A staple of the fandom community on the East Coast and the Southern United States, GalaxyCon was back on the West Coast in San Jose for a second year. The 2025 event kicked off on Friday with a grand opening. The weekend featured a variety of events, insightful panels, and pop-culture icons.
GalaxyCon San Jose 2025 saw the fandom community congregate at the convention center for a festive weekend. They were joined by special guests, industry professionals, and leaders of the local fandom community. After months of planning and waiting, these are the highlights of GalaxyCon San Jose 2025.
Dealers and Artists
The exhibition hall is where guests can find all the vendors, displays, artists, and more. Here, anyone can learn about their local comic book shop, purchase collectible merchandise, or explore the works of local authors and amazing fan art. Even if you have no shopping agenda, it’s still fun to look through all the cool stuff and meet the many artists and vendors.
mou-art is a Bay Area based indie artist who specializes in handmade fan merchandise. They are known for their custom keychains, toot bags, and plushies based on popular characters from anime and video games.
Game Tower is a retro game vendor with a retail store based in San Fernando, specializing in classic games, consoles, and accessories. At the dealer’s hall, they showcased a massive collection of PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo titles spanning multiple generations, all available for purchase.
Gamers Heaven is a community-focused shop designed as a gathering place for gamers to connect and socialize. After establishing several successful locations on the East Coast, they have expanded to the West Coast with a new spot in the Bay Area. The team attended GalaxyCon to spread the word and engage with the Bay Area gamer community right before the grand opening.
Wynnwood Farms offers a variety of teas, each crafted around unique themes. At GalaxyCon San Jose, they showcased their many blends, all of which were also available for purchase. Knowledgeable staff were on hand to answer questions and provide advice on the best ways to prepare each tea.
Punk Rock Time Machine is a multimedia franchise that follows the adventures of Clint Spacewood and his band of interstellar heroes traveling across time and space to save mankind using the power of music. Volume One of the comic, along with a soundtrack, is out now, while an animated series is currently in development.
The Game Corner is an illustrator and concept artist based in the Bay Area. They specialize in Pokemon themed playing cards, artwork, and accessories.
Fan Clubs and Events
Among the Star Wars fan clubs present were the Wolves of Mandalore, along with the Golden Gate Garrison and Rebel Legion Endor Base. Golden Gate Garrison is the Bay Area branch of the 501st Legion, dedicated to accurately recreating the uniforms and armor of the Galactic Empire, along with the First Order and the Clone Troopers. Endor Base is the Northern California branch of the Rebel Legion, focused on recreating the outfits of the Rebel Alliance, Republic Forces, and the Jedi Order. Wolves of Mandalore is the Bay Area branch of the Mandalorian Mercs Costume Club, dedicated to helping fans create their own custom Mandalorian cosplay, complete with a unique artistic style and the background of their character.
YumeCon USA is a Bay Area based fan orginized anime convention that has been growing over the years. They were present to promote their upcoming event with information about what to expect, opportunities to volunteer, or organize a show for guests. The 2025 event will take place from November 15th to November 16th at the DoubleTree by Hilton San Jose, located at 2050 Gateway Pl.
Following a successful 2025 event, FanimeCon was present to promote their 2026 event. One of the largest anime conventions in North America, they were present to promote opportunities to volunteer for next year’s event. Guests could learn about what to expect, along with upcoming dates to look out for.
Panels of GalaxyCon San Jose
Barry Bostwick Q&A presented an inside look into the career of the acclaimed actor while also looking back at the legacy of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The panel also looked at his other past works, such as Megaforce and Deceptions. At the same time, fans got to ask their questions while Bostwick would keep the panel as lively as possible.
The Danny Trejo Q&A gave fans the opportunity to learn more about the iconic actor’s remarkable career. He shared insights into his upbringing and experiences in the film industry, while fans had the chance to ask questions about his work and beyond.
Tactical Gear Cosplay 101: From Recruit to Operator offered an inside look at joining the MilSim community while sharing practical tips for bringing cosplay to life. The panel covered alternatives to real world gear and explained how to acquire the tactical equipment seen in video games like Call of Duty.
The Scream Q&A was a special panel featuring Matthew Lillard, Skeet Ulrich, Jamie Kennedy, and Lee Waddell. Hosted on the main stage, it gave cast members from the Scream series a chance to share stories while the audience asked their own questions.
Things to Do at GalaxyCon San Jose
Special Guests allow fans to meet their favorite performers or industry insiders at either a panel or autograph session. Among the guests were Lou Ferrigno, Matthew Lillard from Scream, iconic star William Shatner, Adam McArthur from Jujutsu Kaisen, and Danny Trejo, just to name a few.
Video Game Arena and Tabletop Realm was the ultimate destinations for all gaming enthusiasts. The section featured consoles and arcade machines alongside tables dedicated to tabletop games. Guests could dive into their favorite games or discover something new. Vendors were also on hand, offering all the tabletop essentials.
While not organized by GalaxyCon, there were random moments in which guests would gather for a game of Pokemon Go. With several gyms at the convention center, there were moments when attendees would gather to participate in raids. They would also attempt to take the gym for their team. Others would take a break and catch any Pokemon within their area.
After Dark Events was a series of panels and shows exclusively available to GalaxyCon guests aged 18 and older. The lineup ranged from discussions exploring mature themes to burlesque performances and competitions with risqué undertones.
See You In 2026
GalaxyCon San Jose has already confirmed that they will return in 2026. The next event will take place from August 21st to August 23rd. Tickets for the event are on sale now, but no additional information has become available.
Did you get a chance to check out GalaxyCon San Jose 2025? If so then share your story in the comment section below.
Disclaimer: GalaxyCon provided me with a pass for the weekend
8Bit/Digi is an independent media outlet that provides insight into the gamer community of the San Francisco Bay Area.
