The full programming schedule for WonderCon Anaheim 2026 is now live. You can join us for a more in-depth deep dive into the programming schedule on Tuesday, March 17 at 6:30pm for our annual Breaking Down the WonderCon Schedule SDConcast, but for now, let’s take a look at some of the highlights for each day of the con.
Friday, March 27
Just like last year, WonderCon Anaheim 2026 will not be utilizing the Arena, which typically holds roughly 7,500 people. There simply isn’t anything on the schedule drawing that kind of crowd this year. North 200A is still in use, though, with a capacity of around 1,500. That isn’t to say there aren’t still plenty of interesting panels throughout the weekend, but it does highlight how different WonderCon feels compared to a decade ago.
Friday’s lineup leans heavily into nostalgia, animation, and fandom discussion panels — and there are some excellent panels to be found throughout the schedule.
In space, no one can hear you scream, but they can hear you at 3:45pm in North 100B, where the 40th anniversary of Aliens will be celebrated, with cast members Michael Biehn, Jennette Goldstein, and Mark Rolston reflecting on the impact of James Cameron’s iconic sequel.
Screenwriter Bobby Herbeck leads the “TMNT 1990 Movie Screenwriter Turtle Gabfest” at 3pm in Room 211, looking back at the making and enduring legacy of the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. At the same time in Room 209, legendary animator Willie Ito discusses his five-decade career working with studios like Disney, Hanna-Barbera, and Warner Bros.
Animation fans will want to head to North 200A at 4:15pm for “Exploring the Music of Teen Titans,” where Emmy Award–winning composers Kristopher Carter, Lolita Ritmanis, and Michael McCuistion discuss the score behind the beloved Teen Titans. Later in the evening, that same room hosts the “Regular Show Q&OOOHHHHHH!!” panel at 5:30pm, where creator J. G. Quintel and executive producer Sean Szeles celebrate the characters and catchphrases that turned Regular Show into a cult favorite.
Video game fans can also meet the voice talent behind Marvel Rivals at 6:45pm in North 200A, with almost the entire voice cast in appearance.
Earlier in the afternoon, fans can celebrate 75 years of Peanuts at 2:30pm in Room 213AB, where historians Mark Evanier and Nat Gertler dive into the lasting legacy of Charles M. Schulz and his beloved characters. Around the same time, Room 208 hosts “Star Wars: Inside the Creatures, Droids, and Puppetry” at 2:30pm, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the performers and puppeteers who help bring the galaxy of Star Wars to life.
Comics fans also have plenty of options on Friday, starting at 4pm in Room 300A with “Women in Comics: Is It Finally Our Time?!”, which sees Heidi MacDonald (Comics Beat) bringing together voices from across the industry for a lively discussion about progress, challenges, and what the future holds for women working in comics. Or you can instead head to Room 211 at the same time for a Spotlight on Tom King (Batman, Heroes in Crisis). Later, at 5pm in Room 211, writer Joshua Williamson takes the spotlight to look at his work across DC Comics, Image Comics, and Marvel Comics.
For those interested in San Diego Comic-Con history, archivists Greg Koudoulian and Ron McFee present newly digitized footage and discuss media preservation at 2pm in Room 213CD with “Comic-Con Lost Videos of the 1980s Part II: The Trilogy.” And speaking of behind-the-scenes Comic-Con stories, comics fans will also want to stop by Room 211 at 7pm for “Dread the Hall H: (Fictional) Convention Horror Stories,” where Image Comics creators Chris Ryall and Jordan Hart discuss their convention-themed horror anthology and share stories inspired by real convention experiences.
Collectors and toy fans can check out “JAKKS Pacific and Disguise Costumes: Exclusive First Look at Upcoming Releases” at 5:30pm in North 100B. Nacelle (The Toys That Made Us) will also be offering a look at their Star Trek action figures at 6:30pm in Room 213AB.
Later in the evening, horror history takes center stage with “She’s Alive! The Bride of Frankenstein at 90!” at 8pm in Room 211, celebrating the enduring legacy of Bride of Frankenstein.
Meanwhile, we’re going up, up, up, to Room 300A for “Golden Healing: K-Pop Demon Hunters” at 8pm, an uplifting panel exploring themes of identity, belonging, and fandom.
Finally, those looking for a lively and interactive late-night event can head to North 100B at 8:45pm for “Taskmaster LA: Bring Your Own Bestie,” where contestants tackle absurd challenges inspired by the international hit show.
Saturday, March 28
Saturday is traditionally the biggest day at WonderCon, though the convention continues to operate on a slightly smaller scale than it once did. Even so, Saturday still brings the biggest panels of the weekend, including a handful of the convention’s only official Hollywood presentations.
