WWE gets into the convention business with a 5-day WrestleMania tie-in con with Fanatics
WrestleMania has grown from one day to two days, and now to five days.
For decades, the wrestling company WWE has excelled in one-night only live events - but now its getting firmly into the convention business.
As first reported by Deadline, WWE is partnering with Fanatics for a five-day comic convention-style event during the weekend of its annual WrestleMania event, this time taking place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The convention, dubbed 'WWE World at Wrestlemania' isn't a revival of WWE's former Times Square restaurant, but a "five day interactive fan experience" going on Thursday, April 4 through Monday, April 8.
WWE World at Wrestlemania 2024 will include a main stage with convention-style panels, a WWE 2k24 gaming tournament, live podcast recordings, autograph sessions, and copious merchandise and memorabilia sales much like a comic convention.
Sounds like a convention, don't it?
WWE World at Wrestlemania takes up from WWE's previous event WrestleMania Axxess, which ran annually from 1998 to 2020 during WrestleMania weekend but was suspended due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, WWE partnered with Fanatics to take over its merchandise business, then Fanatics launching its own events businss - Fanatic Events - headed up by former ReedPop president Lance Fensterman and Popverse co-founder Mike Armstrong.
“Fanatics Events is thrilled to partner with WWE to host our debut event, WWE World at WrestleMania,” said Lance Fensterman, CEO of Fanatics Events. “Through unique content, Superstar access and immersive experiences, we look forward to curating a captivating event for all fans who are in Philadelphia for WWE’s marquee event.”
This partnership between WWE and Fanatics would appear to be similar to ReedPop's partnership with Lucasfilm to run Star Wars Celebration, and Wizards of the Coasts to run the Magic Con events.
WWE World at Wrestlemania 2024 will take place APril 4 - 8 in Philadelphia.
If a more classic comic con experience is your thing, check out our guide to all the upcoming comic conventions.
