San Diego Comic-Con Events at Petco Park 2026

Comic-Con returns to San Diego in 2026. SDCC 2026 runs Thursday, July 23 through Sunday, July 26, with Preview Night on Wednesday, July 22. As always, Petco Park is a major hub for the action — the Interactive Zone, Gallagher Square massive concerts, and nearby activations draw fans all weekend, with or without a convention badge. Details are still rolling in, but here’s what we know so far.

Gallagher Square Major Events

Crunchyroll Anime Music Festival (New Announcement)

In a major win for badgeless fans, Crunchyroll is taking over Gallagher Square on Friday, July 25 and Saturday, July 26 for a massive, free-entry Anime Music Festival. The lineup is stacked with premier international talent, headlined by SPYAIR, yama, Denzel Curry, and INIKO. It’s set to be one of the biggest open-air offsites of the weekend, blending anime culture with live, high-energy performances right on the stadium lawn.

Funko Fundays: Quest for the Grail

Funko’s beloved annual fan party is returning to San Diego Comic-Con in 2026 — landing at Gallagher Square, Petco Park’s open-air lawn, on Friday, July 24. Doors open at 5 p.m., with the main event kicking off at 7 p.m. This year’s theme is “Quest for the Grail – Atlantis.”

Fundays has built a reputation for going big: food, live entertainment, major product reveals, prototype giveaways, and the always-coveted “Box of Fun” packed with exclusive Pop! figures — every ticketed attendee gets one. Tickets went on sale April 23 with a two-per-person limit and sold out fast. Funko occasionally runs contests and giveaways for additional chances — keep an eye on @OriginalFunko — and listings do surface on the resale market.

One note for schedule planners: Fundays falls on the same Friday evening as the Funmaker/Rokimoto event hosted by Funko founder Mike Becker, making for a busy night in the Funko universe.

Pre-Con Bonus: Ed Sheeran (July 21)

The night before the chaos begins, the Gaslamp will get an early musical jolt. Ed Sheeran is bringing his intimate LOOP Tour to Petco Park on Tuesday, July 21 to showcase his latest album, Play. It’s the perfect pre-game soundtrack if you’re arriving in town early to watch the convention setups.

Petco Park Interactive Zone

The Interactive Zone is the biggest free Comic-Con experience you don’t need a badge for. It sets up in the Lexus Premier Lot — the large surface lot next to Petco Park, just across the Harbor Drive pedestrian bridge from the convention center — and runs Thursday, July 23 through Sunday, July 26, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (closing at 4 p.m. on Sunday).

The first wave of 2026 activations has locked in:

• MaruMart (Maruchan debut): The classic instant ramen brand is launching an immersive walk-through designed to look and feel like a traditional Japanese convenience store. Visitors can sample products, track down rare or unexpected flavors, buy SDCC-exclusive merchandise, and hit photo ops with surprise giveaways scattered throughout.
• KAYOU Walls of Fandom: The trading card company is making its SDCC debut with a massive, free walkthrough experience showcasing larger-than-life displays celebrating its popular card lines, including My Little Pony, K-Pop Demon Hunters, and more. Collectors can also grab a SDCC-exclusive “Superfan Passport” and earn stamps here, at Booth #4934 inside the convention center, and at a Friday evening fan meetup at Tito Rick’s Garage on Imperial Avenue.
• Labu’Tique Farmers Market: The popular pop-up shop returns with a new theme this year. It will be styled as an open-air farmers market where collectors can buy highly sought-after designer toys and plushes, including Labubus, Jelly Cats, Needohs, and Squishy Toys.
• Hello Kitty Cafe Truck: A staple of the lot, the pink truck returns to serve themed sweets — macarons, madeleines, and the oversized Chef Cookie — alongside exclusive 2026 merchandise, including custom quarter-zips, throw blankets, mugs, and totes.

More studio activations, custom menus, and daytime booth giveaways will keep rolling out as the convention approaches — we’ll add them here as they’re announced. And keep an eye on the blocks immediately around the ballpark: in past years, nearby storefronts (like the spaces along 7th Ave that hosted 2025’s PAC-MAN Cafe) have been converted into temporary themed pop-ups and cafes for the weekend.

Getting There: Petco Park as a Comic-Con Transit Hub

Even if you’re not attending an event at the ballpark, Petco Park is one of the main drop-off points for the official Comic-Con hotel shuttle system — in recent years it’s handled the Red and Purple routes. Step off the shuttle, walk across the Harbor Drive pedestrian bridge, and you’re at the convention center.

Specific 2026 shuttle routes, hotel assignments, and service hours haven’t been finalized yet. Check the official Comic-Con website closer to the convention for the full schedule.

Padres During Comic-Con Week

As is tradition, the Padres are on the road during SDCC 2026. The last home game before the convention is Sunday, July 12 against the Toronto Blue Jays, and the team doesn’t return to Petco Park until Tuesday, July 28 against the Colorado Rockies. That effectively hands the stadium and Gallagher Square over to Comic-Con for the full week — preview night through Sunday.

Not at Petco: The Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park

Worth flagging for first-time visitors: the Comic-Con Museum is a separate, year-round attraction — not part of the convention itself, and not at Petco Park. It’s run by the same nonprofit (Comic-Con International) but lives a few miles north in Balboa Park, in the former Hall of Champions building at 2131 Pan American Plaza.

The museum rotates immersive exhibits drawn from the Comic-Con universe — recent runs have featured Spider-Man, Batman, and the U.S. premiere of Doctor Who: Worlds of Wonder. It’s open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Wednesdays. Balboa Park parking is free, and it’s a reasonable rideshare or short drive from downtown. If you’re in San Diego during Comic-Con week without a badge and want more than the street-level activations, this is a solid half-day stop.

More 2026 Coverage

Check back as announcements roll in — we’ll update this page with programming news, ticket on-sales, new Petco Park activations, and anything relevant to the fan experience outside the convention center.

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