When you hear the phrase “comic con”, your first thought is probably of San Diego Comic Con. It’s an iconic event, drawing hundreds of thousands of people every year. Only a small number of people who attempt to get tickets will succeed. Here’s what you need to know about getting tickets and making the most of your experience if you are lucky enough to succeed.

Once you decide you want to go to SDCC, you’ve got to start planning ahead. The event happens in mid-to-late-July every year, but if you are looking for tickets to the event in the same year, you’ve already lost the game.

Ticket sales:

There are two days for ticket sales, and they both happen the fall before the event. Returning registration usually falls in September or October, and is for people who attended at least one day the previous year. That’s followed by open registration in late October or November, which is open to anyone. To participate in either sale, you and every person you’re trying to buy for must have a free MemberID account. These sales don’t last long, with the event selling out within an hour or two.

An important detail to keep in mind is, SDCC tickets are non-transferrable. The member ID and name on the badge must match your ID. If you are caught with a badge that doesn’t have your name on it, you and the person named on the badge will both be banned from the convention. This means, DO NOT BUY ANY RESALE SDCC TICKETS ONLINE. You’re either going to end up scammed or banned. It’s not worth it.

The only way to get a ticket after the general sale is to become a top-tier member of the Comic Con Museum. The “Legend” membership is currently priced at $1,900 per person per year, which includes a 4-day + preview night pass. If that’s not in your price range, try again next year.

Hotels:

Once you’ve secured your tickets, you might be anxious to book your hotel. Take a deep breath, because there are specific times for hotel sales as well. The early bird sale is for hotels in the Mission Valley and airport areas and it runs fall through the spring for the upcoming summer. These hotels are on the free shuttle route, but they are non-refundable. If you want a hotel in downtown, that’s done through a request form in the spring, with assignments rolling about a week later. Then the final round of hotel sales happen in late spring on a first come, first served basis.

Parking and transportation:

SDCC parking is also handled by lottery ahead of the event. If you want to drive yourself to SDCC, you’ll want to sign up to participate here. For 2025, the deadline to register is June 9th.

As previously mentioned, there is a free shuttle system for people staying at partner hotels. The map of routes and timing will drop about a month before the event.

Other options for getting to the con include ride shares, but keep in mind that the street in front of the convention center is usually shut down. This means you’ll have to walk a couple blocks in/out of that restricted area.

San Diego’s public transit system usually offers discounted pass options during Comic Con, with special event trolley routes running those days. The trolley is highly convenient, with multiple stops right in front of the convention center.

Off-Site Activations:

One of the most hands-on parts of SDCC are the off-site activations. Around the Gaslamp Quarter and convention center area, studios will rent out various locations to give fans an interactive experience with whatever show or movie they are promoting. These are open to anyone in the area, not just ticketholders, so expect long lines.

Since the pandemic, some have offered fans a chance at signing up for a specific timeslot. They get snatched up almost instantly. There’s no set timeframe for when these drops happen, so if there’s a particular event you’re hoping to see, keep tabs on that studio’s social media. Most will offer standby lines even after their reservations, but expect to spend hours waiting.

Hall H:

When you think of San Diego Comic Con, the first thing that comes to mind for many is Hall H. It’s the stage where studios drop first looks and bring out their biggest stars. It’s also the hardest room to get into. Historically, SDCC will distrubute Hall H wristbands for the first panel of each day starting at 7 p.m. the night before. If you get one, you must be back in line by 6:30 a.m. or you forefit your guaranteed spot and must join the general line. The wristbands have cut down on the camping overnight, but some people will still spend the night on the grounds in order to get a better seat.

If you don’t get in for the first panel of the day, there is still a chance you could make it into Hall H later in the day. Many people only go in for one or two panels and then leave, freeing up seats for those in line. However, if Marvel is on the schedule, all bets are off. Despite Marvel usually being an evening panel, people will sit in Hall H all day to wait for it.

Schedule:
Every year, people will inevitably start asking about the schedule months in advance. Have patience, my nerds. SDCC holds fast to the same announcement system every year and it is two weeks by day. That means the Wednesday preview night and Thursday schedule come out two Thursdays before SDCC. The Friday schedule drops on the Friday two weekd before the event, and so on. Occasionally, a studio will release some information early, but for the most part, you’ll have to wait.

Good luck and godspeed on your attempts to get to SDCC.