Tens of thousands of anime, video game, film and television lovers descended upon the Bahrain International Circuit yesterday to attend the country’s much-anticipated pop-culture event.
Bahrain Comic Con (BCC) continues today, from noon until 11pm, with gaming tournaments, cosplay contests, celebrity meets-and-greets and much more awaiting visitors.
Convention organisers Dallah Promotions seems to have delivered on the promise that the fourth edition of the expo will be ‘bigger and better,’ but numbers of attendees have not yet been released.
Around 35,000 people are expected to attend, with 30,000 attending last year.
The event is being held under the patronage of Supreme Council for Youth and Sport first deputy chairman, General Sports Authority chairman and Bahrain Olympic Committee president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
Shaikh Khalid was taken on a tour around the convention, where he saw what the gaming halls, merchandise vendors and Artists’ Alley had to offer.
Officials from the Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority also toured the venue. Chief executive Dr Nasser Qaedi highlighted BCC’s significance in attracting tourists to the country, and praised the event’s growth over the years.
Local artisans, along with artists from the UAE, Qatar, Saudi and more, lined the cramped Artists’ Alley, which was stocked with original art, stickers, posters, stuffed animals, medallions, and other geek paraphernalia, along with locally-made manga and comics.
Gamers competed fiercely in tournaments which continue today.
Action figures from brands like Funko, along with an assortment of props and memorabilia were sold by vendors all over the venue.
The event also saw the official unveiling of AAA games such as Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3, Tekken 8 and Assassin’s Creed Mirage.
Meanwhile, cosplay contest judge Anya Dogari told the GDN how thrilled she is to be on the panel of judges this year. She came dressed as Cinderella, wearing a poofy blue dress and sparkly makeup.
The Bahrain-based Moldovan won second place in the BCC cosplay contest for the last two years, and is excited to be on the other side of the stage this time.
A video games fan, Yousif Abdulla, admired the camaraderie between cosplayers.
“It’s amazing how the cosplayers who don’t know each other instantly click and start taking photos together,” he said.
However, some attendees were also a bit disappointed with the attractions.
“Last year there were more people and better offerings,” university student Yousif Hassan told the GDN. He was still impressed with the cosplayers and the craft they put into their costumes and performances.
An impressive line-up of celebrities known for their acting roles in popular video games and TV shows signed autographs and answered fan questions, and will continue to do so today.
They include Cooper Andrews (The Walking Dead), Carolina Ravassa (Overwatch), Craig Fairbrass (Call of Duty), Alexander Ludwig (Vikings), Karen Fukuhara (The Boys), Ed Westwick (Gossip Girl) and Lochlyn Munro (Riverdale).
Rick and Morty artist David Angelo Roman also made an appearance.
The local cosplay contest, open to Bahrain-based fans, took place yesterday, with a stellar cast of creative costumers.
The Middle East Cosplay Summit (MECS), in which the best cosplayers from 21 countries will compete, takes place today.
Tournaments in the games Valorant, Fifa 2024, Overwatch 2, Street Fighter 6, Rocket League, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II, Mortal Kombat 1 and Tekken 7 will also be held today.
Gamers can check in at the eSports desk between noon and 4.30pm, and the tournament starts at 5pm.
zainab@gdnmedia.bh
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