Fantasy Basel, The Swiss Comic Con: Europe’s Largest Cosplay Gathering in Pictures

Once a year, the city of Basel swaps its lab coats and precision watches for lightsabers, horns, and an alarming number of Super Marios. Wizards ride trams. Stormtroopers line up for coffee. Princess Peach shares posing tips with a Sith Lord. This isn’t a glitch in the Matrix – it’s Fantasy Basel, the Swiss Comic Con. If you’re looking for the largest cosplay gathering in Europe, you’ve found your kingdom!

Fantasy Basel 2025 pulled in 97,000 visitors, cementing its status as Switzerland’s largest pop culture festival

Basel goes full superhero every May. The vast halls of Messe Basel and the usually buttoned-up streets of this Swiss city overflow with elves, anime icons, movie villains, and alien bounty hunters. While the fandom event hosts everything from gaming expos to celebrity panels, it’s the cosplay scene that truly steals the spotlight (and the Instagram grid).

In 2025, Fantasy Basel (affectionately known as FaBa) pulled in 97,000 visitors, cementing its status as Switzerland‘s largest pop culture festival.

Thousands of these guests descend in full costume glory, bringing game, movie, and comic characters to our realm.

Whether you’re a seasoned cosplayer storming the con like a Mandalorian on a mission, or a first-timer with shaky cat ears, wondering what on Earth (or Middle-Earth) you’re walking into, you can be sure that this is a place where costumes start conversations.

Let’s suit up for Fantasy Basel, Switzerland’s favorite cosplay carnival!

What is Fantasy Basel?

Fantasy Basel is Switzerland’s ultimate multiverse meetup – an annual mega-convention where pop culture, cosplay, and pure geek joy collide under one roof. Held every spring in the exhibition halls of Messe Basel, it’s the country’s largest gathering dedicated to everything fantastical: film, TV, comics, gaming, science fiction, anime, art, and technology.

The brainchild of Martin Schorno from Zurich-based organization FantasyCon AG, Fantasy Basel was launched in May of 2015. Except for the pandemic 2020, the event continued to be an annual mecca for everyone from international jedis to local hobbits. To the unusual number of Baslers walking barefoot in their town, even out of the festival context: the pun was intended.

Back in its baby-dragon days, the first Fantasy Basel covered 15,000 square meters and drew in 20,000 visitors. Nowadays, the festival spreads over 100,000 square meters, and Fantasy Basel attendance numbers are five times higher than at its beginning. Apparently, Switzerland was just waiting for a reason to dress up as a Wookie in public.

Wanna see cosplay characters in action? Watch our Fantasy Basel video on YouTube!

What to Expect at the Swiss Comic Con

There’s plenty to explore at Fantasy Basel, from an entire zone dedicated to “Star Wars”, via K-pop dance-offs, to dozens of tattoo studios offering permanent event memorabilia. It can feel like an overwhelming buffet of fandoms.

Among the aisles full of art, tech, and nostalgia, these are Fantasy Basel highlights!

Fantasy Basel Cosplay Paradise

Cosplayers are the heartbeat of Comic Con Switzerland. From lovingly handmade armor to elaborate anime wings that challenge the laws of physics, the creativity on display is nothing short of wizardry.

While you’ll spot cosplayers posing all around Messeplatz, the main point of congregation for costumed visitors is Fantasy Basel Cosplay Village.

This vibrant zone is where cosplayers showcase their creativity, engage in workshops, and participate in panels on everything from costume and prop making to performance technique.

Passionate fans can meet international cosplay stars at their booths, but also get a taste of their fame via photographs provided by pro cosplay photographers like eosAndy.

If a seam on your costume tears up, or your armor needs a quick glue fix, there’s even a Cosplay Repair Station that will come to your rescue.

Fantasy Basel Cosplay Contest is worth sticking around for – think less “party store Batman” and more “museum-grade Witcher”. At least 80% of the costume has to be self-made (70%, if you’re a total cosplay newbie), but besides the craftsmanship, judges also evaluate the one-minute performance.

For these daily competitions, contestants have to pre-register, normally a couple of weeks before the event.

Fantasy Basel Cosplay Contest winners walk away with cash prizes, vouchers, high-tech goodies, con tickets, or even a guest booth and travel package for next year.

Not a cosplayer? No problem. This is one of the friendliest fan gatherings around. Spectators are encouraged, photos are welcome (always ask!), and you may very well leave planning your next year’s debut as a genderbent Totoro.

