The longest-running science fiction and fantasy convention around, Worldcon, is returning to Anaheim this week for the first time in two decades.
Hosted by the World Science Fiction Society and known more formally as the World Science Fiction Convention, Worldcon will be celebrating all things science fiction and fantasy, from literature and film to video games and other popular media, at the Convention Center through Aug. 31.
“It’s going to be jam-packed with lots of fun all day, all night,” said Joyce Lloyd, the convention’s chairperson. “The energy for it is really, really big.”
The five-day convention — for fans and writers alike — offers more than 800 panels and live presentations, exploring topics such as “Planning the Fate of Your Geeky Collection After You’re Gone” and “Exomusicology: Creating the Music of Alien Civilizations.”
Worldcon will also feature a variety of hands-on workshops — everything from balloon animal sculpting to designing tabletop games.
The inaugural convention took place in New York City in 1939 and has since visited a different city around the globe each year. This year’s event in Anaheim, nicknamed “LAcon V,” marks the convention’s 84th annual gathering — six other Worldcons have been held in the Los Angeles area previously.
“People were just really excited, because Los Angeles is known for having a really fun Worldcon,” Lloyd said.
It’s also a home base for many members and attendees, Lloyd said, which is why organizers expect LAcon V to be one of Worldcon’s liveliest conventions.
In the last decade, Worldcon has taken place in several major American cities, including Chicago, Seattle and Washington, D. C., as well as global destinations such as China, Scotland and New Zealand. Next year’s Worldcon will take place in Montreal.
For Irvine-raised science fiction author Annalee Newitz, this year’s convention fortuitously coincides with a special career achievement: Newitz’s novella “Automatic Noodle,” about a group of food service robots who manage a noodle restaurant in a war-torn San Francisco, is among the finalists nominated for this year’s Hugo Awards.
Lloyd said the Hugo Awards are considered the most prestigious literary prize for science fiction and fantasy works among speculative fiction authors — this year’s winners will be announced on Sunday at the convention.
“It’s like the Oscars for writers,” Newitz said. “I have lots of plans to get together with friends who are from all around the country, and even some folks who came from outside the country, which has been really awesome.
“It’s also pretty exciting, especially because my book is about California and it’s nice to have (the awards ceremony) be in our backyard,” Newitz said.
Newitz has written several stories set in California, including “The Terraformers,” which takes place in an alternate reality inspired by Irvine.
California, because of its unique geography and history, makes for the perfect backdrop to Worldcon, Newitz said.
“California is a very science-fictional place,” Newitz said. “Growing up, my friends and I all had a sense of living inside some kind of weird, golden age science fiction fantasy, because the city of Irvine is a fully planned community, and it was designed to be utopian … It in general feels like this beautiful natural place that has been technologically transformed into something else.”
Author Samantha Mills, of San Diego, also wrote about a post-apocalyptic California in her short story, “10 Visions of the Future; or, Self-Care for the End of Days,” which was published in a spring 2025 issue of Uncanny Magazine. The speculative narrative, also part of her debut short story collection “Rabbit Test and Other Stories,” is a finalist in the short story category of the Hugo Awards.
As a writer of short fiction, Mills said she appreciates how the Hugo Awards celebrate a diverse range of literary forms beyond the traditional novel. The awards’ recognition of various short prose categories has continued to fuel interest in stories that are more experimental and push the boundaries of genre, Mills added.
“The thing that I love about science fiction and fantasy is that you can take those things and do a thinly veiled metaphor to express your feelings,” Mills said. “You can write anything speculative and imaginative and find a home in this genre, and it’s fun to rub elbows with so many people doing such creative work”
LAcon V will also commemorate the achievements of 11 guests of honor, among them producer and “Star Trek: The Next Generation” screenwriter Ronald D. Moore and author and illustrator Ursula Vernon, who publishes under the name T. Kingfisher. Past honorees include well-known authors such as George R. R. Martin, Ursula K. Le Guin and Ray Bradbury.
The guests of honor will be among the roughly 1,000 panelists and live speakers participating in the programming.
“It can be a pretty overwhelming list,” Mills said, encouraging visitors to do some pre-planning with the program guide. “There’s so many great and entertaining things for everyone. You’ll end up meeting so many new people.”
Tickets can be purchased on the convention website, which offers single-day passes and multi-day packages and access to both in-person and virtual events.
While this year’s convention may be a first for many locals, Worldcon is a long-valued tradition among science fiction enthusiasts, Newitz said, and a prime time for California residents to join.
“Worldcon has been going on since 1939, which is super wild to a sci-fi writer nerd like me — to think we actually have a tradition that’s approaching a century old just seems wild,” Newitz said. “Among the sci-fi nerds, this is our cultural tradition.”
If you go
When: The convention will run through Monday, Aug. 31 at 3:00 p.m.
Where: LAcon V is taking place at the Anaheim Convention Center, Hilton Anaheim and Anaheim Marriott hotels. Attendees can pick up entry badges at the registration desk located in the Hilton, Pacific Ballroom B from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily through Sunday.
Cost: The LAcon V site offers tiered pricing for various ticket packages. For adults age 25+, full weekend tickets are $275. Single-day passes range from $40 to $60 for adults. There is a discount for young adults ages 18 to 24, teenagers ages 13 to 17 and children ages six to 12. Children under five years old are free, and drop-off child care is available at the Hilton Pacific Registration Desk from 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Prices also vary for registered World Science Fiction Society members.
Special Programming: The opening ceremony will take place on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Other special events include the LAcon V Film Festival, Masquerade, South Side Symphony: Anime Juke Jam and 2026 Hugo Awards Ceremony. The times and locations for each are listed on the site’s programming guide.
Parking: Hotel guest parking is available at the Hilton Anahem and Anaheim Marriott. Visitors can also park during the day at the Anaheim Convention Center North along 800 West Katella Ave. On average, tickets are $25 per vehicle and valid for one entry only.