Pune Comic Con wraps up a vibrant weekend with immersive cosplay and culture

After Gurgaon Comic Con wrapped up its firstever edition earlier this March Pune Comic Con concluded its latest edition at Mayfield Yash Garden drawing many fans over two days of immersive pop culture experiences With over 25000 fans the weekend brought together Punersquos deeply rooted creative spirit and its evolving fandom communities showcasing the cityrsquos identity as the cultural capital of MaharashtraAs soon as the gates opened students artists young professionals and families filled the venue moving between artist alleys comic showcases collectibles and interactive zones In a city known for its historic wada architecture thriving theatre circuits literary legacy and bustling college culture across areas like FC Road JM Road and Koregaon Park Comic Con found a natural home among audiences who are as passionate about storytelling as they are about selfexpressionThe creatorsrsquo stage remained a focal point throughout the weekend with sessions featuring voices from across India and beyond Fans engaged with creators like Josh Blaylock alongside Indian artists including Savio Mascarenhas Abhijeet Kini Saumin Suresh Patel Vibha Rao and Alaina Vinayak who shared insights into comic creation visual storytelling and the growing intersection of global and Indian narratives Sessions such as The Webtoon Creatorrsquos Guide with Satan Navi and Creators Across Borders reflected Punersquos openness to diverse creative influences while communityled moments like the Pune Anime Community spotlight highlighted the cityrsquos strong grassroots fandom cultureProgramming across both days blended art humour and performance keeping the energy high across the venue From interactive sessions like Doodle Mayhem Ubharta Kalakar celebrating emerging local talent to Kvizzing with KV which brought together trivia lovers in a lively pop culture faceoff the stage consistently drew enthusiastic crowdsThe Comic Con Comedy Showcase featured performers like Vivek Desai Siddhartha Shetty and Fatima Ayesha whose relatable humour struck a chord with Punersquos young and expressive audiencesMusic added another layer to the experience with Comic Con Jukebox and Street Pulse performances featuring artists such as Gamak Geek Fruit and 99side blending indie hiphop and experimental sounds Voctronicarsquos allvocal orchestra performance stood out as a unique highlight echoing Punersquos longstanding appreciation for both classical and contemporary musical formsCosplay once again emerged as one of the defining highlights of Pune Comic Con Across both days hundreds of cosplayers transformed into fanfavourite characters from anime comics films and games including Dr Octopus from Spiderman The Flash from DC Comics superhero Gojo from Jujutsu Kaisen Jinu Kpop Demon Hunters Riyo Reaper from Gachiakuta The Pune Comic Con Cosplay Contest saw participants compete for a daily cash prize of Rs 30000 with audiences gathering in large numbers to witness the craftsmanship and performances on stageThe Indian Championship of Cosplay 2026 ndash Pune Qualifier presented by Maruti Suzuki Arena concluded on Sunday with Jessica Das cosplaying as Maleficent winning Rs 50000 along with a qualifying spot at the ICC Finals 2026 The competition reflected Punersquos growing cosplay community where attention to detail and performance continue to evolve with each editionBeyond meeting comic artists and creators the event delivered a fully immersive entertainment experience across the show floor Fans explored live gameplay competitive challenges and interactive showcases including special installations by Warner Bros and Universal Pictures a dedicated Nykaa corner racing simulator experiences by Logitech and a Just Dance booth The NODWIN Gaming Zone featured virtual and simulator gaming setups while the Maruti Suzuki Arena Fan Experience Zone hosted reflexbased challenges and interactive activities At the Crunchyroll Zone anime fans stepped into themed experiences inspired by SPY x Family alongside a special Suzume door installation Gaming enthusiasts also witnessed a highenergy fan moment as leading Indian gaming creator Sc0ut Tanmay Singh immersed in an exclusive meetandgreet alongside a Challenger Gaming Zone offering a VR cricket experience Interactive sessions with partners like Amar Chitra Katha Alpha Comics added layers of storytelling rooted in both Indian and global pop culture traditionsShefali Johnson CEO Comic Con India said ldquoPune has a cultural rhythm that is very distinct Itrsquos a city where you grow up around literature theatre music and ideas whether its conversations in old bookstores performances across its theatre circuits or the energy that comes from its many colleges Over this weekend we saw that same spirit come alive at Comic Con Fans showed up with a lot of intent from carefully crafted cosplay to spending time with artists and creators really engaging with the work Therersquos also something very lsquoPunekarrsquo about the way people experience culture here itrsquos thoughtful curious and deeply involved Seeing that blend of legacy and contemporary pop culture play out across the venue made this edition feel very true to Punersquos identity as the cultural capital of MaharashtrardquoAkshat Rathee who is the cofounder and managing director NODWIN Gaming said ldquoPune represents one of the most important intersections of youth culture in the country With its student population growing creator ecosystem and a strong base of gamers anime music and popculture fans itrsquos a city that naturally leans into our offerings Over the past two weekends it was incredible to see how deeply fans engaged with two of our IPs ICONiQ White NH7 Weekender and Pune Comic Con Therersquos a certain sincerity in how Pune embraces culture where people come together to participate and express themselves That makes it a very exciting city for us as we continue to build and grow these experiencesrdquoOver two days Pune Comic Con brought together fans from across the city and beyond celebrating a shared love for storytelling creativity and community