SAN DIEGO (CNS) - San Diego Comic-Con International will continue Friday with major panels inside the convention and free events scattered through Downtown and the Gaslamp Quarter.
STARZ will double-dip into the "Outlander" series, with panels on both "Outlander" and "Outlander: Blood of my Blood" in the San Diego Convention Center's cavernous Hall H.
"Join the cast and creative team as they take a look back at the legacy of "Outlander" and its impact on the television landscape over the past 11 years, and offer a sneak peek at the upcoming eighth and final season, a STARZ statement reads. Sam Heughan, one of the series' stars ("Jamie Fraser") will be on the panel.
Other Hall H events include "The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon," "Stephen King's The Long Walk," "Predator: Badlands" and "TRON: Ares."
The eighth season of "Rick and Morty" and the return of "King of the Hill" will have panels in the Indigo Ballroom, and "Better Call Saul" star Bob Odenkirk, who also stars in the upcoming "Nobody 2," will have a question and answer session with Collider in Ballroom 20.
Outside the convention center, Anime fans can head to the Rady Shell for two free days of music, vendors and more. Crunchyroll Anime FanFest will feature "anime-inspired music," including a lineup on day one which "blends iconic talent from Japan's music scene with global, anime inspired music, from electronic to alternative rock." Featured artists Friday include SPYAIR, yama, ASH DA HERO, Slushii, Magnolia Park, Hyper Potions and more.
Day two will feature a hip-hop and R&B focused lineup, including Denzel Curry, INIKO, Pink Pablo, ALI, Yaeji, Taku Takahashi x Alenoise and NOODLES.
The event will also host exclusive artist and anime merchandise pop- ups, giveaways and the "Activations Crosswalk," which is set to feature "immersive experiences from anticipated anime series including "Gachiakuta" and the return of "Kaiju No. 8" and "The Rising of the Shield Hero," a Crunchyroll statement reads.
Mayor Todd Gloria was joined by city, convention center and Comic-Con leaders on Wednesday to officially welcome people to the event.
"Comic-Con is San Diego's annual blockbuster -- filled with action, imagination, and a massive supporting cast," Gloria said. "I love the costumes, the creativity, and the cultural energy it brings -- along with the tax dollars that come in when visitors enjoy themselves in our city.
"Because when out-of-towners dine, shop and stay in hotels, San Diegans get smoother roads, better parks, and improved city services. That's a Hollywood ending for everyone."
Comic-Con 2025 is expected to attract tens of thousands of attendees over its run, generating a regional impact of more than $160 million, which includes both direct and indirect spending by visitors. Attendees alone are expected to spend $96.8 million directly, according to the mayor's office.
Event organizers have agreed to stay in San Diego -- where Comic-Con has been held nearly every year since 1970 -- through 2027. In 2022, Comic-Con welcomed more than 135,000 attendees and generated $3 million in hotel and sales tax revenue for the city, according to city documents.
The convention shuttered for two years during the coronavirus pandemic and Comic-Con International received more than $2.5 million in Payment Protection Plan loans, all of which have been forgiven.
Comic-Con is the largest comic book and popular-arts convention in the world, with more than 460,000 square feet of exhibit floor space and more than 1,000 exhibitors each year. Additionally, more than 2,000 hours of panels, workshops and events are attached to the convention, not to mention dozens of activities and pop-ups outside the Convention Center.
COMIC-CON 2025 COVERAGE:
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- Comic-Con 2025 set to kick off in a year that some major superheroes are sitting out
- Comic-Con 2025 launches with Preview Night
- No badge needed: Offsites for San Diego Comic-Con 2025
- Bars, restaurants celebrate Comic-Con with themed menus
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