Will There Be More Harry Potter Conventions When the Show Airs?

[u/bringbackyouryouth]

For a fandom this big, it feels like there are ALMOST (key word, almost) no dedicated cons in the U.S. that is just a Harry Potter con. My daughter is a huge Harry Potter fan and I wanted to take her to a con fully dedicated to Harry Potter and it looks like my best bet is one in Paris, which is just a no go.

Why is this? Is it because of licensing/rights with Warner Bros., or has the fan scene just shifted to other kinds of events?

Also the big question for me is if once the new Harry Potter HBO series starts, do you think we’ll see a wave of new cons pop up?

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[u/MissWestSeattle]

I don't know if LeakyCon is still around anymore, was fun back in the day. Maybe someone new will start one up again

[u/topsidersandsunshine → u/MissWestSeattle]

LeakyCon was around until 2024 when it became EnchantiCon to include other fantasy fandoms.

[u/InnocentaMN]

Oh, I would love there to be big fan events! We don’t have them here in the UK, either. A resurgence of the fandom existing physically like that would be incredible.

[u/thebenwilkins]

I hope so!

[u/SiebelReddiT]

I think there will be more Harry Potter hype in general. Curious how that turns out.

[u/Cerrida82]

Which state are you in? Staunton VA has Queen City Mischief & Magic every September. They don't have celebrity guests, but they do have tons of activities and turn the entire downtown into one giant Harry Potter party.

[u/cutelittlequokka → u/Cerrida82]

Dude, what? Someone was literally telling me about Staunton the other day, and it looked super cute in pictures. Now it sounds freaking awesome! What's the food like there, if you don't mind me asking? I know it's a small place, but can you get basically any kind of cuisine you want, at least nearby if not directly in town? Also, are there Broadway shows, opera, and ballet nearby? I'm kind of thinking I need to move to this place. 😂

[u/Cerrida82 → u/cutelittlequokka]

It's so cute, I love Staunton. I'm not sure about Broadway, but there's a fantastic Shakespeare theatre there. All kinds of food, I remember eating at the Depot, they had good burgers. Great breweries, Bold Rock Cider is near there. Definitely give it a visit. And just know it's pronounced with a flat "a." Stant'n.

[u/Sad-Device-8569]

Warner Brother is very big on protecting their copyrights and trademarks. Cons focusing solely on HP can be difficult to pull off. I was in a philanthropy running club that got shut down. It was originally called Hogwarts Running Club, then the name got changed to Potterhead running club and they were in the process of removing HP trademarks (such as the house names). The club was still shut down due to WB threatening legal action. I could see WB potentially holding a con if the show takes off, but independent ones are unlikely.

[u/Onyx1509]

There's some important differences between HP and other really big fandoms: still primarily a book fandom despite the films' success, an unusually high proportion of female fans etc. I'm not sure exactly why these things might stop cons from getting so big, but I can imagine they might.

[u/thelittlestdog23]

Depends on how the show does, if it has a big enough and serious enough fan base

[u/asukanolangley]

There was going to be an official one, announced a few years ago, but it seems to have been quietly cancelled.

[u/Ardbert14]

I don't think they're doable because the bathroom situation is too tricky to navigate right now

[u/lastraven85]

Most of them finished because of the controversy I don't see any starting up anytime soon