If you have never heard of Fantasy Basel before: it is basically Switzerland’s biggest pop culture convention and a huge mix of cosplay, gaming, anime, movies, comics, artists, Star Wars, workshops, merch, food and pure chaos – in the best possible way. Over 100’000 m² filled with fans, creators and nerd culture from all directions.

Some quick Fantasy Basel keywords?

• Cosplay
• Gaming & VR
• Artist Alley
• Anime & Asian Pop Culture
• Star Wars & Sci-Fi
• Comics & Manga
• Workshops & Panels
• Fan communities
• Merch everywhere

This year, we had tickets for Thursday at 10:00 AM – and apparently we got really lucky because that time slot sold out afterwards.

This year’s group was HUGE. More than 10 people. I even brought some of my coworkers with me and it was surprisingly so much fun seeing them experience Fantasy Basel for the first time (Although… I did lose them after a while. Classic convention experience.)

As soon as we arrived, we immediately went for food first – trust me on this one: if you ever visit Fantasy Basel, GET YOUR FOOD EARLY. Around 11:00 AM or lunchtime the queues become absolutely insane. Normally I would go for Karaage (Japanese fried chicken) without hesitation… but this year I somehow ended up choosing a Corn Dog instead. No regrets.

After that, we started our journey from hall to hall and somehow time immediately stopped existing. I spent by far the most time in the Artist Hall again. Honestly, I think I was there for more than two hours just looking through prints, stickers, keychains, art books and all the insanely creative artwork people made this year. There were so many familiar artists I remembered from last year, but also a lot of new faces and styles. And yes… bye bye money once again.

At some point, I finally made my way towards the gaming area and the Star Wars section – where I somehow reunited with my friends (although half of them had already left by then).

The entire day went by ridiculously fast. I didn’t even properly get the chance to explore the Cosplay hall this year, which honestly says everything about how massive Fantasy Basel has become now. But that’s also what makes it special.

It is really beautiful to see how much the community keeps growing every year and how diverse the entire event has become. Whether you love anime, gaming, cosplay, fantasy, art, movies or just want to experience creative chaos for a day – there is genuinely something for everyone there.

And somehow, even after walking for hours, spending too much money and losing half the group at least once… you already start looking forward to next year on the ride home.

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Fantasy Basel – the Swiss Comic Con
14 – 16 May 2026
10:00 – 19:00

Messe Basel
Messeplatz 10
4005 Basel, Switzerland
fantasybasel.ch

Tickets
55 CHF Day Ticket Adult (50 CHF online price)
38 CHF Day Ticket Kids (33 CHF online price)

48 CHF Afternoon Ticket Adult (43 CHF online price)
32 CHF Afternoon Ticket Kids (27 CHF online price)