Middle East Film & Comic Con will return for its 12th edition next year in February in Abu Dhabi.
The 11th edition of Middle East Film & Comic Con (MEFCC) has seen its biggest turnout yet after welcoming more than 35,000 visitors spanning over a three-day festival.
From February 9-11, 2024, MEFCC, organised by Informa Connect and supported by the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), will return from the 12th edition in Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC).
At MEFCC 2023, fans of various iconic TV shows and films were given the chance to get autographs and pictures from their favourite celebrities, including Stranger Things stars David Harbour and Jamie Campbell Bower, Star Wars’ Hayden Christensen and Anthony Daniels, Lord of the Rings’ Andy Serkis, House of the Dragon’s Matt Smith, and Moon Knight’s May Calamawy, as well as the voice actors behind Disney’s Belle (Paige O’ Hara), Vegeta in Dragon Ball (Christopher Sabat), and Demon Slayer Tanjiro Kamado (Zach Aguilar).
The Festival Stage, sponsored by LikeCard, was kept lively with dance classes by celebrity choreographers G-Force, performances from Ashen Runway and the Boxtones, live DJ sets with DJ Abood and DJ Trina; PUBG Mobile, Tournaments by LikeCard, along with One Piece, Naruto and Demon Slayer showcases.
The highlight of the Festival Stage on Saturday was the Cosplay Competition, powered by TOD, where fans brought their favourite characters to life with costume craftsmanship and performative prowess. Alex and Erim triumphed for MEFCC’s third World Cosplay Summit (WCS), emerging as the official UAE representatives at the WCS Summit 2023 finals, taking place this August in Nagoya, Japan.
Creativity overflowed at the Artist Alley, powered by Manga Arabia, which convened more than 300 local and 12 international artists. Meanwhile, the Gaming Arena, in partnership with Zawaya Gaming, was packed with players participating in NBA2K, CS:GO, FIFA 23, Fortnite and Rocket League tournaments. NBA2K League further thrilled esports and gaming fans as eLeague pro players Mihad “The Beast” Faratovic of Gen.G Tigers, Ramo Radoncic of Pistons GT, Malik “Slaughter” Leisinger of T-Wolves Gaming, Brendan “Reizey” Hill of Mavs Gaming, and Alexander “Steez” Bernstein of Nets GC attended the event.
Speaking about the success of the event, Loy Pinheiro, Show Director, Middle East Film & Comic Con, said: “While success brings us immense joy, it also sets the bar higher and pushes us to do even better next year. The MEFCC team is putting unity in community and it’s the unwavering passion of our community that pushes us to strive harder and deliver the best experience for our partners and fans. We’re proud to have the most engaged and dedicated fans, exhibitors and partners, and we’ll continue to work tirelessly to bring you the best pop culture festival in the Middle East. We look forward to seeing you all at our next edition in 2024.”