Those headline panels all land in North 200A. The morning begins at 11:30am with a spotlight on Jim Cummings, the voice behind iconic characters like Winnie the Pooh, Tigger, Darkwing Duck, and more. At 12:45pm, the creators of The Tiny Chef Show offer a behind-the-scenes look at how the beloved miniature world of Tiny Chef is created, hot off their heels of their (not-so-tiny) panel at San Diego Comic-Con. Then at 2pm, cast and creators from Apple TV+’s For All Mankind discuss the upcoming fifth season. At 3:15pm there’s “From Indies to Blockbusters: The Storytelling Power of Diversity”, with Karen David (Fear the Walking Dead, Galavant) and more to discuss the impact of giving voice to underrepresented communities. The room closes out with the cast of Ted at 4:30pm, as they discuss the latest season of the foul-mouthed comedy prequel to the hit film franchise. Although creator (and the voice of Ted) Seth MacFarlane will not be on hand, cast members Max Burkholder, Alanna Ubach, Scott Grimes, and Giorgia Whigham will be.
North 200A then closes for a few hours before reopening for the 2026 Masquerade, where cosplayers will show off their best creations. It’s a fun time to see the craftsmanship and creativity on display, and always a highlight of the con.
Fans of ’90s animation can check out “The Characters That Raised Us” at 1pm in Room 300E, featuring creators from shows like Hey Arnold!, Daria, and Johnny Bravo. And of course, the fan-favorite “Cartoon Voices” panel moderated by the great Mark Evanier returns at 4pm in Room 207, where voice actors demonstrate the craft behind some of animation’s most recognizable characters in one of the most-packed panels of the weekend.
Comics fans will find plenty on the schedule as well. Get the scoop on upcoming storylines and titles at “DC Comics: What’s Next” at 1pm in Room 207. Find actor and writer David Dastmalchian discussing his work across film and comics during his highlight panel at at 6:30pm in North 100B. Fans of comic history can also check out “Tales from My Spinner Rack LIVE!” at 3pm in Room 209, where our friend Gary Sassaman and comics historian Mark Evanier celebrate the long artistic legacy of Batman.
Interested in learning to create artwork yourself? Learn the fundamentals of sketching from WonderCon Special Guest Patrick Ballesteros at 12:30pm in Room 213AB.
Love behind-the-scenes stories of movies and TV? The Set Decorators Society of America hosts multiple behind-the-scenes looks at the craft of production design, including “Alien Influence: Set Decoration for Extraterrestrials” at 11am in Room 207 and a panel exploring the sets of Marvel’s Wonder Man at 3pm in Room 300A.
Horror fans can hear from genre veteran Lin Shaye during the “Scaring Audiences to Death” panel at 5pm in Room 213CD, which also looks at the blending of comedy and horror in the upcoming film Scared to Death.
Fans of toy culture can catch “How The Toys That Made Us Inspired a Toy Company” at 4pm in North 100B with producer Brian Volk-Weiss discussing how the Netflix docuseries led to the creation of Nacelle Toys.
For those interested in the history of San Diego Comic-Con (and we know that’s some of you!), dive into the long history between Star Wars and SDCC at 6:30pm in Room 300C.
The evening continues with panels like “The Art of Movie Posters” at 8:30pm in Room 213AB, celebrating the craft behind modern poster illustration, and “Whodunnit? Locked-Room Mysteries in Comics” at 9pm in Room 211, which explores how the comics medium lends itself to suspense and detective storytelling.
Sunday, March 29
Sunday at WonderCon is typically a lighter day, and that’s not exception here — but it’s also got my pick for the most interesting panel of the weekend. Do you love The Muppets? Do you love behind-the-scenes creation of TV? Then if you’re like me, you won’t want to miss “Set Decoration for Puppets” at 1pm in Room 300A, which features set decorators from Muppets Mayhem and The Muppet Show Special, as well as Crank Yankers and The Barbarian and the Troll, discussing the unique challenges of creating sets for puppets.
One of the bigger draws of the day comes at 2pm in Room 207 with a return to Westeros, as Director Jeremy Podeswa discusses his work on Game of Thrones.
Marvel fans can head to North 100B at 11:30am for a behind-the-scenes look at Wonder Man, where members of the Art Directors Guild discuss building the visual world of the new Disney+ series. You’ll want to crawl out of your bunker at 12:30pm in Room 213AB with for “Fallout: Props of the Wasteland,” where property masters explain how props from the Fallout were adapted from the iconic video game franchise for live-action television.
You can see a Disney living legend in person at 2pm in Room 211, as Floyd Norman discusses his expansive Disney career (which includes work on Sleeping Beauty, The Jungle Book, Mulan, and more) in a Spotlight. And if that’s not enough Disney animation for you, you can also get a look at the creative process behind storyboarding at “Story Artists Unleashed!” at 4pm in Room 300A, featuring artists from films like Zootopia and Big Hero 6.
More interested in the writing of TV and film? Several writers and producers from Grimm, Arrival, Scream: The TV Series, and beyond discuss what it takes to adapt works for the screen at 2pm in Room 303AB.
Calling all Swifties! Dust off your best Eras Tour outfit and head to North 153 at 2pm for “The Legend of Taylore”, a live-play Dungeons & Dragons podcast inspired by the music and mythology surrounding Taylor Swift.
Earlier in the day, attendees can explore the intersection of cosplay and drag at 11am in Room 213CD with “Cosplay Is a Drag V: Drag Queens: First Class”.
And finally, as always, the convention wraps up with the annual “Talk Back” session at 3:30pm in Room 213AB, where representatives from Comic-Con International take feedback directly from attendees on what worked, what didn’t, and what they’d like to see improve in future years.
