Los Angeles Horror Conventions 2020

One of the best things for horror lovers are horror conventions. In Los Angeles there are a few different ones that run throughout the year. A few favorites have seemed to disappear in the last couple years which is unfortunate but thankfully there are still a handful. This list is for Los Angeles specifically but there are horror conventions all across the world, so be sure to look in your area to see what’s offered. 

Haunt X Expo February 22-23 Pomona Fairplex

I don’t know much about this convention, I’m guessing since it’s a little further than the other ones that’s why I haven’t heard of it. It’s pretty early in the year which is great. It says it’s family friendly but because of that they have restrictions for cosplayers. On its site it says, “realistic weapons and/or excessive gore are not” welcome. I’m not sure what would be considered excessive as far as gore so that could keep some people away that like to dress up. Their tickets are reasonable as well; $25 for Saturday, $20 Sunday or $40 for both days. Kids 10 and under get in free with a paying adult. 

HorrorCon LA April 3-5 LA Convention Center

I couldn’t find too much history on HorrorCon LA online. It looks like they also go by Horrorpalooza. It says there are haunted houses and escape rooms as well as makeup demos and vendors which are all essential for horror conventions. They don’t have a presence on social media either. Tickets are unclear, it says “Halloween Party Ticket” so I’m guessing that means that’s to the convention itself and that is $40 so I’m assuming it’s $40/each day. It’s a little steep considering I can’t find anything about it. I’d love to check it out but would like a little more information first. Has anyone heard of this one or attended it in the past? 

Monsterpalooza May 8-10 Pasadena Convention Center

Monsterpalooza is the king of horror conventions. It is definitely my favorite of them. All the best cosplayers come out for this one, their special guests are top notch and I want to spend all my money on the vendors. I’m stoked for this years show specifically for some of the Scream cast; Neve Campbell, Matthew Lillard and Jamie Kennedy. There are so many more guests that it’s too many to list. I love the haunt attractions that they have every year too. I try to catch a few panels that I’m interested in throughout the weekend as well. My experience with this convention, you should get there REALLY early. The line is pretty long way before doors open and then the inside tends to fill up fast. Tickets prices are reasonable; Friday $30, Saturday $35 and Sunday $30($35 at the door) or $75 for the whole weekend. Kids 10 and under are free with a paying adult. If you can only budget for one convention for the year, I recommend Monsterpalooza!

Midsummer Scream July 31-August 2 Long Beach Convention Center

Midsummer Scream is a summer staple on the West Coast. I haven’t been yet but I’ve seen posts over the years and it just seems to be getting better and better each time. They have a kids area so we know it’s family friendly. They have a number of horror shows for your entertainment including a horror fashion show, I’m always looking for new terror apparel. They have panels and special guests and presentations for local haunts. One show that’s featured are the Decayed Brigade Sliders. I’ve seen them perform at other conventions and theme parks and they’re mesmerizing. Tickets aren’t available yet online but last year it varied from $38 for Saturday, $33 Sunday, $55 for the weekend and then they had a special weekend pass for $95 that had more perks. I can guess this year it’ll be around the same or a little more. This is one convention that I can’t miss this year.

These next ones aren’t necessarily horror conventions per se but they definitely deserve a mention. At these conventions you get sneak peeks of new shows/movies or you get to preview horror video games. 

Wondercon April 10-12 Anaheim Convention Center

I’ve attended Wondercon a handful of times and each time is just as wonderful and filled with new things to see and do. You have to register online for a Comic-Con Member ID to get a badge. I’m not sure when they go on sale but they don’t seem to be up yet. Children 12 and under are free with a paying adult and kids 13-17 can register as juniors. The panels for this are all incredible and the signings they have can’t be missed. I haven’t been able to attend the past two years but prior they would do a lottery for autographs and you can draw tickets to see if you can win free autographs for some of the guests. One year I won the chance to meet the cast of iZombie and being a fan I was thrilled.

LA Comic Con September 25-27 Los Angeles Convention Center

This one is also a fun convention. It gets a little crowded so you have to be prepared to navigate through it and know exactly who/what you want to see and how to get there before the masses. They have a huge show floor of vendors, exhibits, demos and more. Special guests include stars like Doug Jones, Ron Perlman, Dana DeLorenzo and a ton of other familiar faces. I’m not sure how much tickets are but I think they’re comparable with Wondercon. 

I think LA could use a horror convention each month, what do you think?