I have attended plenty of trade shows and events in my day. But there’s something special about Fan Expo. The attendees are deeply passionate about cosplay and entertainment, from movies to TV shows, comics, anime, and more. No one is considered silly for dressing up to the nines, often in their own homemade costumes. In fact, the more elaborate the costume, the more praise you receive. And the more likely someone will ask to take a photo with you, making you a pseudo-celebrity in cosplay fashion.
The event this year took place from August 21 through 24, 2025 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in downtown Toronto. Based on my two days there, it was a success.
More than 135,000 guests were expected to attend and as expected, the show floors were jam-packed, especially in the afternoon on Saturday and Sunday. Yes, it was CES-level packed (albeit on a much smaller scale).
Celebrity Appearances Drew Crowds
Celebrities were on hand signing autographs and taking photos (for a fee, of course) as well as participating in panels. Some are recognizable faces from movies and TV shows, including actors like Hailee Steinfeld, Tom Welling, Ewan McGregor, even Dogpool from Deadpool & Wolverine. Shout out to Michael Cudlitz who was kind enough to spend some time talking to my son about his love for The Walking Dead. Others are voice actors, animators, comic book authors, and more, known to those deeply entrenched in their work, and just as big celebrities to these fans as the high-profile faces.
Arguably the biggest celebrities there were Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd, present to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Back to the Future. It makes sense that Fox, a Canadian, would include Toronto as one of his stops on this celebratory tour. Fans were lined up, eager to hear the actor speak and take photos with him. My son, for his part, spent a few days dressed as Marty McFly to pay homage to the talented Canadian icon.
Markets and Cool Brand Experiences
Along with celebrities, there was also a massive market in both North and South Halls where attendees could shop for items like vintage toys, swag, licensed merch, and more. Think throwback wrestling toys from the ‘80s and full-sized replica swords. It was fun to see some of the toys I had as a child (remember the California Raisins?) along with cool posters, sword replicas, and more. Speaking of retro, a special appearance from Polkaroo, star of the ‘70s, ‘80s, and early ‘90s Canadian children’s series Polka Dot Door, had me feeling all types of nostalgic.
Cool experiences included the Warner Brothers’ Last Rites Reflections of Evil retro mirror maze, celebrating the upcoming movie The Conjuring: Last Rites, which will be released in theatres on September 5, 2025. You’re greeted by a “priest” who reads your last rites before you enter the winding maze with jump scares throughout. A fun structure of cards and mirrors were there to promote the upcoming Lionsgate movie Now You See Me: Now You Don’t, the third film in the growing franchise.
There was also Disney’s Throwback Experience and Wednesday’s The Doom Tour, both of which garnered long lines of fans excited to check them out. The latter was a simple reprieve from the madness of the show floor, a quiet spot to reflect (literally and figuratively) while staring at yourself in the mirror for a few minutes.
I also enjoyed Paramount’s immersive experience called 4D Adventure to the Peak. It’s a sit-down experience in a pod that fits six people in each. Relax and watch a scenic video promoting various shows like Yellowstone and Dexter: Resurrection, listening to accompanying audio through speakers or headphones (two pairs in each pod). Feel the rumble of the seats, even get a little wet from mist.
Lego fans beelined right to the Lego booth where they could build creations and marvel at the incredible life-sized builds, including characters like Wolverine and Elphaba from Wicked. At the Disney booth, a popular exhibit was the ability to recreate the Homer Simpson standing in the grass meme/GIF, slowly walking backwards until you disappear in the lush greenery. (Tip: add this as a custom animated GIF in your phone and use it in place of Homer whenever you want to express the desire to hide from a question or drama-filled conversation).
Tech brands were on site as well, with Nintendo’s massive booth dominating the South Hall, attracting gamers to the many stations to try out games like Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, Donkey Kong Bananza, Borderlands 4, on the Nintendo Switch 2. Fans could enjoy it for extended periods of time (20 minutes per game) but this also meant extra-long wait times. Also with booths was Audio-Technica, Samsung Canada, eBay Canada, AMD, Bell, Cineplex, and Netflix.
When you needed a break from the show floor, there were several panel sessions going on throughout the day. Cosplay meet-up events served as a place for like-minded fans to get together and talk, take photos, film social content, and simply share in their fandom.
Until Next Year
Overall, Fan Expo Canada went off without a hitch. Hours after the event, details of next year’s event were already released. Fan Expo 2026 will take place August 27-30, 2026, and tickets go live on September 25 at 11 a.m. ET this year.
Whether you attend in full cosplay or a T-shirt and jeans, Fan Expo Canada is a show where you can proudly let your geek flag fly. It’s arguably the most feel-good event of its kind. This crowd is all about celebration, enjoyment, and expressive freedom. There’s no negativity, no sour-faced people bumping into you or pushing their way through, despite the massive crowds. It’s all positivity, fun, and deep-seated passion for a show, movie, franchise, anime, comic, or manga. Until next year!