Fantasy Basel is held at the same place that hosted Eurovision Village just a couple of weeks earlier.

Fantasy Basel stars

From actors and voice artists to writers and manga illustrators, Fantasy Basel brings in top-tier celebrity guests. The festival line-ups have included stars from “Game of Thrones”, “Star Wars”, “Stranger Things”, “Fantastic Beasts”, and beyond.

Just on Fantasy Basel 2025, you could meet and greet George Blagden (Athelstan in “Vikings”), Graham McTavish (Dwalin in “The Hobbit”), Lucy Feng (Lega Fossang in “Rise of Skywalker”), Vanessa Rubio (Carmen Diaz in “Cobra Kai”), Coldmirror (one of the most popular German YouTubers), etc.

Besides hearing them talk in the Q&A panels, where they share behind-the-scenes stories, respond to fan theories, and occasionally drop surprises, you could also collect their autographs, take a selfie, or leave home with a dedicated voice message.

Autograph prices range CHF 23-25, photographs are available for CHF 30-40, voice messages skyrocket to CHF 50, while selfies are the most affordable – CHF 14-25.

Content creators at Fantasy Basel give out their signature selfies and selfless signatures for free.

Fantasy Basel Gaming & Tech Wonderland

Whether you’re Team PC, console loyalist, or tabletop games addict, Fantasy Basel’s gaming zone is your jam.

Try out new Nintendo releases, dominate in Fortnite, or get emotionally defeated by an eight-year-old at Mario Kart.

You can challenge your best friend to a Warhammer duel, rekindle your love for pinball and retro arcades, or test cutting-edge VR gear that makes you forget you’re still technically in Basel.

E-sports fans can join Fantasy Basel tournaments, while tabletop geeks look forward to numerous RPGs, board games, and trading card battles (from Magic: The Gathering to Pokémon and Yu-Gi-Oh!).

Artist Alley & Fantasy Basel Merch

This is where your wallet goes to die (happily).

At Fantasy Basel Artist Alley, you can witness live drawing, or even commission original artwork from independent creators. Browse through unique manga dioramas and crocheted dragons, or look for one-of-a-kind clothing, kawaii headpieces, and gothic jewelry.

You can also opt for collectibles galore at the Merchandise Market. Whether you are a fan of “Harry Potter”, “Jurassic Park”, “One Piece”, or “Squid Game”, at Fantasy Basel, you’ll find something to add to your figurine collection. So, definitely bring a bag.

No, bring two.

What makes cosplay at Fantasy Basel so special?

Fantasy Basel is massive. With thousands of visitors arriving in full regalia, this isn’t just a comic con. It’s a catwalk for capes, a runway for robes, and a red carpet for anyone who’s ever asked: “What if I dressed like Kratos for three days straight?”

In these three days of May, Basel transforms into the cosplay capital of Europe. Dressing up doesn’t just stop at the venue doors. Cosplayers flood the trams, spill into surrounding streets, and turn the plaza outside Messe Basel into a real-life multiverse mashup.

Here’s why the Swiss Comic Con is a cosplay paradise.

The craftsmanship is next level

Fantasy Basel isn’t about buying a costume online and calling it a day (though that’s welcome too). It’s about spending months building battle gear, styling wigs, and perfecting poses. Whether it’s foam-smithing or 3D printing, you’ll see artistry that practically rivals museum pieces.

“I spent 7-8 months crocheting this costume”, a Swiss version of Lucifer Morningstar told me, proudly strutting her ringmaster-style look across the square, tagging along with the rest of the “Hazbin Hotel” hellish cast.

Spending months to perfect a single look is exceptional, and yet it is the norm at this festival that stimulates creativity from head to toe. Or in Lucifer’s case, from hat to tail.

At Fantasy Basel, you’ll see it all: hand-stitched kimonos, foam-forged “Final Fantasy” armors, and wigs that look like they require their own insurance policy.

Whether built from cardboard or commissioned from a pro, the love and labor behind these costumes are evident in every seam.

Everyone’s Invited

Fantasy Basel isn’t just for elite builders. Whether you’re debuting a handcrafted masterpiece or grabbing a wizard hat last minute, you’re part of the show.

The con’s atmosphere is famously inclusive; nobody checks your skill level. As long as you came with love for the character, you belong.

It doesn’t matter if you’re rocking body paint, a tinfoil hat, or just admiration for others. The atmosphere is welcoming and supportive.

