The nerds are heading to downtown Kansas City this weekend for Planet Comicon 2026 at Bartle Hall. Several comic conventions are holding their events the same weekend this year, March 27-29th, which gives the event a little competition.

For fandom members in the midwest, Planet is branding itself as the affordable alternative to C2E2 in Chicago. A three-day adult ticket for Planet comes in around $100 a person, while the same level ticket for C2E2 runs a little over $150 each with taxes and fees. Housing and food costs are also lower on average for trips to KC than Chicago.

Planet has a solid celebrity lineup this year, offering several franchise reunions. Sean Astin and Elijah Wood are among the VIP guest offerings for their Lord of the Rings reunion, with John Rhys Davies also on the schedule in a separate solo panel. Supernatural star Jared Padalecki rounds out the event’s VIP guest offerings, but he is slated for a panel with former castmates Mark Pellegrino and Samantha Smith.

Hazbin Hotel and Twilight fans will also have the chance to meet several cast members in one weekend. Hazbin‘s lineup includes Erika Henningsen, Christian Borle, and Kimiko Glenn, with Keith David attending but participating in a solo panel immediately after the Hazbin panel instead. David previously appeared at PCKC in 2024, but reduced his time at the show to one day due to scheduling adjustments.

Twilight cast members Peter Facinelli, Kellan Lutz, Jackson Rathbone, and Ashley Greene will reunite once again to talk about the iconic vampire movies. They are frequently together at conventions on weekends, but Planet is adding a less-common appearance to the panel of bloodsuckers: Maggie Grace, who played Irina in the franchise.

PCKC’s lineup also includes some icons of the screen for 2026. William Shatner will return for another adventure at the show. Lou Diamond Phillips, Kiefer Sutherland, Ernie Hudson, Carl Lumbly, and Priscilla Presley will also be in attendance for photo ops, autographs, and panels.

If you want a professional photo with any of these stars or an autograph, sales are open now on Planet’s website.

On the comics and writers side of the event, some big names will be popping into Kansas City for the weekend. A highlight for the event is an Iron Maiden appearane from Bruce Dickinson and Nicko McBrain to talk about their music and graphic novels. Co-creator of Ms. Marvel, G. Willow Wilson, Chris Claremont of the X-Men franchise, Batman‘s Kevin Altieri, and KC’s own Jason Aaron will all be in attendance. Kevin J. Anderson of Dune and Kevin J. Anderson of Star Wars will be selling and signing books on site.

For those interested in the Cosplay world, the main stage contest will return as the final event of Saturday night with AllieCat, Raine Emery, Luna Flare, and Sayakat Cosplay. Luna Flare will also host Planet’s drag show Friday night, but attendance is restricted to attendees 18 and older.

Parking has historically been a problem for Planet, as it usually falls during March Madness and downtown Kansas City hosts games for several tournaments at the same time. This year, the event is slightly later, with no NCAA games listed for the T-Mobile Center during the event. Pre-paying for parking is still recommended.