San Diego Comic-Con has undoubtedly gotten bigger and to accommodate the crowds who couldn’t make it into the convention hall, Gaslamp has been transformed into more of comic-con. There’s swag, there’s social media activations, there’s food, there’s drink. And while there’s plenty for you to spend your money on, we all enjoy getting free stuff. We’ve rounded up the best off-site spots to hit over the weekend so that you can make the most of your trip this year!
The Laika Experience
520 Fifth Avenue
Friday, July 14 – Sunday, July 23
The animation studio behind Coraline, Kubo and the Two Strings, and The Boxtrolls will be bringing their pop-up shop to the San Diego Gaslamp. The shop will feature props and puppets from their feature films along with fan art, a photo/GIF booth with the Laika characters. There will also be daily drawings for a pair of Nike’s Laika-themed shoes designed by Tinker Hatfield. Laika merchandise, giveaways, and social media activations will also be at the pop-up exhibit. Finally Laika president and CEO Travis Knight will be doing an autograph session at the pop-up Friday July 21 from 3:00pm-4:30pm. —Source
Hours (During SDCC): Wednesday 10:00am-7:00pm, Thursday-Saturday 11:00am-11:00pm, Sunday 10:00am-6:00pm
The Futurism & Tech Pavilion
Omni San Diego Hotel, 675 L Street, Grand Ballroom AA, 4th Floor
Wednesday, July 19 – Sunday, July 23
The Futurism & Tech Pavilion is excited to show off the latest in tech and innovation at this year’s Comic-Con. Augmented Reality takes center stage with the exclusive launch of Mira Lab’s new headset, accompanied by some exciting new content. There will be a wide range of VR available, from companies like Survios, VR Werx, Bandai, Steel Wool, Qualcomm, Framestore and more. On top of that, Sega will be presenting a special contest with Shota Nakama on Thursday night. There will be an “A.I. Innovation Fair” with Hanson Robotics sharing some of their creations like Einstein. — Source
Hours: Wednesday (Developer & Public Preview) 6:00pm-9:00pm, Thursday-Saturday 9:30am-7:00pm, Sunday 9:30am-5:00pm
Game of Thrones “Winter Is Here” Experience
628 L Street
Thursday, July 20 – Sunday, July 23
Across the street from the Omni Hotel, HBO brings Game of Thrones back to their yearly venue for the Winter Is Here experience. Fans who stop by will be welcomed to an immersive experience where fans can find individual, shareable touchpoints based on the world of Game of Thrones.
Upon entering the “winterized” entrance, fans will be registered with their own Dragonglass RFID wristband that will capture each touch point of a fan’s journey throughout the activation, producing individual links with ready-to-be-shared pieces of content. The journey will take fans through Winterfell, Dragonstone, King’s Landing and North of the Wall. Every guest that goes through the experience will be given a custom SDCC Night King Funko Pop! Figure, a t-shirt featuring the Night King key art, and an exclusive Robert Ball Episode 701 mini-poster. —Source
Hours: Thursday/Friday 11:00am-5:00pm, Saturday 10:00am-5:00pm, Sunday 9:00am-1:00pm
Kong: Skull Island Activation
Lawn behind the Omni Hotel
Thursday, July 20 – Sunday, July 23
Warner Bros. Home Entertainment and Legendary invite you to experience firsthand the primordial wonders of Kong: Skull Island. The MonsterVerse comes to life at San Diego Comic-Con 2017 as fans get to visit a Monarch Containment Zone which houses the gigantic bones of Kong’s ancestors, enter the Iwi temple to uncover the ancient secrets of Skull Island, and navigate the beast-infested jungles of the island for a close encounter with the mighty Kong himself. —Source
Hours: 8:30am-7:00pm
Amazon’s Tick Takeover
MLK Promenade Park, 326 W Harbor Drive
Thursday, July 20 – Sunday, July 23
Fans will have the opportunity to immerse themselves into the world of The Tick at Amazon Prime Video’s Tick Takeover, a movie set level design experience positioned directly across from the San Diego Convention Center on MLK Promenade (on the corner of 1st and J street). With fully built out buildings from “The City,” a twenty-foot tall animatronic Tick head and “Easter eggs” harkening back to the show, The Tick Takeover is poised to give fans the journey of a lifetime. Each “Citizen” will leave this enveloping SDCC highlight feeling more connected to the Amazon Original Series than ever before. Some features available to fans are a scavenger hunt, the Amazon Prime member lounge, an opportunity to see a custom mural from Matty Mo aka “The Most Famous Artist.” —Source
Hours: Thursday-Saturday 9:00am-6:00pm , Sunday 9:00am-5:00pm
VICELAND Party Bus
530 Island Avenue
