San Diego Comic-Con Malaga expects to bring together 60,000 nerds over four days in September, and double that next year

Made official last week, the San Diego Comic-Con Málaga was presented in style this morning in the Andalusian city on the shores of the Mediterranean. The organisers have confirmed the official date, from 25th to 28th September, that is, four days open to the public at the Palacio de Ferias y Congresos de Málaga, FYCMA.

Juan Manuel Moreno Bonilla, president of the Andalusian government, was among the various participants in the event who shared the key figures for the event. The "biggest cultural convention in the world", as he defined Comic-Con, expects to bring together around 60,000 people over the four days, with the aim of continuing to work towards doubling the figure to 120,000 by 2026.

The contract between San Diego Comic-Con, IMG Licensing, Dentsu Media and other participants extends the event for another year for now, but the licensees have already announced that they will be setting up an official San Diego Comic-Con office in the city of Malaga, with a view to both current and future opportunities.

Jaime López Francos, CEO of Dentsu, assures that San Diego Comic-Con will fill the 60,000 square metres of the convention centre with "more than 300 hours of exclusive content", boasting like the other national representatives that the fair has chosen Malaga as its first venture outside US territory, which makes the event a first milestone also on a European level.

These seem ambitious figures, but they are achievable with the right support and promotion. After all, recalled David Glanzer, head of strategy and communications at San Diego Comic-Con, the first edition of the fair began as a small congregation of just 300 attendees in the 70s.

Francisco de la Torre, Mayor of Málaga, completed the list of authorities and organisers who took to the stage in a presentation hosted by filmmaker Santiago Segura, who was able to give the fan touch that such an event deserved, affectionately calling himself a nerd like all those geeks who will proudly attend in September, whether they are lovers of cinema, comics, series, video games or cosplayers. The organisers closed the day by unveiling an original Infinity Gauntlet loaned by its creators for the occasion.

With no questions allowed, it remains to be seen whether, apart from the activities and the capacity to attract visitors, San Diego Comic-Con Málaga will also manage to establish itself as a date marked on the calendars to gather relevant announcements on a global level in the wide world of pop culture and entertainment, as has been the case with the original show. Likewise, if the panels, talks and meet & greet with stars and creatives try to emulate the American proposal, always full of superstars from the Hollywood constellation.

Both Goya award winners Santiago Segura himself and Icíar Bollaín kindly stopped by the Gamereactor camera to talk about their careers, what San Diego Comic-Con Málaga will mean and the transcendence of Spanish and Hollywood cinema. You will soon be able to watch the exclusive videos on our front page.