Black Panther fans are still wishing they could travel to Wakanda, but this summer you can get a little closer to that beautiful nation with the first ever Wakandacon. As the team behind the convention says, this convention is the first of its kind, celebrating “Afro-futurism, tech, and entertainment.” The convention will also celebrate black superheroes in film, gaming, television, and comic books.
As the AV Club reports, Wakandacon will run from Aug. 3 to 5 in Chicago, Illinois. As Ali Barthwell, who co-founded Wakandacon with siblings David and Matt and producers Lisa Beasley and Taylor Witten, said in a statement, “The moment we saw Wakanda in film, we wanted a space to gather and talk about everything African-Americans are passionate about. Afro-Futurism is about imagining a future for Black people all around the world. Wakandacon is a space for Black people to look past the present and into our future.”
Though there aren’t a great deal of specifics about the convention available just yet, this convention is going to feature entertaining and educational programming as well as provide a place for African-American small business owners to promote and sell their products.
You can head to the Wakandacon official website to get more information about the convention, as well as purchase a badge. There are a limited number of discounted weekend badges available, but a regularly priced weekend badge will set you back about $35. And if you can’t make it out to Chicago, never fearâyou can still take part in this groundbreaking event digitally. Digital passes are available to let you watch all of the Wakandacon fun on a dedicated streaming channel.
As David Barthwell said in the Wakandacon press release, “Our people have been hungry for something like this for a very long time, and I hope that Wakandacon only adds to the fire.” We love seeing what a huge impact Black Panther has had on fans, and how it has empowered so many people. Wakandacon seems like the natural extension of that amazing movie, and we can’t wait to see what amazing things come out of that convention.
Are you planning to attend Wakandacon? Tell us about your convention plans in the comments!
Feature Image: Marvel
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- Infinity War is kind of a Black Panther sequel in new preview
- How does the Black Panther animated series hold up?