to stay in line overnight to secure your place in line. Again, each person in line can hold space for up to two additional people, so make sure you have enough people covering for your entire group. You can’t leave one person behind to hold space for ten people in the morning.
- Once you receive your wristband, you and your group are also welcome to go home or back to your hotel and sleep in an actual bed — but you must return by 7:30 AM, and when you do return, you’ll be heading to the back of the wristbanded line rather than rejoining where you originally were, if no one stayed behind to secure your spot.
If someone in your group is saving spots overnight, make sure you give yourself enough time to return in the morning and find your group. Whoever stays overnight is often woken up early (typically around 6AM) and asked to compress the line slowly. As the line compresses, it will be harder to find your group and harder for your group to keep space for you. Plus, there’s typically a security bag check to enter the tent area near the convention center, which can create backups.
Some years, security also wanted to make sure anyone they let under the tents is actually joining an existing group and not just trying to skip the line. They demanded proof that you had someone waiting for you. Usually, a photo from your group holding your spot or someone coming over to vouch for you works as proof.
Because this can feel chaotic, be courteous to others and return earlier than the designated 7:30AM cutoff.
So We Sleep Outside?
If you choose to stay in line, yes, you do. You’ll be sleeping on the grass under the tents if you’re lucky, and on the concrete further out by the marina if you are not. Tents are not allowed, but sleeping bags are.
Four-star accommodations, these are not. There are rats in the bushes, there have been roaches out by the marina, but you’ll also be surrounded by your fellow geeks, nerds, and fans. Think of it like a rite of Comic-Con passage. And maybe bring bug spray and a sleep mask.
Once everyone settles into their spot for the night, they usually let you use the bathrooms inside the convention center if you need to take care of business or want to freshen up in the morning. Just politely ask the security guards or your more seasoned line sleepers, what to do. You’ll most likely be given a bathroom pass to keep track of who’s coming and going.
How is ADA Handled?
Traditionally, the ADA line is held along the south suide of the building, with no shade provided, so plan to bring sunscreen, umbrellas, etc. You must have an ADA sticker (and any assistants must also have the assistant sticker) in order to be in this line.
Traditionally, wristbands are distributed at the same time as the regular line.
Once the room starts to load in the morning, the line management team alternates loading the ADA line with the regular line traditionally. Those with wheelchairs or rolling walkers are often loaded into the room first, to the designated ADA spots, so they don’t block the aisles. There is a designated seating area for the deaf so they can see the ASL interpreter. And as always, any of this is subject to change, so follow directions from security/staff on-site.
Please be kind to those in line.
You Made It Inside Hall H!
Okay. You’ve survived the line-up for Hall H. Now let’s talk about what actually happens inside of Hall H.
How Big is Hall H?
Hall H is the largest hall at San Diego Comic-Con, and it seats somewhere around 6,500 people. When we say it’s huge, we mean it’s huge. There are TV screens throughout the room, though, so if you’re in the back, what’s happening up front will still be projected to where you can see.
Do I Get to Choose the Panel I Attend?
Comic-Con does not clear the room between panels. That means that once you’re seated in Hall H, that seat is yours throughout the entire day if you choose.
If enough people leave or if there are enough empty seats, they will “re-load” the room between panels, letting those still outside in the tents inside. Depending on the day, this may be a quick and easy process, or you may be sitting for hours waiting to get inside.
There are also no lotteries for panels at San Diego Comic-Con.
What’s unique about Hall H?
Hall H is the only panel room at the convention that has its own bathrooms and its own snacks. Yes, there’s a food area in Hall H as well, so you can grab your nachos, convention center hot dog, soda, etc., all without ever leaving Hall H.
What if I need to leave for a bit?
You can get a bathroom pass if you need to leave, but like other Comic-Con bathroom passes, you need to return to the panel by the time indicated on the bathroom ticket, typically before the next panel’s start. Note that in 2024 at least, they would not give out bathroom passes before the start of the first panel.
Also, unlike other panel rooms, Hall H has a security check, and there’s often a line, so don’t try to leave and come back at the last minute.
Is All of This Worth It?
You sort of have to decide for yourself. Again, outside of times when Marvel Studios is there (and not even always then), if all you care about is being “in the room where it happens” — you more than likely don’t need to sleep outside overnight. What we will say is that when it comes to San Diego Comic-Con, no room is more iconic, and no bigger announcements are made. This is peak Comic-Con.
