Memorial Day weekend in downtown Atlanta has its own soundtrack by now: rolling suitcases, foam swords and the chatter of fans comparing costumes on the walk between hotels. MomoCon came back May 21-24 for its 21st year, and organizers billed this edition as the largest they have staged.
The fan convention spread across the Georgia World Congress Center, the Omni Atlanta Hotel at Centennial Park and Signia by Hilton Atlanta, with programming built around costuming, comics, gaming, music, visual arts and voice acting. It has landed in Atlanta every Memorial Day weekend since 2014.
More room than ever
Co-chairman Chris Stuckey said the 2026 show used more than one million square feet of the GWCC, a big footprint for an event that started at Georgia Tech with about 700 attendees. Founder and co-chair Jessica Merriman said organizers expected around 65,000 visitors this year, topping the roughly 59,000 who came in 2025.
The headline addition was Wonder Festival, a showcase that started in Japan and focuses on the artistry behind collectible design and production. It spotlighted professional studios and independent creators who bring characters, creatures and worlds to life through craftsmanship.
Gamers had their own territory too. The 24-hour open gaming hall covered more than 250,000 square feet, with arcades, esports stages, PC and LAN gaming, console tournaments, and free play plus board and card gaming. WABE reported it as the second-largest hall of its kind in the country.
Familiar faces and local talent
The guest list included the casts of "Critical Role" and the anime and manga series "Dandadan," along with two Atlanta-based creators: author and game designer Sarah Madsen and graphic designer and game developer Brian Colin.
Stuckey pointed out that plenty of the people inside the event were local as well. Comic artists, independent vendors selling in the hall and influencers coming through the convention's content creator program included a good number based in Atlanta and Fulton County.
A busy weekend for downtown businesses
The Atlanta Convention & Visitors Bureau projected more than $43 million in economic impact over the holiday weekend, counting spending at hotels, restaurants, venues and local businesses. Stuckey said the MomoCon team reached out to local restaurants and food spots to list them on the convention's food maps, so attendees would know those places were open.
That kind of spillover is a big part of why a convention like this matters to downtown. Visitors in costume spend four days moving between the GWCC and the hotels, grabbing meals and coffee along the way.
Looking toward next year
Stuckey told WABE he hopes the growth keeps going, with more attendees, more hotel rooms and more economic impact for the city. Next year's dates had not been announced in WABE's coverage, so keep an eye on MomoCon's official channels for 2027 details.
Source: WABE, May 21, 2026.
