Tampa Bay Comic Convention Wraps Its Final Day Today Downtown

The Tampa Bay Comic Convention closes out its 2026 run today, Sunday, September 6, at the Tampa Convention Center, 333 S. Franklin St. Registration is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the vendor floor and panel programming running from about 10:45 a.m. to 5 p.m. Anyone planning a last visit downtown should build in extra time for parking and foot traffic before the doors close for good this year.

The three-day event has drawn crowds of cosplayers, comic vendors, artists and gamers to downtown Tampa since Friday, and this year's guest list includes John Cena and Katee Sackhoff. Sunday is typically the calmer day of the weekend, but the city is still warning drivers to expect heavier vehicle and pedestrian traffic around the convention center through the afternoon.

Getting There and Parking

Attendees should enter through the waterfront entrance, where outdoor escalators lead directly up to second-floor registration. From there, the main exhibit hall, artist alley and celebrity autograph area are one floor up on the third floor, with panel rooms and concessions on the first floor.

Parking runs $20 for the day at any of four garages within walking distance:

• Tampa Convention Center Garage, at Tampa St. and Brorein St.
• Pam Iorio Garage, at Florida Ave. and Channelside Dr.
• Fort Brooke Garage
• Whiting Garage

Tampa Police officers are stationed at nearby crosswalks to help manage the extra foot traffic through the final hours of the event.

Food and Last-Minute Options

Concession stands and quick-service dining are set up on the first floor and throughout the third-floor exhibit hall for anyone who wants to stay inside. Outside, the Riverwalk has food trucks, Big Ray's Fish Camp Riverwalk and The Sail Plaza, and Harpoon Harry's Crab House sits just across the street for sit-down dining.

Tickets bought at the door are still available for Sunday, though the city and event organizers have encouraged fans to buy in advance online to skip the registration line. All attendees, including anyone attending after-hours programming, must stop by registration during normal hours to get an official event wristband before heading up to the exhibit floor.

The convention wraps for the year once panel programming and the vendor floor close at 5 p.m. Anyone hoping to catch a favorite guest or grab last-minute merch has until then.

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Header photo: Zeng8r / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)