Vienna Comic Con 2024

After a year full of anticipation, the time had finally come again on 23 and 24 November 2024: Vienna Comic Con - VIECC 2024 opened its doors at Messe Wien and transformed the city into a paradise for pop culture fans for a weekend. With over 39,500 visitors from all over Europe, VIECC once again proved that it is one of the most important comic and pop culture trade fairs in the German-speaking world.

An event of superlatives - Vienna Comic Con 2024 took place in Halls A and B of Messe Wien and in the Congress Centre. On over 42,000 square metres, the event offered an extensive programme for comic, film, gaming and cosplay fans. The mix of international star guests, creative artists, exciting panels, exclusive merchandise offers and impressive cosplays made the event a highlight of the year.

 Directions and parking facilities

By public transport

You can get to the Vienna Comic Con 2023 easily and carefree, without any stress or effort, by public transport. In my opinion, the best option is to take a Westbahn train to Vienna Westbahnhof. Now, of course, you have a few options for getting to the Vienna Exhibition Centre. We took the U3 in the direction of Simmering, making 4 stops on the way to Herrengasse. Here we then walked about 10 minutes to the U2, to Schottentor - as an alternative you can also take the U3 one stop further to Stephansplatz, change to the U1 and travel to Praterstern (3 stops). The last journey for both options is on the U2 to Messe - Prater. You will be standing right in front of the exhibition centre and have reached your destination.

By car

The quickest way is clearly via the motorway. Take the A1 motorway and later the A21 towards Vienna. Then keep left and take the A23 motorway to the Handelskai exit. Now you only have a 5 - 10 minute journey ahead of you and you will have reached your destination by car. 

You can park directly on site, Messe Wien provides several multi-storey car parks. Car parks A & D and the CC underground car park together offer space for around 4000 vehicles. The parking fee for all three is €4.20 per hour or part thereof. My information is that as a trade fair visitor you have to pay a daily flat rate of € 8.00 - this can be redeemed at the trade fair cash desks. However, you would have to read in advance exactly how this works.

Ticket variants at the Vienna Comic Con 2024

Tickets could be purchased directly and easily from OETICKET. A Saturday ticket at the normal price in advance cost EUR 42 and you could be there from 10:00 to 19:00. A Sunday ticket was available for just EUR 38, with shorter opening hours from 10:00 to 17:00. The weekend ticket was 72,- EUR and a VIP ticket could be purchased for 300,- EUR or the Ultra - VIP for 600,- EUR.

Programme at the Vienna Comic Con 2024

Celebrity guests - experience stars up close

An absolute highlight of Vienna Comic Con are the star guests, who are not only available to sign autographs and take photos, but also talk about their lives and careers in exciting panels. 2024 included, among others:

Michael Winslow - The „man of 10,000 sound effects“, known from Police Academy, thrilled the audience with his impressive voice and sound imitations.

Elfie Donnelly - The author and creator of Benjamin Blümchen and Bibi Blocksberg gave exciting insights into her work.

Vincent Regan - Known from films like 300, Troy and Snow White & The Huntsman.

Claudia Christian - Actress from the cult series Babylon 5.

Frank Cho - An internationally acclaimed comic artist known for his detailed drawings and his work for Marvel and DC Comics is known.

In addition to the actors and authors, numerous dubbing actors were also present, giving fans the opportunity to experience the voices of their favourite characters live.

Cosplay - creativity and perfection

Cosplay was once again a major theme at VIECC 2024. Numerous fans slipped into elaborate costumes and transformed Messe Wien into a colourful world full of fantasy characters. The VIECC offered various competitions, including

VIECC® Cosplay Championships - The main competition, in which the best cosplays were honoured.

VIECC® DACH Cosplay Cup - Season 1 - A new competition that brought together cosplayers from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Kids Cosplay Contest - For the youngest cosplayers, who impressed with their creativity.

There were also numerous workshops in which experienced cosplayers shared their tips and tricks for the perfect appearance.

Artist Alley - experience art up close

This year's Artist Alley was once again a magnet for anyone interested in comics, illustrations and fan art. Numerous artists presented their works, gave live drawing demos and were available to talk to fans. Here you could not only get hold of signed prints and original drawings, but also commission exclusive individual pieces.

A paradise for gamers at the Vienna Comic Con 2024

Gaming fans got their money's worth in the gaming area. In addition to the latest games, which could be tried out for free, there were also several tournaments for eSports enthusiasts. Among other things, you could Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 and compete with other gamers in various competitions.

Retailers & exhibitors - from merchandise to high-tech

Numerous retailers presented their product ranges in the halls of Messe Wien. Whether comics, collectible figures, clothing, video games or handmade accessories - there was plenty for fans to discover. Some of the best-known exhibitors in 2024 were

Otaku Heaven - A paradise for anime and manga fans.

ASH - Austrian Superheroes - Austria's own superhero comics.

Smart Extruders - 3D printing technology for creative minds.

SLAP - A supplier of pop culture merchandise and collectibles.

Seras Clothing - A label for themed clothing with unique designs.

Post Austria - With limited collector's stamps and exclusive merchandise.

Panels, workshops and interactive sessions

Vienna Comic Con would not be complete without its extensive programme of panels and workshops. Fans had the opportunity to take a look behind the scenes of their favourite films and series, learn more about the work of voice actors and get valuable tips on drawing or costume design from experienced artists, while the panels with star guests, in which they told anecdotes from their lives and answered questions from the audience, were particularly well attended.

Food & drink - Catering for all tastes

VIECC 2024 also catered for the physical well-being of its visitors. Numerous food trucks and food stands offered a wide selection of dishes - from traditional snacks to vegan specialities. The „Geek Café“, where you could make new friends over a cup of coffee in a relaxed atmosphere, was particularly popular again this year.

An unforgettable weekend at the Vienna Comic Con 2024 - my conclusion

The stages and star guests were great, the artists and exhibitors were simply fantastic and, for me as a little nerd and collector, the merchandise stands should not be forgotten. In my opinion, however, the greatest praise goes to all the cosplayers. The effort and expense that is put into every single cosplay is simply amazing for me. I mustn't forget the food trucks, which provided all the visitors with energy. There was something for everyone here too, with a wide variety of dishes - with meat, vegetarian and vegan options. Nobody had to go hungry at this convention.

Vienna Comic Con 2024 was a complete success and offered fans from all areas an unforgettable time. Whether through encounters with stars, exciting gaming experiences or marvelling at breathtaking cosplays - VIECC 2024 has once again established itself as one of the highlights of the year. The next VIECC will take place on 22 and 23 November 2025. It will be interesting to see what surprises the organisers have in store for next year!

If you are now keen to find out more and need to bridge the gap until VIECC 2025, why not take a look at the „Vienna Comic Con 2023 - VIECC Trade Fair Vienna“ Contribution to.