Poland’s biggest fantasy festival is just around the corner! From 19 to 21 June, the Poznań International Fair grounds will become the capital of Polish fandom, hosting the eagerly awaited Pyrkon 2026 Poznań. If you’re planning a trip to this amazing fantasy convention, you must remember one key rule: Pyrkon is a demanding campaign, not a short side quest.
Three days packed with talks, concerts, meetings with international guests and spectacular cosplay can be a real treat, but they can also leave you thoroughly exhausted. Good preparation can make all the difference between coming back from the event absolutely thrilled or completely knackered. Check out our guide and find out how to prepare for Pyrkon so you can make the most of the weekend!
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Thousands of programme items await participants, so it is physically impossible to see everything. To avoid getting lost in the maze of events, it’s worth taking a close look at the official Pyrkon 2026 programme before you arrive in Poznań and planning your schedule accordingly.
Browse the full list of events and tick the talks and panel discussions that are most important to you. Check which of the Pyrkon 2026 activities you’ve planned require advance booking and prepare a backup plan – lecture theatres have limited capacity, so it’s always worth having an alternative item on your itinerary in case a venue is full.
This year’s edition of Pyrkon is very much centred on the theme of space, which is perfectly reflected in the list of invited guests. The dream space duo is proving very popular: Eileen Collins, the first female commander of a NASA space shuttle, and a Polish ESA project astronaut, Dr Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski. The undisputed highlight of the film zone, however, is Giancarlo Esposito, the legendary villain from *Breaking Bad*, *The Mandalorian* and *The Boys*. Gaming fans are sure to be drawn to Andrew Wincott, who stole players’ hearts as Raphael in *Baldur’s Gate 3*. The star-studded cast is rounded off by some much-loved TV actors Michelle Gomez and Anton Lesser and the author of the best-selling fantasy series *The King of Crows*, Maggie Stiefvater.
The festival’s main attractions and themed zones are equally impressive. The highlight of the programme will be the iconic cosplay competition Masquerade, which this year, for the first time in history, will be fully interpreted into Polish Sign Language (PJM). The music scene will be dominated by high-energy concerts by the Japanese band SPYAIR, known for his iconic anime opening themes, and a fairy-tale-inspired metal band Twilight Force. For fans of off-grid gaming, there’s a powerful The RPG Zone featuring talks by creators from the world’s leading studios and round-the-clock RPGralnia. The whole show is rounded off by a series of experiments Space Science Zone and amazing Fantastic Villages, where you can experience the atmosphere of the Star Wars universe or a post-apocalyptic world first-hand.
Many attendees focus on browsing the timetable, forgetting about the unique booking system. Pyrkon 2026 tokens are a special pool of points allocated to tickets purchased in specific categories (e.g. 3-day passes-day passes and Early Bird tickets), which are used to guarantee entry to the most popular talks, guest appearances and autograph sessions.
Online booking for seats at Pyrkon began on 19 May at 5.00 pm. It is worth bearing in mind, however, that tokens usually only cover a portion of the seats in a given hall. The remaining seats go to participants who queue up in the traditional manner just before the event. So, for the most popular events on the programme, it’s worth arriving well in advance!
If you’re interested in practical activities this year and want to develop your manual or artistic skills, the tokens alone won’t be enough. The Pyrkon 2026 workshops have a registration system that is completely separate from the talks.
In this case, places are allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, and dedicated registration for the Pyrkon workshops via online forms opened on 30 May at 12:00. The extensive programme includes, amongst other things, creative, craft, scientific and educational activities. When browsing the schedule, always pay attention to the organiser’s icons and markings – they clearly indicate which activities are covered by the token system and which require separate registration.
Even the best fantasy festival can take its toll if you neglect your physical comfort. The June heat and spending hours on end walking through the exhibition halls are quite a challenge for the body. Be sure to pack the following in your rucksack:
The Poznań International Fair grounds are vast. As you make your way between the pavilions, open-air stages and themed zones, you’ll easily clock up tens of thousands of steps over the course of three days. Even the best and most spectacular cosplay won’t make up for the pain of sore feet. Go for tried-and-tested, well-worn trainers!
Creating costumes is one of the highlights of the festival, but wearing them all day long takes stamina. Before you set off for Pyrkon 2026, be sure to check:
Good practice: Always take a change of ordinary clothes with you. After a few hours of posing for photos in a heavy costume, being able to slip into a loose T-shirt and shorts is a real relief.
Although a meticulous plan helps to manage the sheer volume of attractions, Pyrkon 2026 is famous for the fact that the best memories are often made quite by chance. A spontaneous photo shoot with a phenomenal group of cosplayers you bump into in the courtyard? A band’s gig you stumble upon whilst walking past the stage? Or perhaps a new board game discovered together with strangers in the massive Games Room, or fascinating conversations with people who share your most niche interests? Make sure you leave yourself a bit of free time during the day, because there’ll be something going on around you all the time.
Pyrkon’s unique, safe and welcoming atmosphere depends on all of us. Following a few simple rules will ensure that this weekend is enjoyable for every participant:
This fantastic festival runs practically non-stop from when the gates open on Friday until they close on Sunday. Some of the most atmospheric attractions – such as night-time RPG sessions, film screenings, tournaments and social events – take place late in the evening or at night. What’s more, exploring the halls at night is a great opportunity to view the exhibitions in a more peaceful atmosphere, when the crowds in the corridors are significantly smaller.
Before you pack your rucksack and set off for Poznań, make sure you’ve ticked off everything on the list below:
The most important piece of advice to round things off? Don’t try to see everything at all costs. Pyrkon is on such a massive scale that even regulars discover something completely new there every year. Pick a few must-see highlights that matter most to you, and treat the rest of the weekend as one big, unforgettable adventure. Have fun and see you in Poznań!