It’s not uncommon to see:

• Experienced cosplayers fixing someone else’s props
• Strangers forming spontaneous dance troupes
• Superman and Wolverine entering a duel during a selfie

Would Wolverine’s healing factor and adamantium claws give him an edge over Superman’s invulnerability? While it’s fun imagining who would win a Fantasy Basel crossover clash between Marvel and DC superheroes, universes-apart characters don’t always mix.

I made a faux-pas assumption when I proposed a photo to a group of four friends, and then wondered aloud why the fourth stood aside.

“Well, we are from different universes”, Nozomi Tojo told me.

This character has an all-knowing vibe even in “Love Live!”, an anime series where she’s the most mischievous of the school idols.

So it was, naturally, unnatural for her to share the same frame with an unlikely high school manga trio: Momo Ayase, Okarun, and Turbo Granny. They might all be from Japan, but “Dandadan” is still light years away.

At Fantasy Basel, colliding fandom galaxies require an expert astronomer. Fortunately, nobody seems seriously offended by not being recognized as a star.

A photographer’s dream

Fantasy Basel cosplayers don’t just wear outfits. They become the characters. Expect signature poses, dramatic stares, and even the occasional TikTok dance challenge.

Photographers, both amateur and pro, roam the grounds like NPCs with cameras, with numberless moments to document.

With natural light and hundreds of wildly creative costumes, the open plaza at Fantasy Basel becomes a de facto cosplay stage, one to witness free of charge.

Whether a full-geared pro or a smartphone-armed tourist, capturing a perfect shot is an opportunity, not anyone’s entitlement.

Cosplayers love being asked for a photo and are more than happy to pose. But you should not assume that a cosplayer’s politeness grants you unlimited time. That’s not fair towards the model, nor to fellow photographers.

Here’s an example: One photographer spent ages shooting a local Superman. Even after they were done, and the superhero started walking away, the photographer kept chatting the poor guy up, in what looked to me like an abuse of someone’s politeness.

After patiently waiting, I jumped in, apologizing for interrupting, and asked Superman: “Sorry, wiil I be able to take your photo, too?”

Before Superman could reply “yes” or “no”, the photographer exclaimed “Wait for a minute!” and continued his monologue. Lol, what?

Cosplayers are not public property. If you’re photographing someone, take a look around. Are you creating a queue? Is your model ready to move on? Don’t monopolize their time, expect them to review your shots, or fish out a phone from under layers of armor just to jot down your Instagram. The cosplayer is the central figure here, and you should be the one adapting. Not the other way around.

Tip: Instead of abducting cosplayers for a photo, ask which way they’re headed and walk with them. Get your photo quickly, at the convenient location – for them.

Tips for Fantasy Basel visitors

Here’s how to visit Fantasy Basel enjoyably and respectfully:

1. Wear comfortable shoes.

You’ll walk. A lot. Fantasy Basel is xxl in size, and your feet will thank you or kill you by mid-afternoon.

2. Hydrate and snack smart.

Watching cosplay is an endurance sport; be kind to yourself! Everyone’s allowed to bring in one non-alcoholic drink up to 0.75 L. Outside food is permitted only for visitors with babies or allergies. For everyone else, food stalls await.

3. Ask first.

Don’t take photos without consent. It’s common courtesy.

4. Don’t touch costumes.

Wings, wigs, and props are delicate and took someone forever to make. Admire with your eyes, not your hands.

5. Compliment the craft.

“You look amazing!” is the universal cosplay currency. Give generously.

6. Show curiosity.

Many cosplayers love to talk about how they made things. You might learn something about 3D printing or LED wiring.

7. Watch for props.

That five-foot sword has a five-foot turning radius. Respect the space. It’s a costume, not a bumper car.

NEED-TO-KNOW INFO FOR FANTASY BASEL 2026

Fantasy Basel dates in 2026: May 14-16

Fantasy Basel 2026 starts on Thursday, which is Ascension Day, and finishes on Saturday. The opening and the closing days are the most popular because working folks have more available time for hobbies and travel. But the middle day (Friday) is the cheapest for attending families.

Fantasy Basel location: Messe Basel

The address of Messe Basel, Fantasy Basel's venue, is Messeplatz 10.

Opening times: 10 am – 7 pm

While Fantasy Basel's opening hours officially start at 10 am, most programming (talks, panels, workshops) begins at noon. If you want to avoid crowds, arrive after 11. Unless you're hunting some rare collectibles!

Fantasy Basel ticket price: CHF 50 (+ service fees)

Fantasy Basel tickets go on sale months in advance, normally in autumn preceding the festival.