Thursday, July 20 – Sunday, July 23
The VICELAND Party Bus is hitting the road and heading back to San Diego Comic-Con to celebrate the launch of their new show starring James Van Der Beek, What Would Diplo Do? You can find the bus at the VICELAND Bus Party Lot for giveaways and surprises. The bus is fully loaded with a lounge area, snacks, drinks, music, wi-fi, swag, and even a rooftop deck. There will also be special guests stopping by throughout the week. —Source
Hours: 9:00am-6:00pm
Comedy Central’s Broad City Activation
200 Harbor Drive #120
Thursday, July 20 – Sunday, July 23
Hosted at the San Diego Wine & Culinary Center, Comedy Central is bringing Broad City to San Diego Comic-Con and unveiling a life-size coloring book activation. Attendees will be able to create and color in the life-sized book with illustrations by Mike Perry. On top of that, there will be a manicure station featuring custom Broad City-inspired designs, a temporary tattoo station and prize wheel, where fans can spin for Broad City T-shirts, hats and more. —Source
Hours: Thursday-Saturday 9:30am-7:00pm, Sunday 9:30am-5:00pm
Fandom Fest
58 N 11th Avenue
Thursday, July 20 – Sunday, July 23
FANDOM is hosting their first-ever FANDOM Fest from the Petco Interactive Zone (adjacent to Petco Park on Park Blvd.) Streamed online for fans across the world, FANDOM and Pepsi have teamed up to bring news reactions, exclusive fan panels, celebrity guests, quiz shows, and way more. On top of that, con-goers will be able to eat some free food inspired by shows and movies like Game of Thrones, Naruto, and Star Wars with an ice-cold Pepsi. Find out more details about this event from their site.
Hours: Thursday-Saturday 10:00am-6:00pm, Sunday 10:00am-3:00pm
The Blade Runner 2049 Experience
Gaslamp, Location TBA
Thursday, July 20 – Sunday, July 23
Fans eager to jump back into the world of Blade Runner will get a chance to at the Blade Runner 2049 immersive multimedia experience. Setting the tone, the experience begins as guests enter through a gallery of art from Blade Runner 2049. An Oculus VR experience will immerse visitors in the world of the film. As the VR presentation ends, guests will walk into a neon-lit Los Angeles street scene, where they should be prepared to experience what our potential future holds, including impromptu tests to determine if they are humans…or replicants. Costumes and props from the upcoming film will be on display and guests 21 and over will have the chance to enjoy a Johnnie Walker whiskey tasting experience.
Guests can register to enter at a specific appointment time or choose to wait in line; however, appointments can only be made for the same day. Follow the experience with #Welcometo2049 and #BladeRunner2049. —Source
Hours: Thursday/Friday 10:00am-7:00pm, Saturday 9:00am-7:00pm, Sunday 10:00am-6:00pm
The Expanse Escape Room
J Street & 2nd Avenue
Thursday, July 20 – Sunday, July 23
Brought by Alcon Television Group, two teams of 4 to 5 players will play in this The Expanse themed escape room. Attendees will become operatives trying to escape a derelict spaceship suffering total system failure. The activation will feature props from the set of The Expanse tv show and varied prizes will be awarded to the attendees who can complete the escape room. —Source
Hours: Thursday/Friday 10:00am-7:00pm, Saturday 9:00am-7:00pm, Sunday 10:00am-6:00pm
Westworld: Journey Into Night Experience
Appointments @ the lobby of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel
Thursday, July 20 – Sunday, July 23
Looking for a taste of the luxuries and liberties afforded to Westworld guests? This immersive experience will not disappoint. Some of the park’s most iconic elements await guests lucky enough to attend. HBO is here to bring you Westworld: The Experience for all of you who want to live without limits. The experience features an immersive theatrical experience and is available to SDCC badge holders only. Appointments are made each day on a first come, first serve basis at the Bayfront Hotel lobby. —Source
Hours: Thursday 11:00am-8:30pm, Friday 1:00pm-8:30pm, Saturday 12:30pm-9:30pm, Sunday 11:00am-2:30pm
The Netflix Experience
401 K Street
Thursday, July 20 – Sunday, July 23
Set in the Hilton Gaslamp, Netflix brings the worlds of Stranger Things, Bright, and Marvel’s The Defender. The experience will feature sneak peeks, exclusive giveaways, virtual reality, and more! —Source
Hours: Thursday-Saturday 11:00am-8:00pm, Sunday 11:00am-3:00pm
AMC’s DeadQuarters
MLK Promenade Park, 326 W Harbor Drive
Thursday, July 20 – Sunday, July 23
The Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead will have an official headquarters at the MLK Promenade Park this year. They’re offering opportunities to hit the Negan Batting Bages and chances to meet cast members! —Source
Hours: Thursday-Saturday 11:00am-6:00pm, Sunday 11:00am-4:00pm
Conival
Marriott Marquis and Marina, 333 W Harbor Drive
Thursday, July 20 – Saturday, July 22
Legendary Digital Networks will once again join fans on their annual pilgrimage to San Diego for the 6th consecutive year. Conival will feature Hulu’s Future Man sponsored laser tag, Geek & Sundry’s tabletop lounge, a Wonder Woman cosplay march, giveaway opportunities, swag, and much more! —Source
Hours: 11:00am-5:00pm
Mr. Robot: The Experience
327 4th Avenue, Between J Street and Island Avenue
Thursday, July 20 – Sunday, July 23
Although Mr. Robot doesn’t have much of a presence inside the convention center, it isn’t missing from the SDCC off-site festivities. Head to E Corp’s Bank of E to receive an E Corp card loaded with E Coin cryptocurrency. If you want to jump ahead, you can open a card online at e-coin.com, (https://e-coin.com/) and use said card for participating retailers, drinks, and food, including at a meal at Red Wheelbarrow BBQ, located next to the bank! —Source
Hours: Thursday-Saturday 11:00am-7:00pm, Sunday 11:00am-4:00pm
TBS’ Wrecked Pop-Up Island Tour
625 Broadway
Thursday, July 20 – Sunday, July 23
Mechanical boars, coconut ski ball, and an island bar, who could ask for more when you’re wrecked on an island? TBS will be showcasing their upcoming show Wrecked with a pop-up island tour. The 21+ event is first come, first serve. So far, the eventbrite is sold out but seems to have created the eventbrite to increase awareness. According to the eventbrite the location seems to be the convention center, but according to the Unofficial SDCC Blog, it looks to be at 625 Broadway. —Source & Eventbrite
Hours: 12:00pm-5:00pm
FXhibition
Hilton Bayfront Lawn, 1 Park Boulevard
Thursday, July 20 – Sunday, July 23
One of our favorite offsite events, FXhibition is back, bringing American Horror Story, Atlanta, Legion, The Strain, Archer, and Snowfall along with them. They’ve got shoe lacing stations, water bar, sunblock, photobooths, and experiences for you to be apart of. —Source & Sign-ups for Legion Sessions
Hours: Thursday 12:00pm-6:00pm, Friday/Saturday 10:00am-6:00pm, Sunday 10:00am-2:00pm
Adult Swim On The Green
5th Avenue Landing (Behind the convention center!)
Thursday, July 20 – Sunday, July 23
Another favorite, Adult Swim is coming back to SDCC with more than ever before. Wristband signings for Adult Swim shows will be held on the main stage on the green. Come spend a leisurely afternoon on the back of a ferocious beast gallivanting through It’s A Fish Hole, or get a six-minute mind massage from the upgraded Meatwad Dome 4D Experience – now with motion seats. There’s games, prizes, fun, motorized animals, a tarot card reader, dart throwing, a claw machine, and shade. —Source
Hours: 1:00pm-6:00pm
NBC’s Midnight, Texas
Tin Fish, 170 Sixth Avenue
Thursday, July 20 – Sunday, July 23
The yearly NBC set up at the Gaslamp’s Tin Fish is back and this time they’re bringing their new upcomer Midnight, Texas. Get your fortune told from a tarot card reading inside the restaurant with themed meals fitting with Midnight, Texas. Outside the restaurant is a reconstructed town of Midnight, with all the amenities. There’s a 4D experience and hidden Snapcodes that unlock exclusive content! —Source
Hours: Thursday/Friday 11:00am-7:00pm, Saturday/Sunday 10:00am-6:00pm
Knightfall on History Presents: Guardians of the Gear
MLK Promenade Park, 326 W Harbor Drive
Thursday, July 20 – Sunday, July 23
Need somewhere to store your stuff? The knights templar have it covered with a place to store your stuff for the day while you roam the Gaslamp. As long as you’ve got your badge, you’re under their protection!
Hours: Thursday-Saturday 11:00am-7:00pm, Sunday 11:00am-5:00pm
Viking Funeral
Embarcadero Marina Park South, 200 Marina Park Way
Friday, July 21
Let’s say farewell to Ragnar Lothbrok in true viking style, by setting some stuff on fire. Yes, the people at the History Channel have prepared a classic viking funeral (or at least as classic as it can be in modern day San Diego). The viking warriors will be carrying the corpse through the Gaslamp for his funeral and then send him on a longship to Valhalla at 7pm, where they’ll set the 45′ boat on fire. —Source
Hours: 12:00pm-8:00pm
That’s our list! If there are any cool off-sites you think we should have listed here, comment below! Follow us on Twitter during SDCC for updates, coverage, and more!
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