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Every year, tens of thousands of fans of fantasy, science fiction, anime, games and cosplay flock to the exhibition halls in Basel to attend Switzerland's biggest comic convention. (archive picture)
Keystone
Fantasy Basel, the largest Swiss Comic Con, will take place this year from May 14 to 16 in the Basel exhibition halls. Fans of fantasy, science fiction, games, anime and cosplay will be able to immerse themselves in fantastic worlds on over 100,000 square meters.
This year, Fantasy Basel attracts visitors with over 850 stands, eight stages and 45 star guests from various entertainment sectors. Fans of fantasy games in particular can look forward to the guest line-up. This year, Samantha Béart and Tim Downie, who lent their voices to the characters Karlach and Gale in the award-winning role-playing game "Baldur's Gate 3" (Larian Studios, 2023), will be coming to Basel.
Maxence Cazorla and Rich Keeble will also be at this year's Fantasy. They voiced the characters Esquie and Monoko in the award-winning fantasy game "Clair Obscure: Expedition 33" (Sandfall Interactive, 2025).
Both games have caused a stir in the games industry in recent years. They have shown that independent studios can also develop very successful games that delight many fans without the support of financially strong publishers.
Familiar faces and voices from the world of television series will also be seen and heard in Basel. Evie Templeton ("Wednesday", Netflix) and the German voice of Spongebob, Santiago Ziesmer ("Spongebob Squarepants", Nickelodeon), will also be at Fantasy.
27 stars and guests from Switzerland and abroad have been announced for the Cosplay Village and will be showing their work. There will also be a cosplay competition on the main stage in the afternoon with cosplays from Switzerland on Thursday, newcomers on Friday and international performances on Saturday.
Cosplay is a combination of the words costume and play, with everyone from amateur fans to professionals slipping into the costumes of characters (costume) and acting out their roles (play). Thousands of dressed-up fans can be expected again this year.
The code of respect must be observed. As a general rule, people should not be photographed or touched without their consent. And special care should be taken with cosplays, as a lot of work is invested in them. The organizers state: "No means no". An awareness team is available to offer support to those affected in the event of violations.
The first Fantasy Basel took place in 2015 and attracted 20,000 visitors with an exhibition area of 15,000 square meters. Last year, with 100,000 square meters, it attracted 97,000 visitors. The Zurich Pop Con, which is organized by the same team, attracted 46,000 visitors in the same year in autumn with an exhibition area of 30,000 square metres.
11.05.2026, 09:30