While the official partner for FaBa's online tickets is Ticketcorner, day tickets and afternoon tickets (entry from 3 pm onwards) can be bought on site.

Early birds that buy the Fantasy Basel Festival Pass, can use it for all three days. That will allow entry via a separate line.

Festival Pass Diamond allows entry even before general admission (at 9:30 am), as well as adds some festival souvenirs to your goodie bag.

Children below the age of 9 can enter for free, and young visitors (9-15 years) get a Fantasy Basel discount. Advance tickets for youth cost CHF 27, while at the box office they'll charge CHF 32. Friday is Fantasy Basel Family Day, when youth tickets cost CHF 22 (CHF 17 in pre-sale).

If you're a German-speaking Swiss adult, you can become a Fantasy Basel volunteer, and swap festival assistance for a 3-day ticket for yourself and a fellow fanatic, plus merch, food and drink vouchers. Not a bad deal for helping keep the multiverse in order!

Fantasy Basel schedule:

For the full Fantasy Basel program timetable and floor plan, consult the official page of the event.

Getting to Fantasy Basel

Fantasy Basel takes place at Messe Basel, right in the heart of the city. The venue is just a tram ride away from the main station and easily accessible from France or Germany. Crossing borders dressed as a furry is half the fun.

• Fly into EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg (BSL/MLH/EAP). From there, hop on bus 50 for a direct 20-minute ride to Basel SBB train station.
• Train into Basel SBB station, Switzerland’s busiest border station. There are direct connections from Zurich, Bern, Geneva, Milan, and even Paris.
• Tram it to Messe Basel. Hop on tram number 1, 2, 6, 14, or 15 to Messeplatz. Basel trams are fast, frequent, and adorable.
• Follow the jedis. Welcome to the con life!

Pick your Fantasy Basel hotel

Need a place to recharge your mana? These top hotels near the Fantasy Basel venue offer comfort, convenience, and a quick commute to the con floor:

Basel Marriott Hotel – Just across the street, Marriott provides modern rooms, a full gym and spa, and the elegant Heritage Basel restaurant. Check out this hotel on your preferred platform: Booking, Agoda, Trip, or Expedia.

Hyperion Hotel Basel – If you enjoy tall buildings, Hyperion is just steps away from Messe Basel and comes with panoramic city views. To relax after the event, visit their sauna. Check out this hotel on your preferred platform: Booking, Agoda, Trip, or Expedia.

Pullman Basel Europe – Chic and stylish, Pullman features a tranquil garden and an on-site restaurant and bar, which makes it a great place to decompress post-cosplay. Check out this hotel on your preferred platform: Booking, Agoda, Trip, or Expedia.

Bloom Boutique Hotel  & Lounge Basel – Smaller in size but big on charm, Bloom offers personalized service, cozy rooms, and a warm lounge bar that gets rave reviews. Check out this hotel on your preferred platform: Booking, Agoda, or Expedia.

If you love the space saga, you will adore these Star Wars-themed hotels!

Fantasy Basel, the Swiss Comic Con – Conclusion

Fantasy Basel is a celebration of art, imagination, shared obsessions, and unapologetic nerdiness. It’s where you can fangirl over a lightsaber duel, stumble upon your new favorite indie graphic novel, and watch your kid high-five a fully-armored Gundam. All in the same afternoon.

It’s literally a fantastic place to go to – whether you’re here for the cosplay, celebrity photo ops, or just want to spend a weekend in a parallel universe that somehow includes Pikachu, Gandalf, AND Pennywise.

Fantasy Basel offers a rewarding front-row seat to one of the most creative and colorful fan spectacles in Europe

Families come to Fantasy Basel to cosplay together. Friends coordinate elaborate group ensembles. Even first-timers get swept up in the joy of it all. The result? A living fan-art gallery, and you’re walking right through it.

From hand-sewn Sailor Moon outfits to LED-lit Iron Man suits, the sheer diversity of characters and craftsmanship on display at Fantasy Basel is quite astonishing. In a world increasingly divided, cosplay is a joyful, inclusive explosion of identity and fandom.

Even if you don’t attend a single panel or chase autographs, you’ll still get your fill of magic. Just showing up near the venue offers a rewarding front-row seat to one of the most creative and colorful fan spectacles in Europe.

So, dust off your camera, bring curiosity if you don’t have a cape, and embrace the madness. You know what they say: resistance is futile.

Until you dream up your character, find costume inspiration in these Fantasy Basel photos!