Celebrities and cosplay fans were in Harrogate at the weekend for the two-day Comic Con Yorkshire.

John Cleese led the line-up of comic, TV and film stars at Yorkshire Event Centre, which is situated at the Great Yorkshire Showground.

Comic Cons enable fans to meet their heroes and cosplay as their favourite characters.

They have been held around the world for years but this was the first such venture in Harrogate.

Here are some photos of the event.

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All images by Tyler Parker

One of Britain’s best-known comedy names will be in Harrogate next weekend as thousands of fans descend for the annual Comic-Con Yorkshire.

John Cleese is among the line-up of celebrities appearing at the Yorkshire Event Centre gathering, on Saturday, June 3 and Sunday, June 4.

The Monty Python and Fawlty Towers star will be joined by actors from Gremlins, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Netflix hit Wednesday – and the town’s tourism managers are hoping to capitalise on the event.

Destination Harrogate‘s events arm, Events Harrogate, is launching its Town Welcome programme of activity, alongside local businesses, designed to encourage people to explore outside the event.

Attendees at Comic-Con will be able to pick up comic-style guides to Harrogate which will include details about places to visit, discounts to use with local businesses, and even a cosplay competition.

Cold Bath Brewing on King’s Road will be hosting an official after-party for Comic-Con, complete with give specially-brewed beers.

John McGivern, destination events manager for Destination Harrogate, said:

“We’re delighted that Harrogate has been chosen as the location for Comic-Con Yorkshire 2023 and look forward to welcoming this fun and dynamic, family-friendly event to our fantastic town.

“It’s testament to Harrogate’s position as a first class events destination that our patch was picked for Comic-Con Yorkshire.

“Our Town Welcome activity will encourage event attendees to make the most of their time here in North Yorkshire, and offers a great opportunity for our local business community to get on board with extending the Comic-Con party beyond the event itself. We’re really pleased that so many businesses are supporting the Town Welcome programme.”

If this year’s event is a success, Destination Harrogate is hoping Comic-Con organiser Monopoly Events will make it a regular feature in the events calendar.

Heather Parry, managing director of Yorkshire Event Centre, said:

“We are delighted to be hosting Comic-Con at the Yorkshire Event Centre for the first time and we know organisers chose our venue because of its potential for growth.

“Comic-Con will bring thousands of visitors into the area from across the UK which will not only benefit the charity we help fund, Yorkshire Agricultural Society, but also Harrogate and the local area. We are sure this is set to be a spectacular event.”

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The Yorkshire Event Centre in Harrogate is expecting to host tens of thousands more visitors after securing several new deals for 2023.

The new events include an epic comic convention, the UK’s biggest outdoor holiday home show, a model rail showcase and an electric vehicle extravaganza.

Heather Parry, managing director of the Yorkshire Event Centre, said:

“We are excited to be heading into 2023 with a number of new, high-profile shows to be held here for the first time. All of these have strong national profiles, guaranteed to attract thousands of visitors into the region, and we are proud to host them here.”

Harrogate Model Engineering Exhibition and Model Rail 2023, on Friday and Saturday, March 10 and 11, will have large-scale traction engines, model boats, military, earth-moving display, live steam, model trucks, aero modelling, railway locomotives and over 40 club and society displays.

Model Rail 2023 will feature  the largest model railway in the UK. ‘Heaton Lodge Junction’ is a 200ft x 50ft masterpiece that took over seven years to build.

Fully Charged LIVE North 2023, which is billed as the world’s number-one electric vehicle and clean energy show, is expected to attract 10,000 to 15,000 visitors to the YEC.

The show, which will be held from Friday, May 19 to Sunday, May 21, will complement a series of other Fully Charged LIVE shows which are held in Europe, America, Canada and Australia, as well as Fully Charged LIVE South, which is held in Hampshire.

Founded by actor, author and presenter Robert Llewellyn, the hugely popular Fully Charged YouTube channel has more than 163 million views and nearly a million subscribers, and covers electric vehicles of all shapes and sizes, from electric bikes to electric boats, as well as covering the clean, sustainable energy sources that these technologies can run on.

Fully Charged at the Yorkshire Event Centre: (l to r) presenter Robert Llewellyn, YEC venue manager Richard Moorhouse, Dan Caesar and YEC sales manager Ben Chatburn.

Comic-Con will be at the Yorkshire Event Centre on the weekend of June 3-4 as part of a national tour. Visitors can expect big-name guests, amazing set and prop builds, major attractions, cosplay, anime, traders, gaming and more.

Finally, organisers of the UK’s biggest outdoor holiday home show, HERCMA, recently announced their relocation to the Great Yorkshire Showground.

Rebranded as The Great Holiday Home Show, it will be held from Friday, September 8 to Sunday, September 10 for the public, followed by a trade-only show from Tuesday, September 12 to Thursday, September 14. The outdoor show of holiday homes, caravans and motorhomes, is set to get a brand-new look, with new content to be announced nearer the time.

The Great Yorkshire Showground has 250 acres of outdoor space and can also host large-scale indoor events.

The YEC is based on the 250-acre Great Yorkshire Showground, which has 250 acres of outdoor space to offer event organisers and free parking. It can host large-scale indoor events across the two halls in the Yorkshire Event Centre or in one of the 14 rooms at the Pavilions of Harrogate.

Businesses and events held at the Great Yorkshire Showground contributed £73.7 million to the local economy in 2019, the latest year for which figures are available.

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Harrogate’s biggest celebration of comic culture will return in November.

Thought Bubble comic convention will take place on November 12 and 13 at Harrogate Convention Centre.

Three exhibition halls will be filled with artists, illustrators and authors meeting fans and selling copies of their art.

The star attraction is American writer Gail Simone, best known for her work on titles including DC’s Bird of Prey, Batgirl & Wonder Woman.

Other artists including G. Willow Wilson, Christian Ward, Magdalene Visaggio, Rafael Albuquerque and David Aja will be available to meet fans.

This year’s guest of honour is comics legend Ian Kennedy. 

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Chloe Green, Thought Bubble Festival Director, said:

“It’s very exciting to be back planning another Thought Bubble, the whole team has a real fire in them to bring the most amazing Thought Bubble yet, in what we hope will be a much more straight-forward year than the last two… Expect incredible guests from around the world, the most awe-inspiring comic creating exhibitors and a weekend of panels, workshops and fun for every level of comic fan”